Homosexual Marriage: ODD?????

Homosexual Marriage in Korea

Abnormal !!! Peculiar !!! Eccentric !!! Pity !!! These are some of the words that will come to your mind when you hear a news about homosexual marriage. Recently, in Korea and France, the first official homosexual marriage was held. Internet and media showed great attention to this 'historic' moment. Also, during the last month (May, 2013) thirteen countries including Canada, France, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal enacted the law that enables homosexual marriage. Anyways the media focused on how gay couples felt after the marriage ceremony ended and considered them 'special'. 

True. It is true that gay or homosexual marriage is a special event; at least in the society we're currently living in. Throughout the history of mankind, conventional marriage was held for the purpose of reproduction of human species and thus, was held between different gender. No matter how diverse their sexuality is, people were just forced by this ridiculous custom that they were enforced to adhere. Even we ourselves believe that being a homosexual couple is being an inferior and is the most extreme road that mankind can choose to take. Often, in our society, we use the concept of 'gay' as a source of gag and consider it as a non-existential thing that is only worth when building close relationship with same gender. These type of phenomenon  is especially harsh in Korea where conventional values are taking big part in our everyday thinking and families pose great influence on each member. Unlike other developed nations, our nation hasn't yet established the cornerstone for accepting diversity in sexual identity. Why is that and what should we do?

          For few thousand years, Koreans have defined family as a state of perfect normality. That is to say, that the concept of Korean traditional families has been closely associated with the social norms prevalent in the society. To be specific, family members consisted of a female mom and sister, a male dad and brother, which was considered normal. There weren't any practices other types of marriages, including homosexual marriages, because no Korean could ever come up with such an awe-striking idea. Then the question arises, is the idea of traditional family only acceptable model for modern Korea? I do believe so.  

          Koreans consider family as one of the most crucial value in life due to the enormous amount of influence and function it has in its members. The elders of each family teach the younger about the moral criterion and standards they should consider in the society. In other words, families provide a guideline of how individuals should behave in that society. Specifically, fathers and mothers teach their children about the customs, like the obedience and reverence for the elderly which has been passed down since early generations. These purposes of families cannot be overlooked, for a family is a group of people who we meet since the moment we are out in this world. We are exposed to the firsthand influence of the family members and their influence lives on with us and to the next generation as well, since we teach our children about the ideas we have learned from our ancestors. 

          Gradual, new ideas are important to keep the progress in a society, yet extreme ideas provide harms. Family has been one of the milestones that provided a general consensus and social norms in the Korean society. Because Koreans had a similar mindset fundamentally, we were able to share similar perspectives about certain social phenomenon, and this, in this end, is what kept the social order and stability. When drastic changes collide with the prevalent social norms, chaos arises. This hinders the society from progressing forward. 

Homosexual marriages are, to be frank, extreme. Koreans have not yet encountered with such a belief. We may panic. We may also face psychological division within the citizens. It also can be inferred that these families are not willing to teach their adopted children about the values that former Koreans have strived for. They would, on the other hand, provide their descendants with somewhat radical ideas, asserting the justification of homosexual marriages. Korean society is already facing so many problems including generation gaps, huge income differences, and the North Koreans. If the function and definition of family were to be challenged, our society would have to deal with another rupture, which with no doubt would be a barrier for establishing compromise and harmony between each member within a society.

The definition of traditional family as the state of perfect normality would have to stand in modern Korea. Tradition is something passed down from the ancestors. The concept of traditional family, therefore, may change in the future if we gradually accept other customs. But for now, it would be wise for the Koreans to preserve what had been with us until we are able to accept the unfamiliar concept of homosexual family.