Why is the United States so big on homophobia these days?

Is the thought of two men or two women spending their lives together really such a threat?

Shouldn’t all people have the freedom to publicly express their love to whomever they happen to fall in love with?

Call me crazy, but I cannot fathom why so many of the states in our union feel the need to legislate regarding other people’s sacred unions.

I have always been a strong supporter of GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) rights. But recently, something in the news really upset me. In fact, I was downright outraged to hear about it.

Washington State passed a law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Obviously, many people were upset by this decision. In fact, nineteen same-sex couples were so bothered by this law that they took it to the state Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, in a 5-4 decision, the Washington State Supreme Court decided to uphold the “Defense of Marriage Law,” which defines marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman.

In their decision, the court stated that, “The legislature was entitled to believe that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples furthers the State’s legitimate interests in procreation and the well-being of children.”

Now there is a glaring flaw in judicial logic.

I understand why the court would consider the well-being of children in making any major decision.

However, I fail to see how preventing same-sex couples from marrying each other ensures that the state’s children will be better off.

It’s hardly fair that any straight couple can bear children, regardless of any vices or hang-ups that could make them terrible parents, yet the court’s decision implies that simply being gay should be an athema to adopting and raising children.

I believe that, contrary to the court’s logic, preventing same-sex marriages is harming the state’s children, let alone setting a terrible precedent for the rest of the nation’s courts.

Let me explain how legalizing gay marriage will benefit children: Right now, in this country and in most third world nations, far too many children are living without parents in orphanages and foster homes.

However, if both gay marriage and gay adoption were legalized on a national scale, it would open the door for a great many of these children to be adopted by not one but two loving parents.

As long as gay couples are subject to the same screening processes as their straight counterparts, there is no reason that they should not be given the joys of raising children.

Hopefully, one day the nation’s courts will rid themselves of this blatant homophobia.

There is no reason to prevent same-sex couples from getting married and adopting children.

Allowing gay people to raise children does not equal the decline of western civilization.

Instead, it will equal a milestone in the fight for civil rights and go down in history as a huge stepping stone in the fight for a tolerant America.

Send comments to Erin Wethern at [email protected].