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Homosexuality in today's society
Homophobia as a prejudice
Homosexuality and society
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Recommended: Homosexuality in today's society
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, homophobia is the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. Much like a witch hunt, homophobia targets and seeks out individuals, gay or straight, and persecutes them based on ignorance, and further more if one cannot provide solid proof of his or her innocence. (Hughes) It is the fuel behind many hate crimes and discrimination. Some claim that homosexuality is a disease. If this statement is true, couldn’t we all simply begin to call in “queer” to work and school when we won’t be present? (Avert)
Homophobes provide numerous reasons, which they view extremely valid, to back up their hatred. “It’s not natural” – a weak argument. Biologists frequently see homosexual behavior in other mammalian species. In livestock ranching, it is so common it’s beginning to be problematic to reproduction. Also, bisexuality is universal in Bonobo Chimpanzees. (Bidstrup) Another variation of the “it’s unnatural” argument is that homosexuality is a “perversion.” You also have the argument that homosexuality is “disgusting, a disease” which is essentially a spin-off of the “it’s unnatural/a perversion” argument: on a level of its own regarding ignorance. Many things in society are disgusting, we don’t simply outlaw them based on if someone is grossed out. Heterosexuals seem to forget that they may seem to be displeasing to the homosexual community-.Wouldn’t it be ludicrous for a gay man or a lesbian woman to come up and say straight people should be persecuted? Isn’t respect and tolerance a two way street? And if homosexuality is a disease, then can we call in “queer” to work or school? Then, there are your petty religious arguments. Religion-based arguments agai...
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... “land of the free,” we must open our minds and hearts and realize that the LGBT community is not what is causing the catastrophe, but bigotry and abhorrence is. Homophobia, like racism, will always be an issue in society. However, with education and reconstruction, we can see a major change and improvement in the quality of life to those who are affected so deeply by hate.
Works Cited
Bidstrup, Scott. "Homosexual Behaviors in Animals." n. pag. Web. 21 Sep 2011.
Homophobia, prejudice & attitudes to gay men and lesbians. , Web. 24 Mar 2011. .
Hughes, Sean. "Anti-Gay Harassment Can Become a Witch Hunt." Winston-Salem Journal 06 FEB 2006: Sec. D. Print.
Waldman, Steven. "Why religions people are against gay marriage.." n. pag. Web. 20 Sep 2011. .
In the past decades, the struggle for gay rights in the Unites States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was viewed as immoral. Many people also viewed it as pathologic because the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained in ‘the closet’ because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in the society. According to David Allyn, though most gays could pass in the heterosexual world, they tended to live in fear and lies because they could not look towards their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often shut down to keep openly gay people under close scrutiny (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves in fighting for
Have you ever thought something was unjust, but every one around you believed otherwise? For many years marriage was seen as a religious and legal contract between a man and a woman. However, in recent years the American population has accepted in increasing numbers the idea that homosexuality exists and is equal. Although the majority of states do not allow same-sex marriage, today there are fifteen states that allow homosexual couples the right to get married, and they also receive all the rights that a heterogeneous couple have. Even if states don’t have marriages, many states may have domestic partnerships or civil unions as alternatives. To those combating the injustice to homosexuals and those in favor of homosexual activities these civil unions and domestic partnerships aren’t enough. On the other hand, we see the stance that the Westboro Church has taken in their hatred of homosexuals. Although the majority of people are in support of gay marriage, including myself, I think it is important to understand the opposition. Therefore, I decided to write my final report on the Westboro Baptist Church and their ideologies against homosexuals, Jews, Catholics, and the military. The main focus will obviously be the church’s feelings against homosexuality because many of their rallies focus on that issue.
People of LGBT community keep on facing numerous discrimination and hatred from our society throughout their life. Our society is often unknown and ignorant about the right of LGBT community, therefore, confused about how to respect or welcome them into our society. Because of our unfamiliarity and of lack of knowledge about this LGBT community, sometimes, our occasional effort to respect this community turns into a discriminatory statement towards that community. For instance, our president Donald J. Trump’s statement on LGBT society just points a finger on us of how much we actually know about this society when he states, “There can be no discrimination against gays. I’m against gay marriage”. It shows how confuse we are about the rights of LGBT society that even our president couldn’t make it clear whether he is against discrimination or against the equality of this particular society. There are several other instances when our view on this society as a monstrous one creates many societal discriminations. In many instances, LGBT couples don't offer to enjoy the societal advantages like any other opposite-sex married couples, and consequently, go through several societal discriminations and denied many societal rights and justices. Furthermore, in
What makes a homophobic slur is the negative history behind it and what they mean present day. We will work our way down the list but let’s start with the number one homophobic slur in my book. Faggot. This word has a lot of negativity and strong history behind it. The word faggot used to mean a pile or bundle of sticks to the British back in the Feudalism era. The word fag/faggot may have also been used to describe types of hazing that would be done to boys in British boarding schools but none the less, this word has a horrible past behind it. But, as time went on and more gay and LGBT people started to become more comfortable with themselves and came out to people they knew and came out to the world, that’s when the word was put to use as a slur. The term fag and or faggot was used back then to mostly belittle and demean gay men but it was also
Shulman, Sam. "Sam Shulman -- Gay Marriage -- and Marriage." OrthodoxyToday.org |. Commentary Magazine, Nov. 2003. Web. 31 May 2010. .
