...decision someone makes to like their own. Discrimination and marginalization of gay people is present in almost every society, despite the global stride for equality. People who despise or abominate homosexuals built their rebellion upon teachings from the bible. However, if every sin mirrors the same weight, why isn't there laws that stands against adultery? This shows how humanity's perception of life is warped and twisted to satisfy what we think is acceptable. Prohibiting gay marriage is grounds of discrimination, evidently preventing someone from being happy and satisfied should not be within human protocol. It is no longer a theory rather its reality and also adoption rates will genuinely sky rocket due to their inability to reproduce. Scrutinizing someone's lifestyle from a prospective that it should imitate yours, is contradicting humanity's theme, equality. Despite one's skin color, race or gender, they should have equal rights and be entitled to privileges that everyone considered acceptable is. Likewise with homosexuals, their sexual orientation should be a norm among this predominantly borderline society. Within the LGBT community (Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transvestites) they all share this one mutual thought; their choice to be gay should be recognized as a right. Homosexuality isn't protected by any Federal Civil Rights Law in 4 out of 5 countries globally. Due to this, gay men and lesbians are often subjected to hostility, disrespect and violence. Their...
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...Thinking November 8, 2010 For the Bible Tells Me So: A Reflection on Homosexuality in Our Society On the morning of July 2, 1990, Julio Rivera was walking to school in Queens, New York when 3 men lured him into an alley where they beat and stabbed him, killing Mr. Rivera. Mr. Rivera was attacked that morning because he was gay. We watched a film in our Critical Thinking class that was eye opening to understanding and coming to accept homosexuals so that we don’t have any more cases like Mr. Rivera. Homosexuality is not morally wrong and is not a sin, our society needs to change its way of thinking to be aware of our misconception of this so we can allow tolerance and acceptance to take precedence over violence and hate. The video takes the stance of homosexuality not being a choice. Scientific evidence suggests that “gayness” is very much genetic. An example is given of a family that has many boys, the male fetus is foreign to the mother’s body and antibodies develop to combat the fetus. As more boys are conceived, the mother’s body because more efficient at producing antibodies which then feminize the boy, increasing his chances of being gay. The mother’s hormone levels also can play a key factor in her child’s sexuality. The Church seems to prosecute homosexuals for their “lifestyle choice” and advise parents of homosexual children to not accept this and encourage their child to change who they are. However, the evidence that shows homosexuality may not be a choice...
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...Crystallizing through naturally curiosity about anatomical differences between sexes, genital play and gender categorization. 3. 3- firmly established through process of identification with same gender parent 2) Be able to discuss the current understanding of the development of sexual orientation A. What is sexual orientation: i. This refers to a person’s potential to respond with sexual excitement to persons of the same sex, opposite sex or both ii. This includes erotic or sexual fantasies, affection preferences, romantic attraction, etc iii. Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bisexual, and Asexual B. In Summary, there is Likely the following: i. Several Genes that encode for sexual orientation and perform other roles as well ii. Complex interaction between the biology and psychosocial mechanisms to produce sexual orientation...
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..."Do Our Genes Influence Behavior?" "Do Our Genes Influence Behavior? Why We Want to Think They Do" Chronicle of Higher Education, November 26, 2004 A few weeks ago I was hurrying past a newsstand in Grand Central Station when the cover of the latest issue of Time stopped me short. Superimposed on a painting of a blue-skinned, red-lipped woman, her hands clasped in prayer, were the words "The God Gene." The article within reported that in a new book with that title, the geneticist Dean Hamer had traced belief in God to a specific gene. "Does our DNA compel us to seek a higher power?" Time asked. The article left me pondering a different question: Given the track record of behavioral geneticists in general, and Dean Hamer in particular, why does anyone still take their claims seriously? Behavioral genetics, which attempts to explain what we are and do in genetic terms, began with the English polymath Francis Galton, who in 1883 coined the term "eugenics" to refer to his proposal that humanity improve itself through judicious breeding. Galton's measurements of the physical and mental characteristics of various groups had convinced him that upper-class gentlemen like himself were innately smarter than poor white men, let alone "inferior races" like Africans. On a trip to Africa, however, Galton was mightily impressed with the physical endowments of Hottentot women, whose bodies he measured from afar with a sextant because he was too timorous to approach them. Galton's...
