recent entries archive friends user info
herbabyblues
20 march 2010 @ 07:22 pm
why i support the rainbow: an essay on gay rights
This is a paper I wrote for my English 112 class. The assignment was to write about an issue that is currently being discussed in this country, and I wrote about gay rights. Please understand that I am not trying to “attack” anyone in this essay; I am just stating my opinion. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think. :)
Why I Support the Rainbow
By Katharine Alex
What is my position on gay and lesbian rights? Well, first off, rights for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons alike – and whether they should be treated as equals or not – have been a hot topic of debate for quite sometime in this country, and also around the world. In the United States, I believe we have come a long way to recognizing gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people as human beings. I also believe that the media has influenced some religious and political groups to accepting that fact, and people who are not even gay at all. I am also very enthusiastic about equal rights among the gay community, and if someone asked me if I thought gays and lesbians deserve to be treated like equals, I would proudly say that I think they deserve the same rights as everyone else in this country, and the rest of the world.
Throughout the nineteenth century, homosexuality was considered a “disease.” A German neuropsychologist, Richard von Kraff-Ebing, considered homosexuality a “hereditary neuropathic degeneration aggravated by excessive masturbation” (“Homosexuality,” Issues & Controversies in American History). Also during this time, people were prosecuted and sometimes put to death for being homosexual. For instance, in 1895, Oscar Wilde, a playwright and a novelist (who actually was gay), was accused for being a homosexual. The courts of Queensbury, England used his novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” to prove that he was a homosexual and also called the book, “immoral” and “perverted.” He ended up serving two years in prison (Wilde, xxxi – xxxii). Throughout the course of the 1800s, homosexuality was still thought of as a sickness. However, in 1952, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) called homosexuality “a sociopathic personality disturbance,” but ended up revising it as a “non-psychotic mental disorder” in 1968 (Eaklor, xxiv). The American Psychiatric Association’s revision shows that some parts of this country have moved on from the “illness theory” and is now, slowly but surely, adapting to the fact that homosexuality is not a disease that needs to be cured. However, some parts of the media and religious groups do not agree with the APA’s current opinion.
Through a Christian point of view, being gay and marrying someone of the same sex is considered to be one of the biggest “taboos.” However, according to Todd Herbert, a writer for “Not About Religion” magazine, “Jesus never said one word against homosexuality. In all of his teachings, Jesus uplifted actions and attitudes of justice, love, humility, mercy, and compassion. He condemned violence, oppression, cold-heartedness, and social injustice. Never once did Jesus refer to what we call homosexuality as a sin” (Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality). I have never been a religious person (I do respect those who are religious), but my Christian grandmother always told me the exact same thing Herbert said. So, whenever I hear some devout Christians calling homosexuality a “sin” and bad-mouthing those who are gay, I get confused. I ask myself, “Do they realize that they’re pretty much going against what God and Jesus talked about in the Bible?” These days, however, more churches that support homosexuality and do not think of it as an “abomination” have been popping up. I personally think this is great, because it gives a chance for people who are gay and who also believe in God to be around other gays who share their beliefs. It also gives them a place where they feel like they are welcomed. But while these churches are opening, the “more conservative churches [are fearing] that [the] greater protections for LGBT people under the law would encroach upon the freedom of churches to speak against homosexuality as a sin” (Sanders, www). I think that the churches who oppose homosexuality and preach it in their churches should do the opposite of that and just wake up. They need to realize that the times have changed and other parts society is beginning to move forward and be more accepting.
I am thankful that some parts of today’s society has moved out of their close-minded boxes and has decided to take action against hate crimes that have been inflicted upon the gay community. Just last year, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This act “extends existing federal hate-crimes laws (which already include protections for racial and religious bias) to include to protections for crimes that are motivated by bias against the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity” (Sanders, www). Although I am happy that Obama signed this act, the harsh reality is that it will not fully stop people from committing them. Just because it is an official law, does not mean people are automatically going to follow it. But now that this act has been passed, people who commit these types of crimes will finally be punished. Along with that law being passed, some states are beginning to legalize gay marriage. As of 2009, a total of six out of the fifty states (Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine) have legalized gay marriage. In other states, like Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington state, civil unions are granted to same-sex couples (Vestal, www). For those who do not know, civil unions are similar to marriage, but they do not grant not all of the legal benefits a couple could get if they are married. I have heard some people say, “Why do gay couples still fight for the right to get married, when they can sign up for a civil union? Just take what you can get, and be grateful for it.” But what some people do not get, is that there are big differences between marriage and civil unions:
1). The Number Of Legal Benefits
a. Marraige: Over 1,049 legal benefits.
b. Civil Unions: Over 300 state level benefits, and no federal protection.
