Persuasive Essay On Gay Rights

Ask just about any random person on the street if they believe in granting equal rights for homosexuals, and they will say yes. They will agree that homosexuals, or “gays,” should have the same rights that heterosexuals do such as housing, government benefits, jobs, and equal protection of the law. Then the conversation turns to the debate of gay marriage, and all talk of equality stops dead in its tracks. Why is there so much passion and hate against the legalization of same-sex marriage? After the movement for equal rights kicked off in the 1970’s, the gay community created pride festivals and PFLAG conventions, bringing more and more attention to the cause. Unfortunately, there still are a numerous amount of misunderstandings and fallacious

We choose who we hang out with, what clubs we go to, and what life we want to live. Similarly, dating and marriage are conscious choices that we can control. Many are even audacious enough to make the claim that they themselves have never had gay urges, so why should others? If they really want to get married, all they have to do is become straight and marry the opposite sex, right? This is false; no matter how hard one may try to convince themselves, being gay is most certainly not a choice. Some people are born with certain temptations that others are not. For example, some have a “short fuse,” some are organized or good leaders, and then there are some who have different sexual preferences. Additionally, hate crimes are rampant against those who are openly gay. Who would willingly choose to become a second class citizen, prone to death threats and constant abuse? There has even been biological proof to show how homosexuals are, in fact, justified in their desires. Researcher Simon LeVay did a brain study in 1991 on sections of the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls the body’s homeostatic systems such as sleep and emotional activity, taking from deceased homosexuals and heterosexuals to compare them. What he found was that one cell cluster in the hypothalamus was “reliably larger” in heterosexual men than in women and homosexual men. (432) Therefore, more than enough proof is available to show that loving the same gender is not a choice from both a physical and emotional