The issue of same sex marriage is only recently a major political issue. Traditionally, same sex marriage was not even considered in America, it was considered an abomination. The United States has been largely Christian for hundreds of years; a religion that condemns homosexuality. In 1990’s, gay marriage became a heavy political issue, the majority of American’s being strongly against it however; the numbers have changed and gay marriage is becoming more widely accepted. The current debate over same sex marriage is between the Conservatives and the Liberals, socially conservative individuals believe in traditional views, based largely upon Christianity while the liberals want everyone to have equality.
Although homosexuality has been more widely accepted in history, such as it was Rome, Greece, and Macedonia, same sex marriage has never been. Throughout the Judeo Christian religions, resentment towards homosexuality has been building for thousands of years. The traditions of the United States are largely based upon Christianity, so conservatives stick to their views on social issues. In 1996 Gallup found that 67% of adults in America were against gay marriage (Robinson). Republican support for gay marriage is miniscule, only 24% of republicans support it, (CNN) they argue traditional views that marriage is a union of a man and a woman (studentnewsdaily). They oppose same sex marriage and support the Defense of Marriage act of 1996. They believe that same sex marriage is heresy and that it goes against the customs of the billions of people who fall under the category of Judeo-Christian religions.
The consensus view on gay marriage is changing every day; Americans are becoming more and more socially liberal and as of this year, opposition is down below 50% for the first time ever (Robinson). Liberals are more accepting in new social customs; they believe that the government should act to create equality for all people. Liberals see marriage as a bond between two people that love each other, and they do not necessarily base it upon gender; they want equal marriage rights for everyone and they compare it to interracial marriage and the civil rights issues of the twentieth century. Young people are much more supportive of same sex marriage than older people, 53% of young people supporting it (CNN). Democrats are much more likely to support SSM’s rather than Republicans.