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...Have you experienced being near two gays who were talking in quite a different language altogether? And were you not surprised that you could understand some of the words they were saying? Yes. It is gayspeak, that wonderful lingo, argot, or jargon, which Filipino gays in general seamlessly switch into when they are gathered together or most immediately when they are around other people in order perhaps to “cloak” their intimate conversations, the better to protect the “virgin” ears of those around them. Historically though, it is known as swardspeak, a word coinage in the 1970s attributed by Jose Javier Reyes to columnist and movie critic Nestor Torre. Reyes himself devoted a book on the subject titled Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study. No other term has replaced swardspeak in local usage since the 70s but Ronald Baytan (in his essay “Language, Sex, and Insults: Notes on Garcia and Remoto’s The Gay Dict”) opines that the term sward these days has become anachronistic, making it improper to call the language of the gay people as “swardspeak” preferring instead to term it gayspeak. Consciously or unconsciously, even straights or heterosexuals have peppered their vocabulary with words traceable to gayspeak. Mention the word anech (from “ano” or “what” in English with anesh, anik, anikla as varieties) to anyone in the metropolitan area and in all likelihood, the person being spoken to will reply as casually. There are also the familiar words chika, chuva, and lafang. Thanks or no...
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..."In the Philippines, the term gay has been used loosely to include homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, crossdressers, and effeminate men. Filipino gays are mostly stereotyped as effeminate, crossdressers, hairdressers, camp and ridiculed. Bakla or Bading, a derogatory Filipino word for gay, is commonly used. Tibo or tomboy has a similar function, and refers to lesbians, usually of the butch and masculine type. A more benign slang word for gay men is billy boy. For Filipino gays, the Tagalog phrase "paglaladlad ng kapa" (literally means "unfurling of the cape") refers to the coming-out process. Although gays and lesbians are generally tolerated within Philippine society, there are still widespread cases of discrimination. Swardspeak is a vernacular language derived from Englog (English-Tagalog) and is used by a number of gay Filipinos. It uses elements from Tagalog, English, and Spanish, and some are from Nippongo, as well as celebrities' names and signature brands, giving them new meanings in the context of this unique language. A unique trait of swardspeak is that it immediately identifies the speaker as homosexual, making it easy for people of that orientation to signal to each other in a place where such tendencies are not easy to display (ie in the Philippines). This creates an exclusive world among its speakers and helps them to resist cultural assimilation. By using swardspeak, Filipino gay men are able to resist the dominant culture of their area and create...
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...should however, respect one another regardless of one's sexual orientation and differences just like how we have come to be accepting of people who are of a different race. Hence, homosexuals should not be treated any differently from heterosexuals either. For years, homosexuals have been fighting for equal rights. Discriminations against homosexuals are often openly expressed and unfair treatments between homosexuals and heterosexuals are observed in many countries. In a gay community, it also consists of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered (LGBT). LGBT people often have to face social ostracism as most people have strong religious beliefs that disapprove of homosexuality and they usually have little or no social contact with them. Discrimination and prejudice against homosexuals are seen in places even schools. Most of the time, people, especially the younger generations, use words related to homosexuality as an insult. This way, it creates an inaccurate idea that it is wrong and undesirable to be gay. Boys are often stereotyped to be sporty and less expressive and thus, any boy who is more emotional or friendly with other boys will be subjected to name callings such as 'girl' or 'sissy'. Girls who are more sporty or boyish could be called 'dykes' or 'lesbians' too. Unfortunately, these sorts of discriminating behaviors often go...
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...Andrea Marshall Kim Palmore English 1B 30 May 2012 Conformity: A Concealed Identity Society is made up of predominately heterosexual people. Our instincts tell us in order to repopulate the world; a man and a woman must reproduce offspring. This is considered to be a social norm; mankind’s very survival depends on it. More recently, society has given people the ability to express themselves in ways they never thought possible. The American Gay Rights Movement in 1924 sparked animosity throughout the nation creating discrimination toward the gay community. This movement brought about significant change; unfortunately, not all people were willing to accept it. People’s resistance to change is usually based on ignorance or the desire to conform in an attempt to avoid becoming an outcast. In the novel, Stone Butch Blues, written by Leslie Feinberg, Jess Goldberg becomes an outcast because of her resistance to conformity. Since Jess was brought up in a straight environment, she grew up confused, without the understanding of her true nature. Her parents rejected her differences due to the fact that they were so focused on society’s view of the social norm. Having no one to confide in, Jess was forced to set out on her own to find people she could connect with and help her to explore identity. This book demonstrates both society’s demand for conformity and the pressures that queer people face in an unjust world; Jess’ success in battling this social pressure inspires people to...
