...different perspectives on gay male and lesbian sexual orientations. Gay male and lesbian sexual orientation is commonly referred to as being homosexual. A homosexual is a male and or female that is attracted to the same sex. Homosexuality is the term used to define sexual orientation of homosexuals that engage in sexual activities with the same sexes. Homosexuality is widespread throughout history including the past, present, and future generations and varies widely amongst societies and cultural acceptances. In some cultures and religions homosexuality is accepted and tolerated. Whereas, in other cultures and religions it is found to being condemning and dirty. Some even think of the individual as being in a sick state of mind. It is because of these different historical and scientific perspectives that are being placed on homosexuals minds are what shape their perceptions of themselves. In historical perspectives western cultures have never censured any sexual practices or orientations more than the male and male and female and female orientations. The sexual behaviors have varied per religion and past cultures of what is accepted and what is not. In ancient Greece it was common and accepted for males to have sexual relationships with other males, sometimes even boys. It was thought as soon as the young man grew a beard it was time to start the male-male sexual behavior. Greek vases displaced artwork of men having sexual relations to boys by placing their penis between...
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...Gender Roles in Today’s society There seems to be a never ending debate about same-sex relationships. Typically the acceptance of this idea can go one way or another. In Stephan Mays’ article, “What about Gender Roles in Same-Sex relationships” he states that right away that “imposing gender roles on gay couples is even more ridiculous than doing so with a straight couple” (Mays 718). In this short article Mays talks mostly about traditional gender roles that society has drilled into our heads; gender roles such as men are tall and women are petite and thin, men can only play masculine sports and woman should not, and my personal favorite, men earn all the money and the woman stay at home to clean and take care of the kids. Throughout this article Mays talks passionately about how we need to, as a society, overcome these stereotypes and accept the person as they are. Overall, I think that Stephan May’s article has the perfect blend of pathos, logos, and ethos to make his article effective and efficient. In Stephan Mays’ article “What about Gender Roles in Same-Sex Relationships” he talks about how society should not look at people by their sexual orientation but look at them as a person. He opens his article with a personal experience he had walking on the sidewalk. He listened in on two people having a conversation about spotting two gay men walking together. While listening closely he heard the two girls comment on the gay couple’s gender roles; “Who do you think is the...
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...Development of Sexual Identity Development of Sexual Identity This paper will discus the following things about sexual identity: development factors, such as biological sex, gender identity and roles, sexual orientation, and the relationship between these factors. One would have never assumed that sexuality would be a topic of great conversation and questions. Over time we have became a society made up from a melting pot not only of different ethnic groups but of sexual orientation. Sexual Identity Development Factors There are several factors that influence a person’s sexual identity. The first factor that affects sexual orientation is biological sex. Biological sex is determined by a person’s chromosomal make up along with hormones. Females are typically born with XX chromosomes and males are born with XY chromosomes. Although in some situations there can be a mutation of the Y chromosome, the SRY gene which is the sex determining portion of the Y chromosome can be missing in XY girls’ Y and is present in the XX boys’ X (Offner, 2010). Chromosomes alone cannot determine gender identity hormones also help in determining gender identity. The SRY gene codes on the Y chromosome cause the indifferent gonads to become testicle which then secrete testosterone which then causes the Wolffian duct system to develop which is the male structures (Offner, 2010). So as you can see together with the SRY gene and specific level of testosterone within an embryo...
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...curious to know what controls a human beings sexual orientation. There has been an ongoing debate about nature versus nurture and its connection to human sexual orientation. The are also other influences that has an affect on sexual differentiation and gender idenity. This paper will explain the interaction between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions affect the the determination of gender identiy. The sexual behavior of humans are shaped and influenced by cultural factors that leads human sexuality to be expressed in various ways through many cultures historically. The biological factors in sexual differentiation are very important to the human because it allows a person to grasp and understand the complexities and problems that are involved in human sexual conditions. The premature stages of sexual differentiation after birth are influenced by environmental factors. Once the child advance from childhood and into young adulthood the influences of biological, environmetal, and culture has an effect on sexual differentiation. According to Ault and Brzuzy (2009), gender identity is a multifaceted system of ideas surrounding masculinity and femininity, in terms of the roles prescribed to men and women by society, and how they relate to maleness and femaleness in relation to the self. Gender identity is presented through behavioral expressions of masculinity and femininity, feelings surrounding the body as a sexual, and individual perceptions regarding how others...
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...Week 2 Discussion What role does emotion play in prejudice? I personally believe that emotion has a very strong role in prejudice. When I think of prejudice especially in today’s society, sexuality comes to mind. I think that up until a few years ago being Lesbian/Gay was something most people kept to themselves. When society looks at what is "traditional" they think a man and a women should be married, not anything other than that. But it's 2015 and things have begun to change in the right direction. I come from a very traditional family where you meet a guy, get married, have children etc. I currently live with my boyfriend in a house that we bought in Burlington, on top of going to school and working part-time. However, many of the people...
