The argument that same-sex marriage ruins the sanctity of marriage is utterly absurd. Since gay people have been getting married, straight marriages have not changed. If you know a straight couple who say gay people having rights has changed their marriage, they probably shouldn’t be together in the first place.

Besides that, saying gay couples can have civil unions with all the rights as married couples is not a compromise. There’s a scientific word for that, and it’s homophobia. I understand that traditionally marriage is between a man and a woman, but traditionally people can own other people. My point is, just because it’s always been done one way doesn’t mean that it’s not wrong.

Leviticus 18:22 says that being homosexual is wrong. I ask the people who claim the Bible as their defense for hatred to answer me the following questions. Exodus 21:7 says my parents can sell me into slavery; what price do you think I would go for? And when my mother wears a dress made of two types of thread and my father plants two different crops next to one another, does their stoning have to be public or can it be private, as is banned in Deuteronomy 22:11 and Leviticus 19:19? When NFL players play, do they have to wear gloves, as according to Leviticus 11:8 which says you may not touch pig skin? And does my brother have to get a haircut? He has a round haircut and that is banned in Leviticus 19:27. The point is, people pick and choose what they want from the Bible because some things are outdated.

And for my atheist homophobes out there, how about this? Mind your own business. No one is forcing gayness on you. You don’t have to go marry a man, fellas. And ladies, no lesbian wants a homophobe anyway. When I hear people say LGBT people forcing sexuality on others or their children, all I can think about is all the times I’ve seen a boy and a girl be friends at age five and all the adults say “is that your girlfriend?”

And even if you still think banning same-sex marriage is not an awful idea, just remember that for the entirety of human history people have hated people for things they cannot control. Whether it be the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, or where they’re from, people have always hated other people. No one chooses to be gay. Am I proud of who I am? Yes. That doesn’t mean that being straight wouldn’t be easier. Not being called slurs everyday would probably be easier, as would being able to be accepted by everyone in my life.

It’s hard for me to understand people who do not believe in equal rights. How does one not understand that they are on the wrong side of history and that one hundred years from now students learning about them will be appalled? I pity them.

Basically, be kind to your fellow human.

Since time immemorial, marriage has been between a man and a woman. This institution has provided the single best foundation for producing and raising children and that is the reason it is practiced near universally around the world. Now I would like to address the two most prevalent misconceptions about opposition to gay marriage. Firstly, it is not a purely religious argument, I am highly opposed to the legalization of gay marriage but I am also an atheist. Secondly, among those who oppose gay marriage, most do not hate people for being gay, we just do not agree with gay marriage. The left would like you to believe that these two things are the same, when in fact they are two very different things.

The first issue with gay marriages is how it impacts children. Obviously no children will be born from the two parents in a homosexual relationship, and studies have shown that children crave their biological parents. In a homosexual relationship,  that will never happen, so the kids are starting in a bad spot. Even after that, different studies have shown that both boys and girls do best when they have both male and female role models in the home. Gay marriage means the children will be denied one or the other, worsening the children’s childhood development, arguably the most important stage in their life. I would highly recommend this article from the Family Research Council, particularly points 1-3 which elaborate on gay marriages impact on children.

The second reason I oppose gay marriage is out of respect both for those who are religious, and the culture in the West that has developed from Judeo-Christianity. Religion has been a core foundation of Western Society for at least three millennia, and in particular Judeo-Christian principles still form the basis of our morals; for example, don’t steal, murder or lie. Because of this, I hold a deep respect for Judeo-Christianity and don’t feel the need to insult their faith nor its followers despite my personal beliefs. Therefore, I oppose gay marriage because it spits in the face of Judeo-Christianity, the faith of my forefathers and in all likelihood your forefathers as well. And for most moderates in this regard, simply not calling it marriage would be satisfactory for them, because according to their religious beliefs marriage is between a man and a woman, but they don’t hate gay people and don’t want to deny them rights. They only want to protect their beliefs. The fact then that those on the left are unwilling to compromise and call it a legal partnership or any other term shows that they want it called gay marriage as an insult to religious people.

The third reason I oppose gay marriage is to where it leads. First, marriage was between a male and female for reproductive purpose and then to raise those children. Once that is disregarded, as it is with gay marriage, where will that lead? What’s next, marriage between humans and animals between children? If it is not about children, then why won’t outcast groups who support those sick ideas argue that by the same logic through which gay marriage was approved their sick perversions should be sound grounds for marriage. If there’s even a chance that this is where gay marriage will lead, then I must oppose it from a moral standpoint.

I understand that most of you who have read this probably support gay marriage. While I can understand why, and good arguments have been made in defense of it, these are the reasons I and many others oppose it. And I hope that I showed you the other side of the argument today, and even if I didn’t change your mind that you have gained a new understanding of the other side, that we are not a hateful, spiteful group but rather just those who have examined the facts and looked at our traditions and considered them invaluable and worth protecting.