Senior government and politics and information systems major

A month ago, this state made history by becoming the first to legalize same-sex marriage by a popular vote. As a voter who supported passing Question 6 on the Maryland ballot, I couldn’t have been more proud of my state and more optimistic for its constituents.

As much as I’ve expressed my support for same-sex marriage over the years, I still have to explain myself every time someone asks, “But aren’t you a conservative?”

After all, how could a religion-clinging, gun-toting American support, of all things, same-sex marriage? Truth be told, I consider myself conservative mostly because I believe in limited government that doesn’t interfere with the private and personal actions of individuals. And it’s this very principle that undergirds my support for same-sex marriage laws.

Many have asked where the Republican Party should head following its devastating loss four weeks ago, and I think a good start would be embracing and having a more lenient position on same-sex marriage.

Consider this: Ohio was considered one of the most pivotal battleground states in this year’s presidential election. According to the Talk Radio News Service, only 22 percent of gay voters in the state voted for Romney. However, if gay voters in this state (as well as other swing states such as Virginia) voted for Mitt Romney by the same margin as Americans at large, Romney would have won the state by about 30,000 votes.

Appealing to the gay community could also win necessary minority votes, seeing as most Hispanic and female voters support same-sex marriage laws, according to a recent CBS News poll.

Multiple metrics have shown times are essentially changing — increasing support for same-sex marriage is becoming the norm. According to 2005 and 2012 Gallup polls, American voters were about 12 percent less likely to support same-sex marriage seven years ago than they are to support it now. Additionally, according to a Wall Street Journal poll, 60 percent of voters under the age of 45 in this year’s election agreed that gay couples’ marriages should be recognized as valid under the law.

But numbers aside, I think conservatism and gay rights naturally complement each other. “Conservatism” and “gay rights” shouldn’t be enemies, as many progressives may think.

What could be more conservative than recognizing an individual’s desire to get married? An ideal government is one that doesn’t limit or dictate as personal a decision as choosing who to love. To those who argue marriage is a private institution that can’t be changed, it should be acknowledged marriage is already interwoven in the law, given all the licenses, Social Security benefits and estate-tax protections associated with marriage.

Conservatives and libertarians believe we should be judged by our work performance. Why would we support laws allowing individuals to be fired only on the basis of their sexual orientation? We believe in paying lower taxes and taking advantage of opportunities to pay lower taxes. Why should we endorse preventing gay couples from obtaining payroll and other tax benefits from marriage licenses?

Young voters were essential to passing same-sex marriage in Maryland. Unlike our parents’ generation, our generation grew up in a period where being gay wasn’t as taboo as it was decades ago. We know what it’s like to have friends who are gay, and we’ve seen the growing base of support for the LGBT community on college campuses nationwide.

As a young individual who aligns herself with the political right, I hope to see more young conservatives endorse same-sex marriage and embrace individual freedom in future elections.

Caroline Carlson is a sophomore government and politics and marketing major. She can be reached at opinionumdbk@gmail.com.