Sir, do you take this man

"Because you have shared in their lives by your friendship and love, you are invited to share with our son John Doe and Joe Shmoe when they begin their new life together."

More people in the Netherlands might be receiving wedding invitations like this because lawmakers there approved legislation providing gays more equality such as marriage, wider adoption rights and divorce guidelines.

With this kind of support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, the United States needs to re-examine its stance against same-sex marriages. In a nation that prides itself on being in the forefront of every aspect of modern civilized life, when it comes to GLBT equality, the United States is lagging behind other countries.

The equality GLBT receive in the Netherlands should be a wake-up call for the United States to catch up with other countries. If this nation is supposed to be the land of the free and one of the most liberal countries in the world, why is it holding a whole group of its citizens back?

For those that argue allowing GLBT the right of marriage is morally wrong, how about teaching the importance of equality? It is not fair to deny rights to the GLBT community. This country was founded on the principle that every citizen had certain unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These rights should not be denied on the basis of race, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation.

The United States has to come to the realization that it is unconstitutional to deny the GLBT community its basic rights. And until it allows this community rights to marriage and adoption, it cannot fully be considered the land of the free.