In this article, I argue that same-sex marriage should be kept legal in Florida. Additionally, same-sex couples should be able to adopt children and have parenting privileges. I maintain that marriage is a civil right enshrined in the United States Constitution and that the quality of parenting should not be determined by sexual orientation. Critics of same-sex marriage argue that SSM is against Christian religious beliefs and should be maintained as a union between a man and a woman. They argue that procreation is a biological nature that only heterosexual couples have and for this reason married same-sex couples should not be allowed to have children. Similarly, critics believe that married same-sex couples raising children will also affect the child's behavior and mental health. Supporters of same-sex marriage support the legal union of homosexuals and their partnership privileges. Same-sex marriage is a debated issue in the Supreme Court; however, supporters argue that the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights protect people from freely choosing their partnership. They argue that marriage is the union between two people in love, regardless of their sex, color or religion. The Supreme Court decision of 1857 prohibited African Americans from being recognized citizens, thus depriving them of their rights. Likewise, denying same-sex couples the right to marry eliminates their civil rights. The Fourteenth Amendment explicitly protects people's rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Justice Anthony Kennedy explains that “the reasons why marriage is fundamental under the Constitution apply with equal force to same-sex couples” (Bier). Same-sex marriage should be recognized as a legal protection… middle of paper… there is no such interaction” (Rivera and Stuart). They believe that children benefit from having both sexes as parental role models, which helps children develop more stably. However, an understanding, organized and responsible person does not necessarily have to be heterosexual. The quality of a parent should be measured by how well the parents are prepared to care for the child and the social environment in which he or she will grow up. In conclusion, sexual orientation should not be a constraint for a person to marry or start a family. Children benefit from unions in which parents are loving and caring to provide them with a safe environment. Parents' sexual orientation does not interfere with these parameters and society should not limit or discriminate against them because they are different. As Alex Neil said: “Marriage is about love, not gender.”