Same-sex marriage has been a widely debated topic for many years, causing tons of controversy around the world. The two sides involved in this debate are legalizing same-sex marriage or enforcing a constitutional ban. The biggest point of disagreement is whether or not allowing same-sex marriage promotes equality and not allowing it promotes discrimination. As Americans, we value equality, freedom and tolerance. Merriam-Webster defines equality as “the quality or condition of having the same rights, social status, etc.” This value is social, in the sense that it is followed in relation to society. Denying equality has been seen to promote discrimination in society and leaves room for unconstitutional judgments. Within the scope of the duties of the United States Constitution, the rights of citizens are protected. Because equality is protected by the Constitution, it is a civil right. Same-sex marriage should be legalized in all states because the same rights should be guaranteed to all citizens, not just some. As stated earlier, equality is a social value. Social equality is a state in which all people in a given society share the same status in some detail. It implies equal rights, opportunities and obligations. While many people around the world support ideas that imply equality, it is a highly American value. Robert Kohls of Claremont McKenna College states: “Equality is, for Americans, one of the most cherished values… Most Americans believe that God views all human beings equally regardless of intelligence, physical condition or to economic status. In secular terms this belief translates into the affirmation that all people have an equal opportunity to succeed in life.” As for same-sex marriage, same-sex couples deserve the......middle of paper....../marriage>.Messerli, Joe. “Should same-sex marriage be legalized?” Balanced policy. Ezoico and Web. October 28, 2013."Many say that homosexuality should be accepted by society." Pew Research Center for People and Press RSS. Pew Research Center, May 13, 2011. Web. October 28, 2013. Olson, Theodore B., and David Boies. “The Marriage Debate: Gays Deserve Equal Rights.” Wall Street Journal March 26, 2013: A.11. October 28, 2013 .ProQuest Staff. “At issue: Gay liberation movement.” ProQuest LLC. 2013: page n. SIRS problem researcher. Network. 29 Oct 2013. Spero, Rabbi Aryeh. “Opposition to gay marriage is not discrimination.” Human events. Eagle Publishing, Inc., June 8, 2006. Web. October 30, 2013. “The Global Divide on Homosexuality.” Pew Global Attitudes Project RSS. Pew Research Center, June 4, 2013. Web. October 28, 2013. United States Constitution. Modify. XIV, Section. 1.