JOURNALISM FINAL

How do different generations view same-sex marriage?

One of the biggest topics in the news and government today is same-sex marriage. Should two people of the same gender be able to marry each other and have the same rights as everyone else?

The rising support of same-sex marriage has drastically increased over the years and is the largest change in opinion in this time period. The Millennial generation are more open in their support of gay rights than any other previous generations. In 2003, a poll was conducted on the American view of gay marriage. 58% were opposed to allowing gays get married and 33% were in favor. The same poll was re-conducted March 13-17, 2013 and it found that 49% are in favor of same-sex marriage and 44% are not.

The survey found that 70% of Millennials are in favor for same-sex marriage. It is drastically more than older generations. The support that the Millennials have shown has been increasing over the years, 51% in 2003 to 70% now. 27% of the Millennials make up the adult population so they have a great influence on the way people think about things. They also make up the majority of the social media network which can also impact people in different ways. (Pew Research)

In the Silent generation- people born between the years 1928 and 1945- only 17% were in favor for same-sex marriage in 2003 but has increased 14% in 2013.

It is amazing how someone can have a set opinion on an idea and then years down the road they change their mind. Everyone who has said that they are against same-sex marriage have always been dead set against it. In accordance to the people, who are fine with same-sex marriage, that say that their opinions have changed from not liking it to being supportive of the idea. In 2003 the debate of allowing same-sex marriage heightened while Massachusetts became the first state to allow same-sex marriage.

The way people approach the subject of allowing same-sex marriage is also changing. Gay pride parades are the new norm in big cities such as Providence, Boston, and Los Angeles. Gay actors who come out are of inspiration and looked up to. For example Neil Patrick Harris is with his partner David Burtka, they are model gay parents with their two children. Olympic swimmer Tom Daley recently came out as gay with his boyfriend Dustin Lance Black. Chris Colfer, who stars on the TV show Glee, written three books and screen wrote a movie, not only plays a gay teenager but is gay in real life. His courage to come out influences many young teens to fight through the hardship. A well-known out and proud lesbian is Ellen Degeneres who has her own talk show and is together with her partner Portia. There are also so many studies and books on this topic.

I took to the website Tumblr.com, a popular website amongst teenagers, and asked random people their views on same-sex marriage. In addition, I also asked what their parent’s views are on the subject. I tried to target people in the younger generation first and found that a good chunk of them believe in same-sex marriage. One girl was raised to view homosexuality as a sin but she stated “‘As a Christian I was raised to ignore homosexuality, that it was wrong and relationships between man and woman was the way of life. But watching the people I look up to on tv come out as gay, and having close friends and family members also come out has changed my views and outlook on life and other people’s opinions. Homosexuality is all around us and it can’t be ignored or swept under the carpet.”’ What she is saying is true; homosexuality is in the news, TV shows like Glee have their plotlines based on LGBT characters, and the awareness of teens who might be gay is at an all time high.

If a child has two religious parents that believe homosexuality is a sin then the chance that their beliefs will differ from their parents is slim to none. The child spends half of their life living, talking and spending most of their time with their parents. So it is likely that the reason most people look down on homosexuality is because of the influence that their family has on them. When I asked a girl her thoughts on why her mom was so against homosexuals she said: “‘I believe it is based on religion and how my grandma raised my mom. She believes it is a sin and that I will burn in hell for it. She thinks it’s not normal and yeah that’s pretty much it.”’ Her grandma raised her mom to her own beliefs and what she believed was right so that shows that some beliefs people have are not necessarily their own. If more people raised their children to be their own person then discrimination against people would not be as big of problem as it has been. A seventy eight-year old female said “It’s against my Bible teaching. I think they flaunt it in front of people.” The continuous pattern with the older generation is if they are against Homosexuality it is because of their beliefs and if they do not mind  them necessarily but they just do not like to see it. (Tumblr)

Heavy discrimination against homosexuals is common in this generation. Teenagers call each other ‘gay’ or ‘fags’ without realizing the consequences in their actions.They may not mean to offend people but when people call each other gay, they are not calling each other happy.

There are a whole lot of people in the country who are affected by not having certain rights. It is heartbreaking right? Two people who absolutely love  each other cannot legally be together. Gay people have a life full of struggles; the hardship of trying to adopt a child, their child having to go through life with discrimination against  his/hers parents and the family always being looked down upon.

The United States of America is all about being the land of the free, right? In reality when you look deeper into this topic, no one really is. Homosexuals do not have the right to get married, they do not have the right to adopt children, and some court cases have been overruled simply because one of the persons was gay.  This topic should be the headline on every newspaper because that is what America is all about. Or what  the country claims to be.

In the media today, homosexuality is being publicized  and becoming a well-known topic. Whether it be a state allowing same-sex marriage or another news story of a gay kid being bullied at school, the topic is always floating around. It is not something that will disappear over night because it will not. There are still  thirty-three more  states that are still yet to legalize same-sex marriage. The fight for it will be continuous. Most of the younger generations are for same-sex marriage because  the topic of it surrounds their daily lives. Older generations did not have the same exposure to it. They grew up on their biblical teachings and believed what God and their church wanted them to believe. Religion has a huge impact on whether or not someone believes in whether or not two people of the same gender should be allowed to get married. (Not all  people who practice a religion are homophobes and/or have something against homosexuals.)  

Gay rights are the big news in our world today. You will not go a day without hearing about a state allowing same-sex marriage or a news story about how being gay has affected someone’s life. The way people are brought up to view the subject is different. Older people in the generation above the Millennials view it as a sin and it is abnormal. They look down upon it and it is something that they do not want to see. Their views are mostly based on their religious beliefs. People in the present generation are exposed to homosexuality so it is something that they really do not think twice about. They are constantly influenced by many gay people and they have a more open mind about it. Different generations view same-sex marriage in opposite ways because of the beliefs that they grew up on.

"Growing Support for Gay Marriage: Changed Minds and Changing Demographics." Pew Research Center for the People and the Press RSS. Pew Research Center, 20 Mar. 2013. Web. 05 Jan. 2014.

Becky. Tumblr.com. Tumblr, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014

Goo, Sara. "In Your Words: Views of Same-sex Marriage." Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 6 June 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.