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Women and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People

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Submitted By TylerMason
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Throughout U.S. history, women have faced many equality barriers. Today, women have made amazing progress, yet still face some discrimination. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people have also had a rough road to equality, and as like women, are not done. Women and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people faces many of the same issues today and in the past. If you look at gender roles, there may be some explanation of why our society is the way it is. What has been the status of women in the United States throughout history? Throughout U.S. history women have been subject to unfair and unequal treatment in all aspects of life. Women were seen as servants to men, to have children at the man’s request, cook, clean, not to work, not to have independence. Women were not allowed to own property or vote (Women’s Rights, n.d.). Women were not seen as much more than a way to enhance their husband’s status. Things began to change, however, when strong, empowered women started to make their voices heard. What is the status of women in the U.S. today? Women have come so far, even in just the last 50 years. Today it seems as though women are equal to men, but that is not the case. There is still discrimination, especially institutional discrimination against women. Institutional discrimination is denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that result from normal operations of a society (Schaefer, 2012, pg. 65). Though women are almost equal, many people still deny women jobs in favor of a man, women can be denied loans, housing, etc. Many women now have jobs and aspirations to work in fields generally dominated by males such as police forces, firefighting, law, etc. Kane & McCabe (n.d.) that there is a glass ceiling in the workforce where women are unlikely to reach the highest positions and pay. A glass

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