Marriage Equality in America

Marriage Equality in America

Cassiopia Cox ECPI University

2 Marriage Equality in America

America has been in quite the up-roar the last few months as several of our citizens have been protesting, trying desperately to be accepted and to share their personal views on marriage equality. While I understand there are issues surrounding the implementation of marriage equality in America, marriage equality can be favorable to our economy as well as citizens moral. The economy can benefit in many ways by allowing the couples of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual (LGBT) community to be married. As U.S. citizens they have money to spend. One of Yahoos reporters Ms. Nicole Goodkind wrote the article How Gay Marriage Impacts the Economy, published in in Yahoos Daily Ticker, states that If same-sex marriage was legalized, both the wedding and divorce industry could receive a $9.5 billion boost from the nearly 800,000 same-sex couples currently living together.(Goodkind, 2013, 1) The impacts that our economy could potentially feel would be helpful. For example, in a state where gay marriage is legal and couples are getting married there will naturally be divorce as well. When straight couples go through a divorce, if he or she is forced to pay a spousal support pay check they are entitled to a tax deduction under federal law. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act rejected federal recognition of same-sex marriages in the United States and abroad and declared that no state need recognize a same-sex marriage in another state.(Ehrenfeld, 2012, 1) Christel de Veries and her same-sex spouse separated and went to court where the judge ordered that she pay spousal support adding an extra 12,000 to her yearly expenses that she is not allowed claim on her taxes. Financial issues causing debt is harmful to our community and threatens the economy. In Ehrenfelds article she states that, The conflict between state and federal law - and between states - creates double worlds for gay marrieds in nearly every area of their financial lives. (Ehrenfeld, 2012, 1) There are many cases that are similar to Christels where there has

3 Marriage Equality in America

been unnecessary hardship and debts brought upon them because their sexual orientation is not recognized on a federal level. Our country has been struggling financially for such a long time as Americans fight to save their finances and preventing from going broke. While our LGBT community is growing vastly we try to ignore the high population. Mr. Ramon Johnson, who wrote a segment on Gay Population Statistics announced that there are about 9 million (3.8%) of American Citizens that have identified themselves as being a part of the LGBT community (Johnson,1). If we deny this many of our citizens the right to be married, spending their lives together, and denying them federal benefits to their marriages it could cause our country to slip into yet another depression. On top of the financial issues that marriage equality can prevent once it is legal in America is individual morale. The personal morale and well-being of approximately 9 million Americans is very important as depression is another of our many growing problems in the U.S. today. Many people feel that allowing such changes to our culture can damage our community and morale and think the same as Dr. Ben Carson author of America the Beautiful. Dr Carson says, I believe God loves homosexuals as much as he loves everyone, but if we can redefine marriage as between two men or two women or any other way based on social pressures as opposed to between a man and a woman, we will continue to redefine it in any way that we wish, which is a slippery slope with a disastrous ending, as witnessed in the dramatic fall of the Roman Empire. I don't believe this to be a political view, but rather a logical and reasoned view with long-term benefits to family structure and the propagation of humankind. When children grow up in an environment with loving parents who provide security, they are free to be happy and playful and eager to learn. God obviously knew what he was doing when he ordained the traditional family, and we should not denigrate it in order to uplift some alternative.... Marriage

4 Marriage Equality in America

is a very sacred institution and should not be degraded by allowing every other type of relationship to be made equivalent to it. If gays or non-gays wish to have some type of legal binding relationship that helps with the adjudication of property rights and other legal matters, I certainly have no problem with that, but to equate that with marriage is going further than necessary. (America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great, pg.182,) Dr Carson and many who share his opinions want to help people to find their way to our lord to help depression in America. PHD Bob Murray and MS Alicia Fortinberry provide us with Depression Facts and Stats informing us of 18.8 million adults in the U.S. who suffer from depression of some kind (Murry B,Fortinberry A. January 2005, 1) Also informing us of the number of children from all ages who suffer with depression problems. Banning marriage equality could essentially make these numbers of depressed Americans and their children grow as the majority of the LGBT community claim that they did not choose the life or bodies they were given but that god made them just the way they are. Marriage equality would also give thousands of children potential homes with thousands of LGBT couples who would be applying to adopt to complete their families. They would be able to raise these children who have no homes and no mommies or daddies as their own, providing them with all the essentials every child should have like love, tenderness, hugs and kisses. These children would then be allowed to know what it is like to have two parents, no matter their gender who love them and provide for them every day. This can decrease the depression stats previously mentioned. Many children would be happier and less likely to rebel, essentially lowering the juvenile crimes all across our country. Comparing everything financially such as filing taxes, wedding expenses, divorces costs, and overall debt that effects Americas economy that the LGBT community face without the

5 Marriage Equality in America

federal benefits, those straight couples are entitled to once they are married as you discuss your decision on marriage equality in America. I urge you to keep in mind all the moral and personal well-being of the nearly nine million American citizens born and raised in our free country, and the impact that they can have on our economy, that was discussed in this paper, so you can decide on a fair and just ruling to legalize or ban gay marriage in America. Written by Cassiopia Cox April 17th 2013

6 Marriage Equality in America

References
Carson B. (January 2012) America the Beautiful: Rediscovering what Made This Nation Great Dimiero B. and Hananoki E.(March 2013) Ben Carson: Marriage Equality Could Destroy America Like the fall of the Roman Empire http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/03/29/ben- carson-marriage-equality-could-destroyamer/193345 Ehrenfeld T.,(June2012) Gay Couples Face More Financial Obstacles Than Straight Couples, www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/gay-couples-financial-obsticles_n_1570505.html Goodkind N.(March 2013) How Gay Marriage Impacts the Economy, Finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/why-gay-marriage-good-economy132309024.html Johnson R., Gay Population Statistics, gaylife.about.com/od/comingout/a/population.htm PHD Murray B., MS Fortiberry A.(January 2005) Depression Facts and Stats, www.upliftprogram.com/depression_stats.html

7 Marriage Equality in America