Same-sex marriage has slowly become legal in many states across America. On Oct. 21, Gov. Chris Christie announced that gay marriage was finally legal in the state of New Jersey. Many same-sex couples immediately celebrated by tying the knot only a couple hours after the news came out.
Although Christie claimed to oppose gay marriage, he also explained in the past that he believes everyone should enjoy the same rights when it comes to getting married. Christie’s initial view on the situation was that voters in New Jersey should decide. However, he finally withdrew the appeal against the law, ending the fight for supporters of gay marriage in the garden state. New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Many people might have been confused as to why Christie previously vetoed the legislation for same- sex marriage. Even though he might not agree with people of the same gender getting married, Christie wanted the citizens of New Jersey to have a say over anyone else, proving to have very democratic characteristics as governor.
Legalizing same-sex marriage began in 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state to do so. Nine years later, 14 states now allow gays to get married. These are huge strides America has been taking in the past few years. Although there is still a lot of people who don’t tolerate differences in the world, the U.S. has clearly made great progress.
Homosexuals are no different from heterosexuals. People should be allowed to marry the person they love, whether it be someone of opposite or same sex. Yes, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions, but they should also be able to respect others. Just because someone is marrying the same sex, doesn’t mean it’s happening to you. Everyone should be allowed to have his or her own beliefs, especially if it’s not hurting anyone else.
With the rate at which same-sex marriage is being legalized, it’s possible that all 50 states could allow it within the next decade or two. This means a lot for people who don’t agree with it because of religion, or other personal reasons. Once something becomes legal, it cannot be messed with. This means people need to become more accepting of one another, no matter what lifestyle they live.