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...the chance to join you tonight. I also took a trip out to California last week, where I held some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga. (Laughter.) She was wearing 16-inch heels. (Laughter.) She was eight feet tall. (Laughter.) It was a little intimidating. Now, I don’t want to give a long speech. Cyndi Lauper is in the house. I can’t compete with that. (Applause.) But I wanted to come here tonight, first of all, to personally thank Joe for his outstanding years of leadership at HRC. (Applause.) What he has accomplished at the helm of this organization has been remarkable, and I want to thank all of you for the support that you’ve shown this organization and for your commitment to a simple idea: Every single American -- gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender -- every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society. It’s a pretty simple proposition. (Applause.) Now, I don’t have to tell you that we have a ways to go in that struggle. I don’t have to tell you how many are still denied their basic rights -- Americans who are still made to feel like second-class citizens, who have to live a lie to keep their jobs, or who are afraid to walk the street, or down the hall at school. Many of you have devoted your lives to the cause of equality. So you know what we have to do; we’ve got more work ahead of us. But we can also be proud of the progress we’ve made these past two and a half years. Think about it...
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...INTRODUCTION LGBT rights have been a hot topic in India during the last few months due to the Supreme Court of India‘s decision of recriminalizing gay sex. The issue of gay rights is very cloudy in our great nation. Most of this is due to the problems with the issue, the reasons for controversy, and the pros and cons of the issue. First of all, both sides have too many problems with gay rights for there to be a common ground on the issue. The biggest problem we find with the whole thing is the problem is not just fought by words, but also by physical means. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people frequently face violence motivated by their sexuality or gender identity. Violence may be executed by the state, as in laws prescribing corporal punishment for homosexual acts or by individuals engaging in intimidation, mobbing, assault, or lynching. Violence targeted at people because of their perceived sexuality can be psychological or physical and can extend to murder. These actions may be motivated by homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and may be influenced by cultural, religious, or political biases. Currently, homosexual acts are legal in almost all Western countries, and in many of these countries violence against LGBT people is classified as a hate crime, which such violence being often connected with conservative or religious leaning ideologies which condemn homosexuality, or being perpetrated by individuals who associate homosexuality to being weak...
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...Queer has become an umbrella term “that is a fluid label that acknowledges queers as different without specifying how or in what context”(PFLAG). The term queer has changed through time, similar to the change that has occurred in television as new characters are developed creating a diverse cast. Queers have been newly broadcasted in media. When queers were first portrayed in media, gay men were popular sidekicks in multiple sitcoms. For example , Will and Grace, used both gay men as best friends ,who offered comedic relief in awkward situations. There has been a shift in the portrayal of the LGBTQ community after Ellen DeGeneres revealed her own sexuality through her character Ellen Morgan in her sitcom Ellen. After Ellen’s coming out episodes emerged, the LGBTQ community was no longer in the background and now “gays are witty sidekicks, girls next door, doctors and lawyers, city officials, and teenage experimenters, garnering Emmys, accolades, and great ratings as they invade the family home through the ubiquitous tube”(Skerski 365). Ellen helped transition the role of queers from witty supporters, to significant serious characters. She made “sexual orientation [be the only] important aspect of her life, not the sole purpose of it”(Gibson, Alexander, Meem 310). Media has come a long way in the 20th century but many still don’t agree with the way queers are portrayed through media. Although shows have changed, people are still not satisfied in the way queers are viewed...
