Equality for all? I think not.
You’re sitting in a church for your friend, Kathryn. She has invited you and a few other people to her wedding. As you watch her, you notice how happy she is about this marriage. Both partners say “I do,” and you hear the clergyman say, “I pronounce you wife and wife.” The church erupts with applause as your friend and her partner share their first kiss as a legally married couple. That is fantasy that has yet to come true for most homosexual couples. The war for same-sex marriage has yet to be won in America. Through multiple court cases, the gay rights movement has been fighting to give homosexuals the equality, respect and civil rights enjoyed by the rest of the nation.
The reasons that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transvestite community is all thanks to the gay rights movement. The purpose of this movement is to protect rights and obtain equality for those who are homosexual. The movement tries to educate the community on gay rights as well as convince those people who are homosexual, to proclaim their orientation. The movement’s supporters come from all different orientations, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgendered, even heterosexuals! The movement also consists of many organizations (such as the Freedom to Marry), artists, journalist and many other positions. All these activists working to spread the word of this wonderful movement, many different ways. Many supporters say that homosexuals should be given the same rights as heterosexuals, such as legal marriage. Eliminating the ban on same-sex marriage has been a major goal of the movement (Haider-Markel). Activists of the movement argue that preventing two persons from marrying is discriminatory act and it violates human rights (Nwazot...
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...losing benefits that are enjoyed by all other heterosexual couples for the sole reason that they are homosexual. Since the gay rights movement believes this treatment is unfair (as do many other people) they have taken to the courts to give homosexuals the rights that everyone else enjoys.
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Works Cited
Beyond Marriage. 2008. Beyond Marriage. 30 January 2009.
Freedom to Marry. 2007. Freedom to Marry. 29 January 2009.
Haider-Markel, Donald P. “Gay rights movement.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2009. 30 Jan. 2009 .
Nwazota, Kristina. “The Legal Debate Over Same-Sex Marriage.” NewsHour Extra. 29 Jan. 2009.
Rubin, Bonnie Miller. “Gay parents rights issue divided U.S., not families”. Chicago Tribune. 17 Feb. 2009
. Gianoulis, Tina. "Gay Liberation Movement." In St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture., edited by Thomas Riggs, 438-43. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: St. James, 2013. Gale Virtual Reference Library (GALE|CX2735801056).
Teal, Gloria. "The Spark That Lit the Gay Rights Movement, Four Decades Later." PBS.org. Public Broadcasting Service, 30 June 2010. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Over the course of U.S. history there have been many social movements. The most prominent one may be the Civil Rights Movement. African-Americans stared this movement because they felt they should be recognized as citizens; they should have all they basic rights of living and be treated as equals and not fall subject to injustice. Millions of people joined the movement and they stood up for what they thought was right. From this movement stemmed groups like then, The National Association for the Advantest of Colored People (NAACP), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee (SNCC). Racism was something this movement wanted to erase, not only that but equality for everyone. The battle to end injustice was a long and hard and did not end without struggle. The same could be said about the Gay Rights Movement. This movement was started because there wasn’t equality between homosexuals and heterosexuals, and they were being mistreated in various ways. Many of homosexuals involved in the movement became known as the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community. They fought to have equal opportunity in America and were met with obstacles they had to get over. Within both movements there were people who were too set in their ways to ever want to change; they did whatever they could to put a stop to the change. The goal of each group was equality, which, after a great amount of suffering, was granted to them. The people involved in the Civil Rights Movement and the Gay Rights Movement both faced similar problems such as discrimination, religious persecution, violence, and legal injustice, some of these problems were handled the same way; other, another way.
Shapiro, Joseph P., Gregory Stephen. “Kids with Gay Parents.” U.S News and World Report. 121.11
While the gay rights movement has been around for some time, the things that they fight for is forever changing. Currently it is fighting for the right to marry, and receive all the rights straight people get when they marry. Married privilege is like white privilege; married people have more rights then non-married people, no matter what sex a person is married to. These benefits include insurance coverage’s under a spouse policy, social security benefit inheritance, receiving pension and personal assets without taxation, visitation rights at the hospital without question and making health care decisions (LaSala, 2007). In addition to all that, there is a social benefit to being married; it represents a healthy, developed and normal relationship (LaSala, 2007). Before reading this article, I never thought about why married people are given all of these rights. I never thought about where they came from, who made them up, or why they were even made. Why are we fighting for legalizing same-sex marriage a...
