Ideas on Same Sex Marriage

Same Sex Marriages
Name
Institution
Due Date
Same-Sex Marriages
Marriage brings people together. In most cases, these people are known to have made a conscious decision to be joined together. Societies around the world view marriage as an important and major issue. People all over the world consider marriage as marriage as the “key to the pursuit of happiness, something people aspire to – and keep aspiring to, again and again, even when their experience has been far from happy” (Nussbaum, 2009). This confirms that too many people around the world, marriage is a lifetime goal. So, to be told you cannot marry or get married is one of the most deflating and depressing statements. However, today, governments have found a way to make sure that they hold the key to who one says the words ‘I do.’ Is this fair and should the government be a factor when people are in love? This is among the many questions that people all over the world ask themselves as the debate over same-sex marriages rages on. In the U.S., the Supreme Court in 2015 recognized same-sex marriages and issued a decree or ruling that required states to recognize same-sex marriages. However, around the world, this has not been the case. In Africa, for example, many countries criminalized same-sex marriages, and in a country like Uganda, same-sex marriage is prohibited. In Kenya, the country’s constitution does not allow same-sex marriages, but the country is expected to make a ruling that may change the course of history this year. Middle East countries, like African countries, do not consider marriage between same-sex partners legal. Currently, the world is yet to come to terms with same-sex marriages, but this paper seeks to discuss the topic from the perspective of social work.
Summary of things that stand out
One of the things that stood out during the research stage was the fact that there are those who hold the belief that governments should not be in the business of marriage. These people believe that the government’s job should be to protect the rights of its citizens regardless of their decisions. This approach or perspective is quite common to Libertarianism. Libertarians believe that the government should not involve itself with the institution of marriage. They hold the notion that “government powers should be strictly limited, generally to the tasks of maintaining civil order, infrastructure, and defense” (Britannica, 2018). It is the government’s job to be impartial in its distribution of resources, serving its citizens, and executing justice and fairness. Leyonhjelm (2017) notes that the principle that should hold supreme is that “each individual must be treated equally by the law, and that all people are subject to the same laws.” He continues to say that with regards to the above, “the law must ensure that no individual or group of individuals are privileged or discriminated against by the government.” Libertarians do make a strong point in their quest to see less government involvement in the institution of marriage.
Another thing that stood out was the extent to which some countries or societies would go to, to ensure same-sex marriages are criminalized. I...