“God hates fags!”
“Homosexuals are possessed by demons”.
“God Abhors You”.

These terms are seen a dime a dozen at anti-gay rallies, government hearings regarding gay marriage, and gay pride festivals across the United States, and while June 26, 2015 was a day highlighted by celebration and tweets proclaiming love’s victory, the opposition of equality, civil rights, and justice for homosexual people were certainly not quiet about their opinion. For every 25 or so tweets with #LoveWins, there was one saying how marriage is strictly a Christian institution and homosexuality is a sin and anybody who is either gay or supports gay rights is the devil. They took to the streets with their oh-so-clever signs. They burned gay pride flags. Politicians pledged to fight for the Christian values this country was founded on. To all of these people who are so devoutly against gay marriage, I have just one question: “Why?”

Most people who oppose gay marriage and/or homosexuality would answer the above question by either citing the Bible or claiming that their religion makes it impossible to support homosexuals. Now, I know what the Bible says. I know that homosexuality is considered a sin in Christianity. For just one moment, I ask of people against homosexual couples marrying to disregard that, and realize that homosexual people are still people who deserve to be treated as such. Anybody who opposes the legalization of gay marriage in the United States of America needs to get over it, because, ultimately, it doesn’t affect you.

That’s right. Take it all in. Gay marriage doesn’t affect you. Gay marriage doesn’t strip straight folks of their right to get married, practice religion, or be straight. Gay marriage does nothing to you if you don’t want it to. What the legalization of gay marriage actually does is make people happy and grant people the basic rights that they are entitled to as citizens of the United States of America.

Minorities in America, whether they’ve been racial minorities, religious minorities, or cultural minorities, have always been placed at the bottom of the totem pole of American society, “and anything higher that [they] aspired was farcical and presumptuous” (Angelou 29). Now, a minority group whose existence wasn’t even really acknowledged until the mid-20th century has finally been granted some civil rights, and some people want to deny them that. Why? Not because homosexuals threaten national security, are known for committing hate crimes, and seek to disenfranchise all straight people, but because their own personal religion that they practice says it’s not cool to love a person of the same sex as yourself. While all Americans are granted the freedom of religion in the 1st Amendment, “attacks on one’s form of expression…are a violation of the First Amendment”, and while opposition of marriage equality may not like it, homosexual American citizens are still American citizens, and the Bill of Rights does indeed apply to them too (Anzaldúa 34).

I understand how some people might not be in favor of gay marriage. Although America has significantly shifted away from its Christian roots, there are still many people in this country who live their life based on the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, and I respect that. As Americans, we all have the right to practice whatever religion we choose. However, it is stated in Mark 12:31 that “Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” None other commandment includes “thou shalt not steal”, “thou shalt not kill”, and “thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” The Bible makes it very clear that we are to not hate others, for we are all sinners too, so when you hold up a sign with one of those slogans I listed at the beginning of this piece, or when you tweet about how gays are destroying the American family, just remember the Bible. Remember that thou are supposed to love thy neighbor, whether or not you agree with him.

All anybody wants is to be happy. Many different things make different people happy. I, for instance, am made happy by watching football, eating cheeseburgers, and making people laugh. For most people, feeling loved makes them happy. It makes me happy. It probably makes you happy. That’s because love is a precious, beautiful thing, and believe it or not, it’s possible for two people of the same sex to truly love each other. So, when it comes down to it, those who oppose gay marriage ultimately are in opposition of happiness. If you are somebody who opposes gay marriage, then I politely ask that you get over it, because the “…Supreme Court…ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide,” and it honestly doesn’t affect you at all (de Vogue & Diamond). Also, stop focusing on it so much, and focus on the things that make you happy. If you’re not sure what that is, I suggest football and cheesburgers.

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• Angelou, Maya. “Graduation.” 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Samuel Cohen. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 20-32. Print.
• Anzaldúa, Gloria. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue.” 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Samuel Cohen. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 33-45. Print.
• de Vogue, Ariane and Jeremy Diamond. “Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide.” CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., 27 June 2015. Web. 9 September 2015.