Famous children’s author Dr. Seuss once said, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind". Gay rights, at the moment, are one of the most publicized and well known controversial subjects of this decade. The sides clearly drawn one fighting for rights as simple as being married the other stating that it defames their religion and goes against the definition of marriage, being between a man and a woman. The individuals who are fighting for their civil rights are fallowing the same path that African Americans and women have taken, but the change has started and in over 13 states gays have been given their basic rights and more state are joining in the fight both for and against the topic.
"Timeline: Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
Wolf, Richard. “Timeline: Same-Sex marriage through the years.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 June 2015,
In the 1990's there has been what is called a "normalized movement"(Warner 41). This so-called movement has permeated into all aspects of the Gay and Lesbian movement's agenda. It has become increasingly clear in the realms of the media such as television, movies and magazines. The major objective for the proponents of this movement is to make the homosexual seem "normal." This would be done by not focusing on the sexual nature of the homosexual. Since their sexual behavior is considered deviant by society, any outward expression of it will be looked down upon. So, it has been the goal of some leaders of the movement as well as those who control the media outlets to separate the identity and sexuality of the homosexual as far as possible.
As a United States citizen who was born in the new millennium, I was brought up with the idea that, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This statement was one of the main sources of fuel for the Civil Rights Movements in the mid 1950’s/60’s in the United States. Minority groups have often been mistreated in the United States culminating in movements much like that of the women’s suffrage movement, civil rights movements and now a movement toward equality for the LGBTQIA. In the last few decades a new minority group, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and allies, and their struggle to attain their right to the pursuit of happiness. This small makes up roughly 4 percent of the US population. Though many say that gay marriage will weaken the moral foundation of our country, it should be legalized, not only because banning it is unconstitutional, but also because strips people of their human rights
In recent years, same-sex relationships have become more encompassing in US society. State legislation is changing such as accepting gay marriages, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, and legal gay adoptions; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is becoming public. Gay-headed families, like heterosexuals, are diverse and varying in different forms. Whether a created family is from previous heterosexual relationships, artificial insemination, or adoption, it deserves the same legal rights heterosexual families enjoy. Full adoption rights needs to be legalized in all states to provide a stable family life for children because sexual orientation does not determine parenting skills, children placed with homosexual parents have better well-being than those in foster care, and there are thousands of children waiting for good homes.
There are many activist groups fighting for LGBT rights, and will not stop till justice is serve. Up till 2015, gay marriages were illegal in some part of the state, preventing LGBT’s to get a marriage license. With constant debates, parade, march, and grieves, the Supreme Court finally passed a low stating that a marriage license can be issued to anybody regardless of sexual orientation. This is similar to the part where Mr. Arable finally gave in to Fern’s quarrel, and gave her Wilbur. In the LGBT case, they finally have the government to overlook its system belief over thousands of years that marriage should be between the opposite sex. Those who are homosexual are victims of community’s
Society is created with both homosexual and heterosexual individuals. Previously when certain laws discriminated against others, such as law for women's rights to vote, these laws were changed. Changing the traditions of the country does not mean that it will lead to the legalization of other extreme issues. Each ...
Marriage equality rights have come a long way over the last several year, however there is still more progress to be made. Achieving gay marriage rights across the nation has been a long fight and has caused quite a great deal of controversy. While more and more people, churches, organizations, businesses, etc. are all starting to support the movement, thousands of them still do not. While achieving the goal of marriage rights in the LGBT community may seem never ending, it’s important to recognize the small wins along the way.
Stoddard, T, Fein, B, (Jan. 1990) Gay Marriage, Personal relationships, Marriage, Legislation, Homosexuality, American Bar Association, (Pages 42, 42)