Currently, only 13 countries offer rights for members of the LGBT community. Within those countries, few offer equal rights such as health care, marriage rights, and adoption to LGBT members. Many people around the globe would agree that these rights, along with all other rights granted to heterosexuals, should not be granted to these members of the LGBT community. One prevalent notion is that being gay, or being included in the LGBT community, is unnatural. This notion is simply incorrect; everyone, no matter their gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation does, in fact, deserve the same liberties as their heterosexual counterparts. Being a member of the LGBT community has no negative effect on the lives of others unless those people view heterosexuality in a negative light, allowing it to bedevil them, and ultimately change the way they live their life. Being gay is completely natural. Though some would argue that homosexuality is unnatural, others would disagree, being that research has been conducted. The conclusion was that the way people think and feel towards others is s...
Homosexuality has existed since the beginning of recorded human history and yet, attitudes towards gay and lesbian individuals vary extensively. Some societies tolerate them; others openly welcome and encourage them; and most blatantly condemn them (Bates, 46). Throughout our country’s history, homosexuals have been misunderstood and discriminated against, leading many to acquire an irrational fear of gays and lesbians. Known as homophobia, this fear has prompted heterosexual individuals with a feeling a superiority and authority when using the word “homosexual” interchangeably with the words pervert, faggot, sodomite, and so on. Homophobes typically perceive homosexuality as a threat to society. Nonetheless, the Gay Rights Movement has achieved impressive progress since 1973 when the American Psychological Association (APA) eradi...
One argument that opponents use is that homosexual sex is “unnatural.” If the definition of unnatural means something unusual, homosexual sex could be considered unnatural, however, this is completely untrue. Some people claim homosexuality is immoral because animals do not practice homosexuality. The fact is, there are certain animals that do practice homosexuality, and therefore, that argument is invalid.
The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. 1,500 Animal Species Practice Homosexuality. News - Medical - Medical. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web.
...were mentally ill or psychotic. Frank Kameny, a leader of the gay rights movement, perpetuated the idea that “Homosexuality is not a sickness…but is merely a preference, an orientation, or propensity, on par with, and not different in kind from, heterosexuality.” (Sherry Wolf, Sexuality and Socialism) Some schools even went as far as to create public safe spaces for gay students such as Columbia University’s Student Homophile League. Now, people are well aware of the presence of the LGBTQ community, and members are even trying to educate people who seem ignorant or bigoted. Many people currently dedicate a good portion of their lives to learning and teaching people about the gay rights movement and how it functions today. The community has evolved to include transgender, asexual, pansexual, and non binary people as well as a multitude of other labels and identities.
A social problem, according to Thomas Sullivan (2012), is “when an influential group defines it as threating its values, when the condition affects a large number of people, and when it can be remedied by collective action”. Homophobia is indeed a social problem because negative stereotypes are prohibiting gay males and lesbians from living an equal, free life like their heterosexual counterparts. Whether the homophobic acts are minor or major, all homosexuals are discriminated, ostracized, beaten, or murdered every day. Further discussion of how homophobic stereotypes affect homosexuals, who is considered to be homophobic, and potential solutions to stop homophobia will be described below through peer reviewed literature.
The LGBTQIA community has faced strong opposition from groups falling outside this minority for years, primarily conservative and religious groups. This phenomenon is not particular to the United States, but spans hundreds of countries across the world. Religious leaders in varying religions not only oppose the act of marriage, but often times oppose the actual act of homosexual behavior. Often religious oppositionist will cite religious text, like the Bible as a means of opposing the LGBTQIA lifestyle. One of the most blatant oppositions to homosexual b...
As humans, it is natural to shy away from things that are different than the norm; we discriminate. It is very important to rid oneself of discrimination to better clarify the decision at hand. To make a valid conclusion on homosexuality, it is essential for one to forget what they were taught when socialization occurred, mainly birth to adulthood. As an example: You were told as a young child to hate and not associate yourself with African Americans because of the color of their skin, because they are different. When you grow older, you obtain a six-figure job, but y...
Baker, Jean M. How Homophobia Hurts Children: Nurturing Diversity at Home, at School, and in the Community. New York: Harrington Park, 2002. Print.
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.