Dear Ms.

Corbin, I would like to bring to your attention a quote by the one and only, George Clooney, which I happen to like quite a lot. It reads At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black. The point of this quote is extremely important, not only to me, but to millions of people. Clooney is one of many people who has pointed out to the public that the way some people are treating gay rights is just as foolish and ignorant as the way they treated African American civil rights around the 1950s. I believe in gay rights. I believe in equality. In 1964, the Equal Rights Act was enacted to grant equality to African Americans. In 1967, the Loving v. Virginia case granted the right for interracial marriage. In 1920, women received the right to with the passage of the 19th Amendment. Hopefully someday soon, well be able to say that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals will have the right to marry everywhere in the country, and eventually, the world. My first reason that gay marriage rights should be given to all is clear in the eyes of, what I think of, the competent. This fact should not have to be explained to people, unfortunately, to some, it does. People that are gay are just as human as the rest of us. The definition of gay by the dictionary is simply put: of, pertaining to, or exhibiting sexual desire or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one's own sex; homosexual. As you can clearly see, nowhere in that definition does it say that a person who is gay is any less of a human than the rest of us. Another example, the definition of human: the quality or state of being human, the quality or state of being kind to other people or to animals, all people. As well as in the first example, nowhere in this definition does it state gays excluded or any such phrase along those lines. So why deprive gays of the same civil rights everyone else was granted a long time ago? Another, outrageous, fact pertaining to the lack of gay rights in many places, is that just about anyone can get married; except gays. Two extraordinarily drunk people meet in a casino somewhere down in Texas, spend three hours together, decide to get married with an officiant dressed like Elvis, without even knowing each others names, and its perfectly fine, so long as theyre a heterosexual couple. A young woman, some might call her a gold digger, has been divorced six times, and is marrying again to a wealthy man three times her age, likely about to die, and that is perfectly legal, no one sees any problem with that. Picture two people who are delightful residents of a small town, have been together for twenty years, never cheated, never committed a crime, and are completely and totally in love. You would think theyd be allowed

to marry. Oh, but theres where youre wrong, because that couple is made up of two people of the same sex. My final argument for why gay marriage rights should be given to all is because of the separation of church and state. The separation of church and state is a phrase that expresses an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Pretty much what it means is that church will, and should not influence the government and how the government runs. I bring this up because one of the major reasons that gay marriage is currently illegal is due to the religious interpretation that "homosexuals are sinners." Such a religious perspective should have no place in federal or legal matters in the United States. A majority of people in the United States, 78.4%, identify their religion as Christian, while a mere 6% of the population does not believe in any higher power, commonly known as atheists. As you can see, the country is greatly influenced, if not almost completely run by people of religious beliefs, which would not be a problem, if that large percentage hadnt made it so difficult for gays to marry and live their lives as everyone else in the country can. One claim that some people, commonly known as bible thumpers preach is that marriages purpose is to produce offspring, so it would be against nature for two people of the same sex to marry. First of all, even if that is true by their beliefs, it most likely isnt for two gays wanting to marry. And if their claim is legitimate, then what is their excuse for infertile women or sterile men getting married? If they cant have children, why are they allowed to marry? One, very wise, point relating to this argument is that if two gay people have a child, they adopted that child. They want that child. They didnt get stuck with it after a clumsy night, theyve thought long and hard, and likely waited a long time to adopt a child. No one would go through that if they didnt want a child. Another claim some people pit against gay marriage is that a couple of the same sex would be depriving their child a mother or a father. These people say that having two parents of the same sex would not be able to adequately raise a child that would be normal and healthy. Let me list off some names for you. 50 Cent, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster, Joe Valentine, Judy Garland, these are all extremely successful people, idols, they have people who look up to them, theyre role models, and they all have, or have had gay parents. So please, explain to me how having homosexual parents would impact your life, your normalcy, your happiness in the negative in any way at all. One final, ridiculous, argument that some people make is that if two gay people raise a child, that child will be growing up in a homosexual environment, and will thus be turned gay. You can ask anyone who is homosexual or bisexual, and many straight people know this as well,

being gay is not a choice. You dont choose to be gay, and you cant choose to stop being gay. Thus, growing up in a house with gay parents would, in no way, impact a childs sexuality. Put yourself in their position. Imagine if everyone, except blonde English teachers were allowed to marry, but one day, you met a man who was the man of your dreams and you two were so madly in love that you decided to get married. Except, youre not allowed to because a majority of the country are arguing for a man, a man who has not been proven to exist, yet controls their lives, using a 2,000 year old book as evidence , say that you cant get married. There are approximately 9 million people in the united states who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. There are only 17 states that allow same sex marriage. Thats 33 states where gays cant marry. Thats an estimated 6,900,388 people that want to get married, but cannot. I believe in gay rights. I believe in equality.