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...are curious to know what controls a human beings sexual orientation. There has been an ongoing debate about nature versus nurture and its connection to human sexual orientation. There are also other influences that have an effect on sexual differentiation and gender identity. This paper will explain the interaction between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions affect the determination of gender identity. The sexual behavior of humans are shaped and influenced by cultural factors that lead human sexuality to be expressed in various ways through many cultures historically. The biological factors in sexual differentiation are very important to the human because it allows a person to grasp and understand the complexities and problems that are involved in human sexual conditions. The premature stages of sexual differentiation after birth are influenced by environmental factors. Once the child advance from childhood and into young adulthood the influences of biological, environmental, and culture has an effect on sexual differentiation. According to Ault and Brzuzy (2009), gender identity is a multifaceted system of ideas surrounding masculinity and femininity, in terms of the roles prescribed to men and women by society, and how they relate to maleness and femaleness in relation to the self. Gender identity is presented through behavioral expressions of masculinity and femininity, feelings surrounding the body as a sexual, and individual perceptions regarding how others...
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...Feminism and its relevance in today’s society Diamond V Nesbit ITT-Technical Institute When you hear or read the term feminism what image pops into your mind? Is it a woman with a short haircut, unshaven legs and/or armpits, over-weight by at least 20 pounds, a strong hatred of men and all things pertaining to men? Well this could be due to the image society burns into your mind. When watching television or browsing on the internet you cannot help but run across an image of angry women with picket signs automatically placing the group in a negative light. Feminism is more than picket signs, protests, and unshaven legs. Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. Feminism is frown upon in today’s society but is still very relevant and important to many. The media and feminism have a love/hate relationship. In movies, books, and even cartoons feminist are portrayed as angry, unkempt, lesbian “man haters”. They are shown looking down on men and judging women for their attire or life choices. On rare occasions the media actually shines a positive light on feminism and its beliefs only when it can be beneficial to its rating or purpose. The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women," said Pat Robertson, a television evangelist and former Baptist minister during...
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...perspectives on homosexuality. In this essay we will be discussing the historical, biological, and psychological perspectives on homosexuality. We will also go over the impact that these perspectives may have had on the way homosexuals perceive themselves. Also included will be an analysis of the experiences of coming out and adjusting as a gay individual. Lastly we will talk about how these historical, biological, and psychological perspectives have impacted mine own sexual orientation and how they have shaped the way I view homosexuality. Historical Perspectives on Homosexuality Homosexuality, be it gay or lesbian, has existed throughout history. There have been many different attitudes towards homosexuality including tolerance in some societies, open encouragement in others, but in most societies this behavior has been condemned. While homosexuality has mostly been condemned, this was not always the case. A couple of examples are the ancient Greece and Rome. In Greece is was common for established males to form sexual relationships with adolescent males at about eh age of the adolescents growing their first beard. “Romans described highly feminine gay men who dressed flamboyantly, had showy hair styles and mannerisms, and cruised certain neighborhoods, searching for partners.” (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2011, p. 287) The bible has many verses that explain how God feels not only about sin in general but about homosexuality specifically, Ezekiel 16:49-50 declares the...
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...Included will be the roles of biological factors. This paper will determine which has greater influence on gender identity nature or nurture. Gender identity is the acceptance of ones membership into a certain group of people. How an individual perceives themselves male or female is considered gender identity. Hormones play a major role in a person’s life; it affects their sex in two ways. Hormones affect the development from the time a person is conceived until they have grown into sexual maturity. Sexual maturity of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits determine a person as a male or female by activating the reproduction related behavior of sexual mature adults. Endocrine glands main function is to release hormones (University of Phoenix, 2009). A biological factor has a big part in shaping physical development. Males and females are born with distinctive sexual organs, these differences emerge around puberty. Hormones are responsible for the appearance of these physical differences. Too much androgen plays a major part in a male or female. Boys that have an excess amount of androgens tend to be fine and behave normally. Girls on the other hand are a different story; they tend to have more male traits which affect their behavior (University of Phoenix, 2009). Social and environmental factors play a role in gender identity. The way a child is raised, meaning interests, surrounding and authority figures influences the upbringing of sexual identity in early childhood...
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...of women striving to earn equality in society hasn’t been an easy task because men have been historically dominating and ruling the society in their own way. Women have been through many discrimination regardless their race, class, and color just because men believes women has less ability to take charge of the society. Both Collins in the “Matrix of domination” and Beauvoir by “Woman as other” presents us the history of gender discrimination from a feminist perspective. These two authors present theories on how men dominate women for their own benefit. Moreover, Collins theorized that there are many forms of discrimination in our society and each is interconnected with the other. On the other hand, Beauvoir shows us many tactics...
