Debate

Same-sex marriage should not be legal -

Main points AGAINST the moot

Not legalizing same-sex marriage:

• causes damage to homosexual individuals:
  - it does not assure the respect of fundamental rights, particularly the right to equality, against discrimination
  - it does not grant homosexuals the right to happiness: they can not marry the person they love.
  - it does not respect people's freedom of choice

while same-sex marriage would benefit homesexual individuals:
- would assure stability, as well as legal and financial benefits.

• causes damage to societies:
  - it encourages discrimination, labelling homosexuals as second class citizens that does not have the same rights of the others.

while same-sex marriage would benefit societies:
- it would encourage stable relationships, that create stable societies
- it would provide the environment for families, that are the basis of societies
- it would promote happiness
- it would reduce the need for society to provide support for citizens, because partners care for each other

• is not harmful to the institution of marriage:
  - same sex marriage would strenghten this institution, making it available to a higher number of people
  - it just represents an evolution of the institution of marriage, according to the evolution of customs in societies.

These are the points I found to support our thesis.
I prepared a scheme to help me during my speach -the conclusion- including these main points. My summary of course has to be based on the debate, so I will try to add any other theme we will discuss during the debate...

Debate on the same-sex marriage

Hi! Here the first speaker :)
The scheme of my initial harangue will be:

· Quotation to the European Human Rights Report (2003) recomending european states to abolish all forms of discrimination against homosexuals (including the meaning of the word discrimination);

· Some very few dates about conuntries in which same-sex marriage is allowed and other forms of recognition such as civil unions and registered partnerships;

· Right to be happy;

· Changes in society and consequently in our mind;

· The fact that mostly of european states are secular (meaning of the word secular that does not stand for atheism) and that the church should not be intrusive in such matter.

Maybe I’m going to change a little bit the scheme( I’m thinking on the end of it) but our against-reasons are well-known :) and I think we only have to say what goes through our mind.

Elisa