On the morning of Jan. 5 2015, the Miami-Dade County court ruled that the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional and allowed same sex couples to marry. Marriages started as soon as 2 p.m. that same day in quick but very sentimental ceremonies. The ruling was not just for Miami-Dade county, but for the entire state of Florida, making it the 36th state to legalize same-sex marriages. Justice indeed has come to the thousands of same-sex couples who wanted and waited so long to have the same rights as heterosexual married citizens. It seems almost common sense that marriage equality should be legal in all 50 states; preventing couples from marrying based solely on their sexual orientation is unjust and unconstitutional.

When gay marriage was banned in Florida, homosexual couples were not treated equally since they were unable to receive the same rights that heterosexual couples had. Some of these rights include being considered a family member – which allows a spouse to make hospital visits and emergency medical decisions. Having these rights makes a significant difference in the lives of married people and should always be protected regardless of sexuality.

Some of those who oppose marriage equality say that they are concerned with the destruction of the family dynamic at home. These people think that in order to raise a child properly, the child must have a father and a mother. Over two dozen studies have found that children raised by gay and lesbian parents were indistinguishable from children raised by heterosexuals. Those who do not support gay marriage also say that the repealing of the gay marriage ban was not legal since in 2008 voters decided to ban gay marriage, effectively disregarding their votes. However, upon further review a judge ruled the ban of same sex marriage was discriminatory and unconstitutional.

“The ban on gay marriage needed to be reversed since it did not represent our society’s growing acceptance of same sex couples. The ban also defeated the progressive ideals our founding fathers had when drafting the constitution,” sophomore Maria Ordoñez said.

Florida now joins the ranks of other states that allow gay marriage such as California, New York and Arizona. The legalization of gay marriage allows homosexual couples to be protected by the same rights as heterosexual married couples. If you would like to support marriage equality and gay rights, feel free to join Gables’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club. Members of the GSA work hard to educate the public on issues regarding the LGBTQ community and encourage diversity and tolerance. It is necessary that we as Americans strive for equality for our fellow neighbors who have dealt with prejudice laws; working towards equality for others is one step closer to improving the lives of others.