After the Supreme Court ruled last week that any restriction on gay or lesbian couples getting married is unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal in all 50 states, Americans across the country have been up in arms about their beliefs.

Those who oppose gay marriage argue that marriage is a sacred bond meant to be shared between a man and a woman, not two people of the same gender.

But in terms of this sacred bond that so many citizens are terrified of soiling, is sexual and/or romantic preference really the most important question? Aren’t there other things that should be considered more important about a couple who wants to get married than whether or not those two people are of the same gender? Aren’t there at least a few questions more important than “Are you gay?” when you’re wondering if two people should be together?

1. Do they love each other?

When Jimmy Kimmel wandered around asking kids why people get married, they all (with the exception of one hilarious kid who answered with, “Because they pregnant”) answered that people get married because they’re in love. If two people love each other, who are we to tell them that they can’t get married and have their own fairy tales?

Why are we, as a nation, so obsessed with the societal norm that we oppose things that are different without any good reason? With the staggering number of heterosexual marriages ending in divorce, has it crossed anyone’s mind that homosexual people, who have fought so hard to have the basic right to express their love, have a lot to teach about it?

2. Do they share the same goals?

Just like any other couple, it’s valid to ask if they have the same goals. Not only is it valid, but it’s also a more legitimate concern than whether the relationship is comprised of one man and one woman.

Just like any heterosexual couple, gay couples think about futures together: where they’ll live, what kind of families they’ll raise, and what kind of jobs they want to have. If these things don’t line up, it’s difficult to make the relationship work. Sound familiar?

3. Are they compatible?

Some say that opposites attract, while others say that people gravitate towards other people who are most like them. It’s all about preference. Whatever their preference may be, it’s important that two people in a relationship fit well together. This might be about evening each other out, and it might also be about pushing each other out of comfort zones. Whatever it is, it’s more important than whether or not they’re gay.

4. Are they basically good people?

Do these two people pay their taxes? Do they drive slowly in school speed zones? Do they vote? Isn’t the value of a person much more about who they are, and much less about whom they love?

Why does being gay automatically categorize a person as one thing or another? It shouldn’t. It doesn’t. Those who feel strong opposition to gay marriage demonize homosexuals, and it’s ridiculous. Homosexuals aren’t in a different category of person. They’re just people, only different from everyone else because of whom they love.

5. Will they be good parents?

Not every marriage requires children, but most marriages do eventually lead to them.

Some people argue that a child needs a mother and a father to grow up “right,” which I really think is not only extremely offensive to homosexual couples, but also to single mothers and fathers everywhere. No child is going to be somehow broken or dysfunctional because of who raised him or her. The only thing that matters is that they’re raised in a loving and caring home, and taught to be good people. That doesn’t necessarily require a man and a woman.

6. Do they like the same foods?

Even something as trivial as liking the same foods is more important than whether or not two people are gay, when it comes to whether or not they should get married. I’ve seen some serious fights break out between couples because they can’t agree on what to eat, and I’m not going to say I don’t understand. I would find it very difficult to date someone who didn’t share my affinity for Chipotle.

7. Are they humans?

Because if they are, you don’t really have the right to tell them that they can’t get married. I mean come on -- there are people who have marriage ceremonies for their pets.

Americans everywhere are furious about the Supreme Court’s decision, saying that the Court misused its power. But this isn’t about some outrageous new law. This isn’t the central government trying to control the states. This is the Supreme Court protecting the rights of American citizens. It’s not about religion or dusty old value systems. It’s about real people and their access to the same liberties as any other citizen.

This is civil rights, people. This is a right so basic that it isn’t mentioned in the Constitution. It is an inherent right that heterosexuals have had since the United States was formed, and nobody even had to ask. It was just there.

But homosexuals everywhere have had to fight for it, for something they should have had access to all along. So instead of discriminating against homosexuals, and claiming that they’re sinners ruining the sanctity of marriage, let’s just celebrate freedom and equality. Because that’s what America was meant to be about, right?