"Marriage.. Marriage is what brings us together, today!" - Princess Bride (1987)

Marriage is a subject that many feminists think about because it has been such a deep rooted system in the lives of women for centuries. Across most cultures, women are shamed and sometimes forced into marriage due to beliefs that a woman's worth lies within marriage. Some feminists may believe that avoiding the institution of marriage is a better choice because they're putting themselves into a better, more equal relationship. Others do not view marriage itself as the root of sexist ideals and are able to enter into matrimony in an equal and happy relationship. In the United States, as in many other countries around the world, there are people that want to get married but are excluded from the institution: homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgendered persons. These people wish to get married but are unable to due to laws put into place by politicians. Many of the arguments for these laws lie in religious beliefs, even though there is supposed to be a separation of Church and State.  I watched a great video (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110504/us_yblog_thelookout/minnesota-lawmakers-gay-marriage-defense-goes-viralof a Minnesota lawmaker arguing for gay marriage) of a Minnesota lawmaker arguing for gay rights that made me start to think about women and marriage. 

The thing that gets me is that laws are prohibiting gay people that are in love from getting married and sharing their life together, whereas heterosexual women are pressured by society to get married. Just look through the TV Guide: all of the women's channels have shows revolving around weddings or babies. There are tons of straight women who do not want to get married, even if they are in a happy relationship and society frowns upon them. But if that woman were gay, they consider it a sin for her to want to get married. I don't care who they are in love with, if they want to show their love through marriage, I think that they should be able to because everyone should have the opportunity for love and happiness. If their love and happiness exists within a marriage, regardless of their sexual orientation, it should be okay. And if it exits outside of it, they should be able to choose to not get married and not get judged. I recently watched the opening of a movie (I think it was Four Christmases, but don't hold me to it) where a couple were taking ballroom dance lessons for the fun of it. The couples were all talking after the class and they were asked when they're wedding was and what song they were dancing to. They told them that they were not engaged and that they actually never planned on getting married. The other couple was appalled at the idea that a happy couple would never get married and judged them. 

It seems unfair to me that there are heterosexual individuals and couples that don't want to get married and are looked down upon, but gay couples are looked down upon for wanting to get married.  I think the institution of marriage should never be thrust upon nor denied to any person, whether male, female, transgendered, gay, lesbian, or bisexual. 

What other institutions within our society do you see that discriminate against a specific gender or orientation? (There are tons you can think of I'm sure!)