Using Civil Disobedience To Fight For Gay Marriage
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King talks about what it takes for a law to be unjust and the steps that must be taken to ensure the utmost response. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is allowing his city clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and despite California law defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman, Mayor Gavin Newsom used Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s standards for direct action as justified acts of civil disobedience.
Kings standards were that a law being broken must be unjust, no alternative action, non-violent, and the participants must be willing to face the consequences. King felt that the goal of nonviolent direct action was to “create such a crisis and foster such a tension” as to demand a response (King). Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey government demands or commands and nonresistance to consequent arrest and punishment. The act of civil disobedience is often a symbolic violation of the law, which is used especially as a nonviolent and collective means of forcing government concessions. Civil disobedience is an important part of our country because it is one of the driving factors that allows individuals to exercise their rights to free speech and speak up against an unfair and unjust government and its laws. While others advocate for freedom by any means necessary, including violence, King used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals.
Gavin Newsom is the sort of politician who leaves an impression because “In the year 2004, he where mayor involved in civil disobedience allowing the city hall tom grant licenses to same-sex marriage thinking it would make him a national celebrity”(Rochman, Sue, 2008). There was a debate on same-sex marriage and if homosexuality should be allowed, and it was the topic of the day across the country. Many people gave reasons as to why same-sex marriage should be legalized and how homosexuality promotes equality, awareness of discrimination, freedom of growth of LBGT, and reputation across the globe to the other countries.
Giving rights that encourage same-sex marriage in the United States will give freedom to all homosexuals in the country by promoting equality for all (Moscowitz, Leigh, EBSCOhost. 2013). On October 10, 2014, many states legalized same-sex marriage such as twenty-nine of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Looking at the twenty-nine states, they are more than half of the fifty, but not enough according to the survey of the population. If the other twenty-one states legalized same-sex marriage, it could help to decrease discrimination and the whole country will be engulfed with homosexuality.
With millions of same-sex couples, aswell as individual, living in America, “every single one is contributing to this country in the same way as heterosexuals are, socially, culturally, financially, politically, vocationally, and spiritually” (Darman, Jonathan, Newsweek. 2009). Homosexuals are no different from heterosexuals in the way that they make the United States grow, prosper, and evolve through time. Without the continuous contributions from homosexuals, America would, without a doubt, be a far worse place in many aspects of the economy. Instead of growing into a prosperous future that America says it will, it would only be a nation with great decline.
Another contribution that homosexuals make to this country is that of having and raising families. Americans are known for their belief in the importance of family and strong family values. Unfortunately however, there are still homosexual families who are discriminated against and do not have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. The children of homosexual couples are just as important and vital to America's future as the children of heterosexual couples. Being able to marry not only helps homosexuals in their marriage, but also helps their children by providing them with benefits, rights, and protections that would help the children in the future.
Even though there are millions of same-sex couples living in states that deny them the right to marry, they are still raising children together, despite not being married. Denying these couples the right to marry unfairly gives children a disadvantage. This denial leads to a lack of support for same-sex families and their children, which could in turn lead to a lack of the same type of protection children have with heterosexual couples. This is simply not fair. It is unjust and it is wrong. In addition, this denial also leads some children of same-sex couples to believe that their parents are inferior, are second-class citizens, and that they do not deserve the same rights as other parents who are heterosexual.
There are twenty other countries in the world that have legalized same-sex marriages nationwide, most of them being very strong and influential countries in Europe and South America, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and Canada. These countries are, for the most part, largely progressive and forward-thinking when it comes to social equality. It cannot be helped but to scoff at America's commonplace description of liberty and justice for all, because when it comes to the rights of homosexuals, this is an extremely false sentiment. In history, America has indeed been at the forefront of freedom and democracy. However, the sad truth is that this is not the case for homosexuals. The reputation of America has been internationally tarnished and damaged due to the fact that there are millions of Americans that are still, as of 2014, denied the American dream with twenty-one states still denying same-sex couples marriage rights (LISA LEFF, Ap online, EBSCOhost. 2005). If the United States simply followed the example of these other countries that have been at the forefront of marriage equality and true liberty and justice for all the country would have a much better reputation globally.
Freedom of religion is another sentiment that has come to describe America. By having true freedom of religion, it also allows individuals or groups of any kind to pursue the practice of their religion without fear of governmental interference and it protects people who do not follow a religion by shielding them from being forced to live in accordance with religious beliefs and values they do not agree with. Currently, America does not have true freedom of religion because they are denying same-sex couples the right to marriage. These couples feel forced to live by the same beliefs and conform to these religious teachings that they do not agree with but, “By legalizing same-sex marriage, America could have an upward trend toward freedom of religion by moving towards a progressive future and away from a backward discriminatory past” (Murphy, Dean. 2004). It is only fair to everyone, homosexuals and religious groups, to completely get rid of any kind of marriage laws in a governmental context.
There are numerous other reasons that same-sex marriage should be completely legal. Fortunately, the government and those who care for it have made tremendous progress in the past few years, bring the nation closer to the goal of nationwide equality towards same-sex couples, with all fifty states legalizing same-sex marriages. While it may take a few years, there is a positive chance that it will happen. People who once did not care or were slightly against it are now the same people turning the tables and pressing against the religious conservatives who are still completely against it.
In Conclusion, this is why Mayor Gavin Newsom used Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s form of direct action to fight for marriage equality despite California law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Though the fight for same-sex marriage is a fight for equality, it is also a fight for love. Over time, more and more people will come to the same conclusion that same-sex marriage is no different than opposite sex-marriage. It is simply a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman, which is no different than a man marrying a woman. They will soon realize that it does not matter because, in the end all everyone wants to do is marry the person that they love.
