Marriage Equality Explained Using Sabrina The Teenage Witch

Marriage equality is one of the most important social issues of our time. Here it is explained using a television show that was all about love and acceptance.

Firstly, it's about love

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Two people who love each other should have the right to be together and to have that love formally recognized. It makes no difference to my life or yours if two people are in love and want to spend their lives together - but it makes a huge difference to them. If something makes two people happy while harming no-one else, it makes little sense to have it outlawed.

And second, it's about equality

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The United States Declaration of Independence says:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

People have the inherent human right to be treated equality and with dignity and respect. Denying people the right to express their love goes against not only the Declaration of Independence, but arguably also the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It's has nothing to do with religion

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The United States, and many other countries, have no official religion. Therefore, the outlawing of same sex marriage on religious grounds has no justification because it flies in the face of that age-old rule: the separation of church and state.

Religions are meant to be about love and acceptance of fellow human beings in any case.

And a lot to do with freedom

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We live in societies based on the concept of freedom and equality before the law. To restrict the lives of other people based on their sexuality is to deny them freedom. It violates the principles of personal autonomy that we value so highly.

Marriage has nothing to do with reproduction

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To argue that marriage is closely intertwined with sexual reproduction is to ignore the myriad of relationships humans get into - and the fact that not all married couples have children. Some heterosexual couples marry and don't have kids. Some can't have children. People have children out of wedlock. The two things are not linked and there is no reason to deny marriage equality based on the idea.

Or with undermining traditional values

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Same-sex marriage takes nothing away from heterosexual marriage and does not make any kind of mockery out of what is essentially a legal process. We ascribe meaning to marriage based on our own backgrounds, with each of us seeing it in a different way. No-one has a monopoly on marriage. Christians see marriage in one way, but there are other cultures and religions that view marriage in a different way and who conduct their marriages differently. Same sex marriage adds another stitch to our cultural embroidery.

Denying marriage equality is unfair

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Denying equal protection of the law to someone based on their sexuality draws an arbitrary distinction between sexuality and other forms of social difference. Nobody would ever argue in the modern day that it's okay to deny rights to African Americans or women. Just because someone is different to you in some way, it does not mean there is any reason to treat that person as less of a human being.

And allowing it makes legal sense

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There are few legal justifications for denying same-sex marriage. All of the arguments against it are 'moral' and our justice system isn't based on morals but on laws and facts.

It's also practical

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Marriage equality gives same-sex couples the same rights and legal benefits as other couples. Same-sex couples in places without the right to marry face problems in terms of taxes and benefits as well as with wills and estates.

And benefits society by making people happier

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Society does not function well without happiness flowing through it.

It's not a political stunt or 'liberal talking point'

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Same-sex couples come from all different backgrounds and political stripes. It is an issue about rights and freedoms as well as personal autonomy - making it an issue that crosses the political spectrum.

And at the end of the day...

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It's about showing love and acceptance towards our fellow human beings and wishing others the best in their lives. Why would we deny happiness to others?