Savannah Boothe Lori Bedell CAS 138T 5 April 2013 Love is Blind A couple walks on the beach, hand-in-hand.

The sun is setting behind them. Their date-night has been perfect; romance hangs in the air as they observe the beauty of the scene surrounding them. However, this revelry will not last, for they are a couple deeply embedded in the trenches of war for their love. As star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet, their love is forbidden, specifically by their federal government. Their love is hindered because this is a couple composed of two men. Or two women. Either can be pictured, because injustice affects both. As a nation founded on granting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all citizens, the separation of church and state has always been a core value and a promise of the United States. However, as years have passed, this wall has been breached and the floodgates of religion have swamped national decisions regarding personal choices, specifically in regards to homosexual relationships and rights. The barricade needs to be refortified; the separation between church and state needs to be redefined, and LBGT couples must be presented the right to the same benefits that a heterosexual couples receives when wed. To deny same-sex couples the chance to be united in the eyes of the state is one of the most discriminatory acts our nation has participated in since the Civil Rights era. Ben Haggerty, an American songwriter and rapper commonly known as Macklemore, declares in his hit Same Love that inequality for homosexual couples results from the

same hate that's caused wars from religion, gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment, the same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins; It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!. He is making a very strong case; by using his influence in the musical world and thus popular culture, he is explaining how hatred of a persons sexual identity is no different than hatred of someone because of their skin color or religion. He parallels the situations and appeals for blindness to a persons s exual preference. Haggertys song conveys the imminent necessity to allow for same-sex couples to be united and recognized by the United States government. However, many citizens of our great nation still posses a distorted view on samesex relationships and gay individuals, and the question repeatedly asked is what makes someone gay. One of the biggest debates in the United States is whether being homosexual is a choice or part of the individuals genetic make-up. There is great contention surrounding the derivation of homosexual tendencies and preferences; do individuals simply develop this trait over time or is it intrinsically a part of their individuality from the beginning? Researchers are finding common biological traits among gay men that are providing further evidence to the claim that homosexuality is linked to a specific gene and therefore that being gay is not a choice. Common biological traits among gay men, such as being left-handed and having hair that whorls to the left, are being found that are feeding a growing consensus that sexual orientation is an inborn combination of genetic and environmental factors that largely decide a persons sex ual attractions before they are born (McClatchy Newspapers). However, despite the multiple studies done exploring homosexuality and the factors that make it a reality, people still regard being gay as a corrupt choice made by perverted people.

It is a common belief that if they so wanted, gay people could become straight if they so chose. Human nature is generally to take the easy way out and to avoid conflict and personal ruin whenever possible; therefore, why would humans be making their lives more difficult by choosing to love someone of the same gender? One who challenges society faces ridicule and interrogation and in turn tends to be exiled for breaking the status quo; the status quo of sexuality is that men marry women. This norm of sexuality arises from heavily imposed gender roles our society has fashioned. Gender is a construct. Rigid lines within our society have defined it for decades. Girls are better at cooking and housework and like to wear pink and play with Barbies and baby dolls; boys like getting dirty and building things while wearing blue t-shirts and driving trucks. These are imposed gender roles on our society, but because of their lasting influence and impression, they have become the standard. Increasingly, these stereotypes been called into question; a YouTube video starring Riley, a five year old, adorable little girl, questioning the societal expectations of genders has recently gone viral. In her rant, she voices her frustrations about why girls have to buy princesses and pink stuff and why they cant buy superheroes and stuff boys want to buy (Didymus). Riley has it completely right; society has imposed a very strict code on our children about what is right and what is wrong regarding their gender, including whom they should love. Because of this imposition, many are finding it harder and harder to display their individuality that breaks the codes set for their gender; sexuality is the biggest piece of individuality that society constrains. Whether being gay is a choice or genetic characteristic, and whether an individual abides by or disobeys the gender roles, there is no argument needed to realize that gay

people are treated as second-class citizens within our society. Although there is continuing debate about the source of a persons sexual identity, there should be no question regarding a persons rights. Marriage of heterosexual couples offers very specific rights, such as the right to inheritance of property or the right to make spousal medical decisions, which are denied to gay couples. Edith Windsor, a New Yorker who was married to Thea Spyer, sued the federal government for the denial of these rights after she was forced to pay $363,053 in estate taxes when Spyer died in 2009 because the Defense of Marriage Act didnt recognize their marriage even though the state of New York did (CBS News). Her situation is very common among gay couples; however, it is also dripping with injustice. Love is blind to gender, and thus the government should be, too. Rights regarding marriage cannot be refused simply because an individual falls in love with someone society deems wrong for them. Religion plays a very coercive role in deciding the treatment of same-sex couples. Religion and its influence has been intertwined with the United States history; individuals repeatedly tell other individuals how personal choices are incorrect based completely on personal religious beliefs. However, expecting another to be governed by your religious beliefs can never succeed. Our country was founded on a separation of church and state for a reason; the church cannot tell the state what is allowed in regards to civil liberties. The United States promises life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all citizens. An individuals sexual identity falls into each of these promises. A persons sexuality is a huge piece in his or her individuality that governs his or her life; a person is provided the liberty to love whomever he or she wants; a person should be allowed to pursue happiness in all arenas

of life, including marriage and sex. However, because of the tangled relationship between the church and the state in regards to a persons sexuality, peoples fundamental rights are being compromised. To ensure the rights of every citizen, the line separating church and state is in serious need of redefinition. Only when the line is refortified and when the government is completely free of religious influence will decisions be made that truly provide individuals with the rights they have been repeatedly promised and repeatedly denied. Despite the disagreements over the nature of homosexuality and the blurred line between church and state, more and more Americans are accepting homosexuality and agreeing that homosexual couples deserve the right to marriage. Just within the past few weeks, the Supreme Court has heard two separate cases, one arguing against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between a male and a female, (Stanton) and another fighting Californias Proposition 8, a 2008 voter initiative that overturned the states Supreme Court ruling that granted gays and lesbians the right to marry (Stanton). These cases are extremely indicative in a turning of the tide in the United States public; an increasing number of citizens are supporting gay rights and marriage and taking on the federal government and the unfair treatment of homosexuals. Steadily, Americans are realizing that all couples, straight or gay, should have the opportunity to receive a marriage recognized by the federal government and obtain the rights that ensue to ensure no unequal treatment between hetero- and homosexual couples.

Works Cited Didymus, John Thomas. "Viral Video: Little Girl Riley on Gender Stereotyped Marketing." Viral Video: Little Girl Riley on Gender Stereotyped Marketing. Digital Journal, 25 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. McClatchy Newspapers. "US Researchers Find Evidence That Homosexuality Linked to Genetics." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Dec. 2008. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. "News." CBS New York. CBS Local, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. Stanton, Mike. "Supreme Court Decision Pending on Defense of Marriage Act, Prop

8." The Collegian. Kansas State University, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.