Call me a religious bigot, but I do not believe that homosexual marriage should be allowed. What I say isn’t necessarily what matters; what matters is what the majority of voters have said.
The state of Utah is being sued by a few same-sex couples who say that an amendment that was voted upon several years ago is discrimination against the LGBT community.
In 2004, 66 percent of Utah voters said yes to Amendment 3, which prohibits marriage between same-sex couple. The amendment took effect Jan. 1, 2005, and is similar to several other laws in approximately 30 states.
In this country, we have established a government that gives individual states the right to create laws specific for their respective states. This is something I love about our country. We have a federal government that is strong (in theory), but the majority of decisions, such as Amendment 3, are left to the individual states to sort out.
If it is, it should the decision of the people of the state that is considering it. If a majority of voters in a given state decide that homosexual marriage should be allowed, then so be it. Many states have already gone through this process and legalized gay marriage.
One of the major issues in the current lawsuit against the state of Utah is the state does not recognize same-sex marriages that are performed in another state. This is one thing I do not agree with, but I acknowledge the fact the state has every right to do this.
I think a lawsuit won’t have the effect the LGBT community desires. The people of Utah still have the final say in whether or not same-sex marriages are recognized, and the realistic truth is Utah voters will never approve such a thing for a long time, if ever.
I’m not saying homosexual people are completely in the wrong here. Too many individuals and groups in our society look down upon them as non-human. There is too much discrimination against them.
Even I, a stereotypical Latter-day Saint return missionary, think the homosexual community should have more rights. They’re still people, and they breathe the same air that I do. If a homosexual couple gets married in another state, they are married, no matter what the state of Utah says. They should have the same consideration for themselves.
That being said, I do not think Utah should change the laws against same-sex marriage. The state government’s obligation is to go with what the majority of voters say, and the people have already spoken.
Utah has a very large population of LDS members and other forms of Christianity, and these faiths believe marriage is ordained of God between a man and woman and for the creation of children, as stated in the Bible and other forms of scripture.
Without getting into too much detail, I will just use what little scientific knowledge I possess, and say a homosexual couple cannot biologically bring children into the world. This is a big factor in Christianity’s disapproval.
I encourage the LGBT community to continue fighting for their rights and what they believe in, but Utah is not ready for such a drastic change yet, and possibly not for some time.
