Essay - Gay Marriage the Purpose of This Paper is to Introduce...

Gay Marriage

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of gay marriage. Specifically, it will identify ***** term gay ***** ***** use sociological perspectives to describe how ***** might be explained. Gay marriage or "same-sex marriage" has received much news coverage lately because some states in the United States have allowed gay *****s to take place, while others have banned ***** type of marriage. ***** ***** is a contentious issue that has sociological and societal implications f***** Americans and for the world.

Homosexuality and lesbianism are still quite misunderstood by many members of modern society. Many people believe that same-sex relationships are created only ***** choice on the part of the partners, but many ***** people say they have no "*****" ***** their sexuality - they were born that way and cannot change to conform ***** what society believes is normal. Gays and lesbians enjoy sexual and non-sexual relationships with the same sex, and have little interest in sexual relationships ***** members of the opposite sex. Most gay ***** lesbian people agree that ********** have ***** choice ***** their *****ual preferences, and most note that they first noticed their homosexual tendencies when they were children. Thus, most experts ***** that homo***** is not a lifestyle that is chosen, but rather it is a lifestyle ***** ***** part of the person's physical ***** mental makeup.

Gay marriage or same-sex marriage is the joining ***** two homosexual or lesbian individuals in a committed rel*****tionship ***** "family." With the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, especially in the sexually active gay community, gays find the need to settle down in committed relationships with another individual to ensure they do not contract one of these diseases. ***** gays also want ***** raise families, ***** want to be in a committed rel*****tionship to do this. Sociologically, the ***** unit ***** traditionally consisted of a male, female, and children, along with an extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. However, in reality, the traditional family has changed in ***** *****. Many parents are divorced and raising ***** al*****, or living in committed but unmarried relationships. In addition, many gay couples long to raise children, and many adoption agencies will only allow married couples to adopt. Therefore, more ***** ***** ***** opting for legal ***** binding marriages for a variety ***** reasons. Some states, such as Massachusetts, have *****ed less stringent marriage laws that allow gays to marry in ********** state. The gay ***** debate was a central ***** in the 2004 Presidential campaign, and is still an important ********** today. As more people admit to the world ***** are gay or lesbian, and the fear of HIV and AIDS continues ***** grow, it seems certain ***** more ***** couples ***** seek marriage. One expert writes of gay families, "What unifies such families is their ***** to contend ***** the particular array of psychic, social, legal, practical, and even physical challenges to their very existence that institutionalized hostility to homosexuality produces" (Stacey,