Blog Task: Is Same-sex marriage a practical consideration in this age of globalisation?
The statement “Is same-sex marriage a practical consideration in this age of globalization?” can be understood as, are gay marriages workable now at this stage of modernization.
Same-sex marriage is defined by winkipedia as a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. Thus at this age of globalization, are similar sex marriages recognized and accepted all over the world?
In this age of globalization, there are still many countries in the world debating, whether to accept the presence of homosexuals and gay marriages in the country. Some countries in the world believe that homosexuals would bring about sexual diseases like AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), leading to social problems and health problems in the country. Thus these countries create laws to ban gay marriages and any homosexual activities. Russia is one of the countries in the world, which still has not approved gay marriages. Similar sex couples are not given equal treatment and are discriminated against legislative benefits, like spousal insurance.
Next, same sex marriages are usually also not accepted in many societies. In some societies, people show their disapproval of same sex couples, by promoting antigay movements. For example from the 1960s, campaigners and rioters organized movements to oppose gay rights. These movements showed how much they condemned homosexuals and their displeasure of gays present in the society.
Lastly, religions such Christianity and Islam view homosexuality as a sin. They see the practice and acceptance of homosexuals in society as a weakening of moral standards. An example would be the Unification Church, which agrees with this view. Another religious antigay group would be The Westboro Baptist Church. They are known for their extreme racist and anti-homosexuality views on the world. People from the group have picket the funerals of soldiers who have died in the Iraq war with signs that say controversial things such as "god hates fags", "Thank god for AIDS" and "Thank god for 9/11", and claim that they were killed by the "judgment of god" because they were fighting for a "fag loving" country. As these antigay movements were by religious groups, it affects the minds of the young and the followers, leading to an increase in people who discriminate homosexuals.
Hence, it may still not be a practical for homosexuals to have marriages at this point of time, as there are still antigay activists and religious groups which strongly disagree with the presence of homosexuals.
However, same sex marriage can be a practical consideration at this age of modernization. Most countries in the world agree that people should have their own rights, and that includes the rights to choose who they want to marry and to live with. Therefore, countries in the world have accepted gay marriages and legalized it allowing homosexuals to set up their families. Some examples of countries starting to accept homosexuals in their society are, America Belgium and many others.
Next, allowing same sex marriages in the country also has it benefits. Legalizing gay marriages can cause the country’s economy to flourish. This is because, with the presence of single sex marriages, there would be an inflow of “pink dollar” or the “Dorothy dollar”, causing the country’s economy to improve. Thus with increase revenue, the country would be able to develop. Some examples of industries taping into these markets would be the American Airlines. With the specific advertising campaigns and the formation of a team devoted to gay and lesbian marketing, American Airlines saw its earnings rise from $20 million in 1994 to $193.5 million in 1999.
Hence in conclusion, I believe that it is possible for similar sex marriages now, as countries may support the presence of homosexuals in their country so as to increase annual revenue the country earns.
