Reference no: EM132083790

Write a one-paragraph summary of the following passage. When you summarize, you need to utilize your paraphrasing skills. If you have to borrow any words or phrases, make sure you have used quotation marks to indicate what content you borrowed. Most supporters of same-sex marriage contend that homosexual and lesbian couples should be treated no differently than their heterosexual counterparts and that they should be able to marry like anyone else. Beyond wanting to uphold the legal principles of non-discrimination and equal treatment, supporters say there are very practical reasons behind the fight for marriage equity. They point out, for instance, that homosexual couples who have been together for years often find themselves without the basic rights and privileges that are currently enjoyed by heterosexual couples who legally marry—from the sharing of health and pension benefits to hospital visitation rights. Most social conservatives and others who oppose same-sex marriage argue that marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of a healthy society because it leads to stable families and, ultimately, to children who grow up to be productive adults. Allowing lesbian couples to wed, they contend, will radically redefine marriage and further weaken it at a time when the institution is already in serious trouble due to high divorce rates and a significant number of out-of-wedlock births. Moreover, many predict that giving homosexual couples the right to marry will ultimately lead to granting people in polygamous and other nontraditional relationships the right to marry as well.