The Public Shining of Same Sex Marriage Simi Station Strayer University Public Administration PAD515 Introduction to the Public Policy Analysis

Living in the information age, news can travel around the world in seconds. The first same sex marriage between Marcia Hams and Susan Shepherd just hit its ten year anniversary this month. In prior years before Massachusetts began allowing same sex marriages, passing information around the world could be slow. As same sex marriages are becoming more mainstream throughout our nation, the rate in which news can be relayed has also increased drastically (Anniversary,2014). The world revers movie stars, television stars, singers, basically anybody that is labeled a “star” can be influential in not only how people want to look, but also how they feel. Television has been a juggernaut in establishing a foothold into same sex marriages.
The correlation between the ever rising amount of lesbian and gay relationships on television and the growing percentage of overall acceptance of same sex relationships in our nation cannot be denied (Becker,2011). In 2003, American television had a total of twenty-six gay and lesbian characters on television. With that only thirty-three percent of America’s citizens showed acceptance of that lifestyle. In the following five years the acceptance level rose and fell, the same with the numbers of same sex relationships on television (Becker,2011). In 2009 a television show depicting two gay men in a relationship started airing. Called Modern Family, the actors Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays Mitchell, and actor Eric Firestone, who plays Cameron helped solidified the acceptance of same sex relationships. Since the show has aired, the amount of shows that have lesbian and gay characters has almost doubled from sixty-six in 2009 to over one hundred and ten as of 2012. With that the acceptance level has also risen exponentially. While thirty-three percent of Americans were accepting of this alternate lifestyle in 2009, over half of America now are accustomed to same sex relationships (Modern,2014). Continuing with Modern Family, the same sex couple are, in the next two episodes, getting married. While researching for our assignment I found that the overall acceptance of this marriage heavily outweighs the negative media. In honestly I found only one reputable media site that voiced its opinion on the marriage as “a step backwards for all America.” Along with the positive mainstream push that Modern Family is setting, ABC (American Broadcasting Company) the parent owner of the Modern Family sitcom, has announced last week that it will pay for all new marriage licenses, both same sex and traditional at the New York City Clerk’s office on Monday May 12th (Modern,2014). Coming out to the world that you are living an alternate lifestyle can be a emotional event. While it is hard enough for the rest of the world to do. When you are someone that lives in the spotlight, admitting to the public that you are living in the non traditional way can not only be emotional, but also a career killer. Every influential person that comes out to the general public helps push same sex relationships into the limelight more and more, even if they are just doing so, so that they can live the way they want to. Influential people such as The Biggest Loser’s prolific trainer Bob Harper, Ellen Paige, Jodie Foster, Jim Parsons, and the most notable so far St. Louis Rams sixth round draft pick Michael Nams, who is the first openly gay football player in history. While people opposing his lifestyle say this should not be news, to me, it is no different when Jackie Robinson became the first black player to step up to the plate in the major leagues.

While prolific people come out to the general public all the time, some have been more influential in being proactive for the lesbian and gay community. Such actors include, but are not limited to, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ellen DeGeneres. There have been numerous actors that have “come out.” Some have been out for more than twenty years, like Sir Ian McKellen. McKellen has made his own sexual orientation known to his close social circle early on in his life. It was not until 1988 that he announced to the general public that he was gay. McKellen has been an active promoter, both socially and in government, for the equality and representation of the gay and lesbian community. He admits that coming out late in the 1980s was not the right time for him, as it caused him to lose work, and become targeted by people and groups that are against his way of life. He prides his activism in paving the way for the younger generation (Mann,2010). McKellen being gay might have hurt his career when it was not an acceptable lifestyle, but in recent times he has been a force in both on screen and offscreen productions including the X-Men series, and of course the Lord of the Ring franchise. Most know of Ellen DeGeneres’s bold move to out herself on her extremely popular comedy show in 1997. Since then she has campaigned religiously for gay rights both in the traditional way, and through social media sites. While Ellen came out long before the same sex lifestyle was even remotely accepted in the mainstream, she has stayed a hugely popular, and loved figure throughout the world (Mann,2010).

There are a plethora of groups that are specifically designated for the equality of gay rights. For example, the Freedom to Marry Coalition is a informational site devoted to spread news about gay and lesbian marriage. The Human rights Campaign offers the same type of information as the Freedom to Marry Coalition, but also gives advice on issues that relate to the rising of said equality (Groups,2014). The biggest group in our country is of course our government. Historically Democrats have been very liberal about the equality of all people be it race, sexual preference, or age, to name a few. The Republicans on the opposite end of the spectrum have been highly conservative to the same issues (Rights,2014). While our leaders have often been at battle on issues in our President’s terms, it has become apparent that, as a whole, equality, when relating to lesbians and gays being appointed in the Obama administration, has met with little conflict. The Obama-Biden administration, to date, has appointed more than two hundred and fifty individuals that are openly gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT).This is very a very significant in the promoting of the LGBT lifestyle (Rights,2014). The LGBT issue has, and is, being advanced by both party members, but the sheer number being appointed is more than all other presidential terms combined. The unity of our leaders both political and social was also present at the Sochi Olympics, when not only our leaders boycotted the past Olympics, but also American companies pulling their name off of the Sochi Olympics, and actors/actresses voicing their opinion supporting the boycott (Leaders,2014).

In conclusion, our nation is an ever evolving instrument. We, as America, are a melting pot of diversities. The amount at which information can be related around the world is staggering. This allows for both positive and negative aspects to be relayed when relating to bringing equality in all types of diversity not just same sex relationships and marriages. It has become apparent, more so to me know upon researching, that our country, from top down, is becoming more united everyday on same sex relationships.

References:

Anniversary. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-massachuetts-gay-marriage-decade-20140517-story.html Becker, Ron. (2011). Gay TV and Straight America. Chapel Hill NC. Rutgers Publishing. Groups. (2014). Retrieved from http://usgovinfo.about.com/blorgs.htm#gay Leaders. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/lgbt/white-house-conferences Mann, W. (2010). Gay Pride: A Celebration of All Things Gay and Lesbian. New York, NY. Kensington Publishing. Modern. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/12/modern-family-sitcom-foots-bill-for-new-marriage-l/ Rights. (2014).Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/civil-rights

-----------------------
1