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Health issues
When two males have sexual intercourse, there is not a possibility of reproduction. All human sexual behavior that involves contact with the bodily fluids of another person is considered to have some risk of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although the likelihood of transmitting infection varies a great deal by activity, in general all sexual activities between two (or more) people is considered a two-way route for the transmission of STIs; "giving" or "receiving" are both risky, although receiving carries a higher risk.

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Homosexuality refers to sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender or to a sexual orientation. As an orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions primarily to" people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them."

Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum. The most common modern terms for homosexual people are lesbian for women and gay for men although some prefer other terms or no indicators of sexual identity. The number of people who identify as homosexual — and the proportion of people who have same-sex sexual experiences — are difficult for researchers to estimate reliably for a variety of reasons. In the modern West, major studies indicate a prevalence of 2% to 13% of the population. A 2006 study suggested that 20% of the population anonymously reported some homosexual feelings, although relatively few participants in the study identified themselves as homosexual.

Homosexual relationships and acts have been admired as well as condemned throughout recorded history, depending on the form they took and the culture in which they occurred. Since the Stonewall riots in 1969,[16] widely considered the start of the modern LGBT rights movement, there has been increased visibility, recognition and legal rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, including the rights to marriage and civil unions, adoption and parenting, employment, military service, and equal access to health care.

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Homosexulity in America

Homosexuality is a topic that many people refuse to talk about because of personal prejudice or, they chose to simply forget about the existence of such individuals. However, there are those individuals who openly support these individuals, as well as there are those who are disgusted by the thought of two human beings of the same sex being involved emotionally and psychically. People often overreact to the news of an acquaintance, friend, or family member coming out of the closet with negative thoughts and comments. Let us take a look at the lifestyle of homosexuals, hate crimes committed against them, and active legislation in which homosexuals are involved to better accommodate their lifestyles. Lifestyle by definition is the way that an individual and or a group of individuals decide to carry out their lives. Some individuals come to a conscious agreement to spend the rest of their lives in each other’s company by the union of marriage. But what happens when these individuals are both members of the same sex? Robert Knight is well known among the homosexual population in El Paso. He is the head of the LAMBDA chapter in this city. He is a self-confessed homosexual and is married to his life long companion Michael.

Argument for gay marriage would also legalise incest and polygamy, claim bishops and MPs

Claims by lobby group that reform of law would have far-reaching effects attacked as 'extremist and confused'

A leaflet by Keep Marriage Special claims that reform of the law would open the door to incest, polygamy and a new wave of illegal immigration. Photograph: Blend Images/Alamy

 

 

A lobby group against gay marriage, formed by MPs and bishops, is embroiled in a row after one of its leaflets claimed that the logical argument for reforming the law would be equally applicable to the legalisation of incest and polygamy.

The eight-page document, produced by the Keep Marriage Special campaign, whose supporters include the former bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir Ali, warns of the "consequential impact" of the reform.
The glossy leaflet, which has a picture of a mixed-race couple in an embrace on the cover, claims: "If the only basis for marriage is the desire of the parties to get married then there is, according to the logic of this proposal, no reason not to open up marriage to more than just same-sex couples. Polygamy, polyandry and incest would all be permissible."

It adds: "The immigration service is already swamped with false marriages – this would only add to their problems."

At the moment, only men and women are permitted to marry; same-sex couples can only form civil partnerships, which became law in 2005. Civil partnerships give same-sex couples the right to the same legal treatment as married couples across a range of matters, but the law does not allow such unions to be referred to as marriages.

A Home Office consultation exercise on a change to the law is believed to have received more than 100,000 responses, including one from the Keep Marriage Special campaign, whose vice-presidents include the Democratic Unionist MPs Nigel Dodds and Jeffrey Donaldson and Bishop David Samuel, president of the Protestant Reformation Society. The campaign's president is Viscount Brentford, of the Church Society.

The campaign's leaflet boasts: "We include members both of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, as well as bishops, clergy and members of the Church of England and the free churches."
It adds: "There is nothing homophobic about stating the biblical position that all sexual activity outside marriage is wrong. Christians must show love to all people and are themselves sinners whose sins have been forgiven. They have a duty to tell the truth about right and wrong and to proclaim the good news that God forgives the sins of all who repent and trust in Jesus Christ."

However, Ethan Bourne, from the cross-party equal rights video campaign, Out4Marriage – which is backed by the home secretary, Theresa May, and the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg – described the Keep Marriage Special campaign as "extremist and confused".

He added: "We are not for incest or polygamy, but for allowing marriage between two people of the same sex who love each other. What the Keep Marriage Special campaign is doing is talking about a different issue altogether."

Although David Cameron supports the change, a number of Conservative MPs have voiced their opposition to the measures. They include the defence secretary, Philip Hammond, who has said that gay marriage is "not a priority", and the Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson, who has said he will not vote for it.

However, Clegg issued a stark warning last week to Conservative MPs and church leaders who oppose gay marriage. The deputy prime minister, who last week became the most senior politician to record a video message for the Out4Marriage group, said: "I've always been very clear on this: love is the same, straight or gay, so the civil institution should be the same too. All couples should be able to make that commitment to one another, regardless of who they love."

A running survey of MPs' stated views by the Coalition for Equal Marriage suggests 245 MPs are likely to support legalising gay marriage, with 62 against and 16 neutral. The views of the remaining 327 MPs are not yet known.