Can you imagine not being allowed to marry the person you love? Well, this is precisely what same-sex couples are told every day in our country. Although the California Supreme Court has ruled that it is legal for homosexual couples to marry, Proposition 8 was recently passed by California voters outlawing gay marriage. The validity of this proposition is still hotly debated, and our generation may be the ones who will ultimately decide in future voting whether to overturn the same-sex marriage ban. In my opinion, same-sex marriage should be legalized because it is discriminatory to deny homosexuals the right to marry and because granting this right to same-gender couples is harmless to others in our society.

First of all, to ban homosexuals from marrying is to discriminate against them on the basis of their sexual orientation. Our country was founded on Constitutional principles that allow majority rule while protecting the rights of minorities. The freedom to marry the person you love is fundamental. To deny homosexual couples the right to legally marry is no different from denying marriage to Jews because they are not Christian, or interracial couples because they belong to different races.

In the U.S., a legal marriage grants couples many benefits not available to those who are not married. For example, married couples can own property jointly, receive their partner's life ­insurance and health insurance benefits, and be considered next of kin for the purpose of making emergency life-or-death decisions. Therefore, denying homosexual couples the right to marry discriminates against them in violation of the equal protection principles of our Constitution. It prevents homosexual couples from enjoying the legal benefits and privileges that heterosexual married couples take for granted.

Granting same-sex couples the right to marry does not in any way harm other people in our society. For one thing, it's no one's business what personal or love commitments others make. Additionally, many countries as different as Canada, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden have legalized same-sex marriage without any adverse consequences to the general population. Several states, including Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont have also recently repealed their laws banning same-sex marriage, which has in no way changed the quality of life for heterosexuals in those states. So I ask you, will it bring harm to you if homosexuals are allowed to marry?

Opponents of same-sex marriage rely on their religious principles to argue against it; many organized religions consider homosexuality a sin. Yet they forget that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution explicitly prohibits our government from establishing a religion. This means that our government cannot interfere with our right to practice – or decision not to practice – a religion. Therefore, outlawing same-gender marriage because certain religions find homosexuality sinful violates the First Amendment right of individuals who choose not to follow those religions.

Another objection raised by opponents of same-sex marriage is that legalizing it would weaken the institution of marriage, implying that somehow marriage is more sacred when those entering into it are of different genders. However, these folks are a bit hypocritical in that they overlook the real risk to marriage: divorce, which is rampant in our society among heterosexual couples.

An even more common criticism of legalizing same-sex marriage is that it would further weaken the “family values” essential to our society. This ­argument forgets, however, that allowing homosexuals to marry in fact would strengthen the fabric of society by encouraging more couples to commit to building a life together and adopting children who may not otherwise be able find a home. In fact, it is love that keeps a family together, not preconceived notions of what family values ought to be.

Denying homosexuals the right to marry is discriminatory and violates the equal protection of law guaranteed to all by our Constitution. Our generation may indeed be called upon to cast a ballot to overturn the state bans against same-sex marriage. We should vote to overturn these bans to ensure equal treatment for all citizens consistent with our Constitution, and because everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, should enjoy the freedom to marry the person they love.