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...1. Introduction Philadelphia—the first Hollywood film to acknowledge HIV and homosexuality stars Tome Hanks in 1993. This film shows discrimination in hiring and firing, which are disability and sexual orientation. Discrimination exists in all places, at all times, not just in Canada. Even so, people still feel confused about the bounds of hiring and firing. The definition of this phenomenon is the different treatment of two equally qualified individuals on account of their age, gender and so on. In order to protect the rights of employees, governments establish laws and regulations to restrain employers’ behaviors. At the same time, moral standards can be a looser and more elastic limitation and judgments on people’s actions. To simplify, laws are clear rules written on paper, but moral standards are not clear and depend on different people. So, what is the boundary of employment? My answer is that law is the basic standard, and moral is the justice, and whether there are discriminations or not should be measured both sides—the employees’ and employers’. 2. Kinds of Discriminations Age discrimination One of the global issues is the rapidly aging population. There will be 77.3 million people with a life expectancy of 83 years, which is an estimate by the U.S. Disease Control Center 2010, for the first wave of baby-boomer generation from 1946 to 1964. At the same time, people are working longer than before, because people are living a healthier and better...
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...During the many years that Gay and Lesbian freedoms were being compromised many losses were had. Many men and women, despite biological birth were threatened, tortured, or murdered. It’s interesting to look back on these moments while trying to move forward to understand how much better things have become because of those who lost their lives for the pursuit of happiness. In this essay I will talk about the traumatic events that transpired and how they slowly led to Hate Crime Legislation. During Bill Clinton’s presidency, many painfully gruesome acts of gay bashing occurred. And due to the media’s interest in Clinton’s efforts to end the ban on gays and lesbians in the U.S. military, news of the bashings were heavily publicized. In December 31, 1993, a twenty-one year old trans man was killed. Brandon was killed when his rapists John Lotter and Tom Nissen attempted to make sure Brandon did not testify against them for the raping him when they found out that Brandon was born biologically female. In 1998 Matthew shepherd was brutally pistol-whipped, tortured and tied to a fence to die. When he was found he had experienced severe brainstem damage. This damage affected his ability to regulate body temperature, heart rate, and other vital functions. Due to his many lacerations and fractures his injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. He never regained consciousness and remained on life support until he eventually died. Due to this Clinton’s attempt to the addition...
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...the world to discover their policies and attitudes toward lesbian and gay people as prospective adoptive parents. A survey was used as the statistical procedure and a chi-square test was used as a statistical test. The statistical procedure used in this study of adoption is a questionnaire. They were mailed to directors of adoption programs from public and private adoption agencies across the United States. The total was 891. Two-hundred-fourteen of the questionnaires were used in the study. The questionnaires were from 194 private adoption agencies from 45 different states and 20 questionnaires from 20 public adoption agencies from 13 different states. From the 214 questionnaires used in the study, 165 were women and only 28 were men. The mean of their ages were 46.5. “The questionnaire was designed to identify current adoption agency policies and practices, as well as social casework attitudes, regarding adoption of children by lesbians and gay men.” The questionnaire conducted was of 13 questions. These 13 questions asked about agency type, religious affiliation, number of placements for adoption made within the two-year period of 1995-1996, percentage of placements involving domestic infants and toddlers, older, and special needs children, and children from foreign countries, awareness of state law on adoption of gay and lesbians, agency policy about this issue, number of adoptions from gay or lesbians from the two-year period, agency involvement in international...
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...LGBT Equality {Name} DeVry University LGBT Equality Rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people in the United States are comprised of a patchwork of laws in all levels of government. Currently, there are six states, plus Washington D.C., where same-sex marriages are legal. (Hamilton, 2012) Maryland has laws that recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, but does not allow same-sex marriages to occur in the state.(Davis & Wagner, 2010) Twenty-one states, plus Washington D.C., have laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.(Repa, n.d.) Adoption policies also vary greatly from state to state. LGBT rights have taken part of the fight that republicans and religious fundamentalists have waged against LGBT people and women’s rights that has swept the county in the last couple of years. Although some people believe that LGBT people should not receive equal marriage or adoption rights, there are many reasons to extend those basic rights to LGBT couples. In the United States, there is a patchwork of laws regarding LGBT rights. In fact, there is a Supreme Court judgment in 2003 that started the move towards equality. The landmark case was the Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down sodomy laws in Texas. This, by extension, invalidated other similar laws in 13 other states and territories. (Lithwick, 2012) In 2009, President Obama passed the Mathew Shepard act.(Weiner, 2010) This act brought about one of the largest...
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