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...Gay rights has a major impact on today’s society whether we choose to believe it or not; for or against. Gay rights are becoming one of the more controversial topics being discussed around the America today. Gay rights should be recognized, there are many factors of gay rights that Americans do not completely understand, while times are changing gay rights is evolving from state to state there are still issues yet to be resolved. Today I will discuss three key topics when it comes to gay rights; gay rights in schools, arguments for and against gay, rights and gay rights in adoption. Gay rights has been a controversial topic for quite some time now; in public schools all over north America that last couple decades gay rights has been opened up and discussed. Openly gay students are coming together in a safe haven, where without judgment they can come together and support each other with any difficulties they may be facing. “Gay-straight alliances are a form of social support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) high-school students that emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These alliances are generally student-run social clubs akin to other high-school social groups, such as drama clubs, math teams, or yearbook clubs. However, one of the main purposes of gay-straight alliances is to provide support to LGBTQ students in difficult personal circumstances or in hostile school environments, and to advocate for LGBTQ students,” (Fetner, T...
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...Overview Workplace issues surrounding sexual orientation and preferences have become more and more prevalent in today’s workplace. Although many companies have adapted to modern day reality and have accepted this lifestyle, companies are not required by law to have rules and regulations in place that protect homosexuals from workplace dismissal based on sexual orientation information. The case involving the Boy Scouts of America and the United Way detailed in Managing Human Resources (pp 150) provides an excellent example of the ethical and realistic issues that can arise surrounding this now common lifestyle. James Dale prided himself on instilling self-reliance and leadership in children’s’ lives as an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). After 12 years, this veteran volunteer was expelled from the BSA after they learned that he was gay because of his sexual orientation. Though the boy scouts teach young men to stand up for what is right, they did not have any anti-discrimination laws intact to protect homosexual volunteers. Dale, instead, turned to rely on the courts for help. During the court case, the state court initially ruled that Dale should be able to return as a scoutmaster, indicating that one’s sexual orientation does not drive the ability to help the scouts, but the BSA did not accept this answer. Instead, the BSA turned to the Supreme Court to get permission to release Dale of his scoutmaster duties. The United Way had been involved...
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...Americans have held certain opinions concerning gender, sex, women, and sexual orientation. A definition of both gender and sex will be provided. The roles of women throughout American history will be discussed. When people think about masculinity and femininity, they have certain preconceived ideas. How these ideas contribute to the understanding gender, sex, and sexual orientation will be examined. Finally, the status of GLBT individuals will be explored. An increased understanding will be gained concerning these issues. Gender and Sex Gender can be defined as an individual’s feelings of being either male or female (Stets & Burke, 1988). This is how an individual identifies themselves. Sex on the other hand is the physical and biological characteristics someone is born with. This simply means whether the individual has a penis, vagina, or both. Despite the similarity in the definitions of these two terms, gender and sex are not the same things (Stets & Burke, 1988). Women In the past, women have had many roles. From the first colonies in America, women were in charge of maintaining the household and caring for the family. However, they did not always have the same rights as men. As families moved westward into uncivilized territories, women were tasked with the responsibilities of defending their families against forces of nature when the husband was not there to do so. For many years the roles of woman did not change, Women remained the primary caregivers for the...
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...caused by discrimination but also due to lack of support and guidance. The paper will also discuss the roles of the parents and schools in helping minimize discrimination against LGBT youths. This paper will also hopefully instruct schools and parents to accept and support gay students rather than add to the discrimination that they already face. Doing so will reduce the high school drop out rate and most importantly the youth suicide rate. In essence, the purpose of this research paper is to identify the different effects on LGBT youths due to discrimination and to explore various actions that can and should be taken by schools and parents to help these youths live a normal and happy life. Therefore, my target audience is the school system as well as the parents of LGBT youths. Suicide is the leading cause of death among gay and lesbian youths. Gay and lesbian youths are 2 to 6 times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth. Over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youths. . . . Gays and lesbians are at much higher risk than the heterosexual population for alcohol and drug abuse. Approximately 30% of both the lesbian and gay male populations have problems with alcohol. Gay and lesbian youth are at greater risk for school failure than heterosexual children. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989, as cited in “Today’s Gay Youth,” n.d., n.p.) Substantially higher proportions of homosexual people use alcohol, marijuana...
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...Crime is inevitable in today’s world. Society poses hardships that may entice some to commit different types of crimes. However, there are crimes that stem from the biased opinions of certain individuals towards others; these types of crimes are categorized as hate crimes. Hate crimes are crimes committed against a defined group of individuals based on aspects including their ethnicity, religion, or sexual preferences. Crimes against homosexuals are categorized as hate crimes because they are targeted by criminals, towards specific individuals. For this reason homosexuals are constant victims of hate crimes, men in particular. Homosexual men are targets for heterosexual men, who believe they are superior in every way. The actions committed against homosexual individuals are unwarranted and malicious. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation are based on the mere fact that certain individuals do not approve same sex relationships or views. It is important to analyze every aspect of a hate crime in order to fully understand the true meaning behind these actions. A hate crime is an unmatched crime because it’s based on the hatred people harbor toward specific individuals. Anyone is capable of committing a crime but it takes a distinctive person to commit a hate crime. Those who engage in any kind of hate crimes are individuals with specific attributes that may include but are not limited to bias, prejudice, and discrimination. Society is propelled by highly controversial issues regarding...
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