IndexThe history of marriageHomosexuality and the BibleHomosexuality and the GreeksHomosexuals in the United StatesWhat laws are in forceClose your eyes and imagine seeing a beautiful couple clearly in love. You also notice a stroller and an adorable baby inside. You see their hands and notice that they are both wearing wedding rings; which means they are married. You're probably thinking of the perfect American family; a happily married couple, two parents and a beautiful child. How did you imagine these people? Did you automatically think of a man and a woman? Well you are wrong, these are two homosexual people and the boy is their son. Is this image still as beautiful as you imagined it before? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A Pew Research Center study showed that forty-seven percent of voters said they opposed or supported gay marriage. Leaving 10% unsure about gay marriage and 41% in favor of gay couples marrying. Homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals are those who are influenced by the opinion on same-sex marriage. In the United States, 15% identify as homosexual. “Homo” is a Greek word that means the same thing and “sexual” means an act in which one engages. This doesn't include the rest of the population who haven't yet "come out of the closet," a broad phrase used to explain others who haven't told family and friends about their sexuality. It is important to discuss issues related to gay marriage due to the fact that marriage has existed for a long time. With the longevity of marriage's existence, there will be changes in the meaning of marriage. This essay will include the history of marriage, the history of homosexuality, the rights that homosexuals have today and many other aspects that are present in this issue. Why do humans see gay marriage as right or wrong? When did all this start and how? The question is: should homosexuals be allowed to marry the person they love or should they not be? The History of Marriage As you all know, the Greeks began the tradition of marriage by procreating or even settling affairs. In the early days of marriage women were treated like slaves when brought to America. Back then marriage was not a necessary tradition, but a legislator named Solon said that marriage was an essential social need, single men were to be frowned upon and childless. A marriage begins when a father finds a suitable wife for his son. He would then draft a contract that would be signed in front of a witness. Then a ceremony will be held and the bride and groom, who have never met before, will be escorted to their beds. Most Greek men were known as monogamous and could seek pleasure in places other than their wife. Most of the time men sought sexual pleasure from prostitutes and concubines for health reasons. Demosthenes, an orator of ancient Athens and a prominent Greek statesman, was the one who said, “We have prostitutes for our pleasure, concubines for our health, and wives to give us legitimate offspring.” The Romans adopted this tradition. It was believed that at the age of fourteen the girl was ready to marry. Her father chooses a groom and takes care of all the preparations for the wedding. Yet, to this day, love did not matter in the institution of marriage. Marriage is for interfamilial and economic ties. The woman's assets would enter into the marriage, leaving the wife with no assets of her own, which she would lose to theoldest living male related to her husband. Women were thought to be only suited to bear children, manage the home, and raise children. From these ancient civilizations, the tradition of marriage, countries grew and spread. When Europeans arrived in America, they brought with them their values, including marriage. In America marriage was viewed as it was in Europe when Europeans first came to America: women were still the property of men and love did not matter. Women began to gain some respect when slaves came to America from Africa. Women soon gained freedom and no longer property of their husbands. They were happy and free. But a new challenge came to the forefront of the marriage: Whites and African Americans fell in love with each other. This was seen as an abomination and an outlaw. Whites and African Americans were not allowed to date or marry. Although they weren't allowed to be together, most people didn't care. The first half-white American, half-African-American child was born in 1620, also known as a mulatto. “On June 12, 1967, the nation's highest court voted unanimously to overturn the convictions of Richard and Mildred Loving, a young interracial couple from rural Caroline County, Virginia,” an announcer declared on National Public Radio. interracial couple was the first to allow interracial marriage in the United States and paved the way for many more interracial marriages to come Marriage went from being the property of men to women not being able to marry in any way interracial. Homosexuality and the Bible The first act of homoerotic behavior is found in Genesis 9:2-24. Noah's youngest son, Ham, acted homosexually with his father Noah when he passed out from drinking too much. wine. It was also mentioned in Leviticus 18:22 that "a male cannot lie with another as he would with a woman." There have been many blasphemous depictions of Jesus Christ taking part in homoerotic affairs, best known for being the apostle Paul in the Letter to the Romans. Another term for homosexual women is lesbian. The root of the term lesbian comes from the Greek islands of Lesbos which were home to its poet Sappho, who wrote about love between women. Because of Sappho, homosexual love between women is also known as sapphism. Lesbianism existed before, although it is best known in Greek history. In the New Testament in Romans 1 reference to lesbianism, “even their women changed the natural usage into that which is against nature.” Homosexuality and the Greeks The Roman and Greek myths that speak of homosexual relationships are well known: Apollo and Hyacinth, Hercules and Hylas, Zeus and Ganymede, Achilles and Patroclus, Ameinias and Narcissus. For example, Zeus spotted Ganymede in the field while tending to his sleep, and Zeus fell in love with Ganymede. He sent an eagle or was transformed into an eagle, kidnapped him and made Ganymede the cupbearer of the gods. The story of Apollo and Hyacinth, Apollo was a male god in love with Hyacinth, a male human who did everything with him which includes human sport like throwing a discus. One day they were throwing a disc, a jealous god named Zephyrus misdirected the disc and made it bounce, hitting Giacinto on the head, killing him. In its place a flower grew that now bears his name. Homosexuals in the United States When someone mentions homosexuals in the United States you think of cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco: these cities have the largest concentration of homosexuals in the country. In the mid-1900s, people were looking for a new meaning in life, and farming was difficult. Most of them were forced to live non-traditional family values. Many people do.