2). Tax Relief
a. Marriage: Couples can file both state and federal tax returns jointly.
b. Civil Unions: Couples can only file jointly in the state of civil registration.
3). Medical Decision
a. Marriage: Partners can make emergency medical decisions
b. Civil Unions: Partners can only make medical decisions in the registered state. Partners may not be able to make decisions out of state.
4). Gifts
a. Marriage: Partners can transfer gifts to each other without tax penalty.
b. Civil Unions: Partners do not pay state taxes, but are required to report federal taxes.
5). Death Benefits
a. Marriage: In the case of a partner’s death, the spouse receives any earned Social Security or veteran benefits.
b. Civil Unions: Partners do not receive Social Security or any other government benefits in case of death.
6). Child/Spousal Support
a. Marriage: In case of divorce, individuals may have a legally-binding financial obligation to spouses and children.
b. Civil Unions: In the case of dissolution, no such spousal or child benefits are guaranteed or required out of state (Johnson, Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality.)
It is obvious that one of the reasons why some gay couples are so passionate about having the right to marry, is so they can have the privileges they cannot get if they are in a civil union. But marriage has a different meaning for everyone. Some people look at marriage through a legal point of view, while others look at it as the ultimate act of love. So it is understandable that gay couples would like to get married. However, there are some gay couples who “take what they can get” and are happy with just being in a civil union. Once again, this proves that the term “marriage” can mean different things, depending on the person. And one person may ask why our government cannot just legalize gay marriage so it does not have to deal with all of the debates surrounding the subject? The answer to that is most of our country’s laws are based by what is said in the Bible, and some politicians do not want to go against that.
Along with marriage and civil unions, comes the debate whether gay couples should be allowed to adopt children. Some people are disgusted thinking that gay couples should be permitted to raise children. Why? In this country, there are convicted felons, drug addicts, and even child molesters who are allowed to marry whomever they want and make babies. I wonder if those people who criticize gay parents think about that before they make that judgement? There have been many studies over the years that have proven that children who are raised by stable gay parents in a healthy environment, turn out just as fine as children who are raised by stable straight parents in a healthy environment. Some people also say since gay people cannot reproduce, they should not be allowed to raise kids. My response to that is this: The world population increases just about every day, resulting in food shortages, people not having a place to call home, and other things. Therefore, I think gays are doing the world a huge favor by not being able to reproduce. This also goes along with the gay marriage debate. Some people think that one needs to be married in order to have and raise children, and since gay people should not be allowed to marry, they should not raise children. There are some couples in the world, including the United States, who do get married and not have any children at all, for whatever reason. There are also people who skip the marriage step and become parents. So just because people get married, does not mean they automatically become baby making machines.
But despite the religious and political point of views, we have come a long way to acknowledging gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual people, through the media especially. I think that because of the media, people in this country are slowly getting used to them. However, the media’s portrayal of gays, lesbians, transgender individuals, and bisexuals is somewhat stereotypical. In January 2010, the openly-gay entertainer and “American Idol” runner-up, Adam Lambert, was being interviewed by a radio station in Toronto, Canada. During the interview, the interviewer referred to his “controversial” performance at the “American Music Awards” in November 2009 and asked him, “Do you feel that being out to the extent of what you are is a revolutionary act?” Lambert gave this response:
“Well, I don’t want to toot a horn or anything like that ‘cause I know that there a lot of people who are apart of this [gay rights] movement. I’m not the only one, you know? But I think it is helpful to be visible. I think that is the first big step. And because of “American Idol” and it being such a big platform and having so many viewers, my visibility is pretty high. And so I think my responsibility, as far as this movement is concerned at this point, is just owning it and not apologizing for the fact that I am a gay man, and that I’m a younger gay man, and I am sexual. And I think that in the media right now we [gay men] finally have a visibility, but it’s a cliche [version] of a homosexual man, which is like, ‘I’m just like you, but I just happen to have a male partner! I’m just like you, I’m just like you! I’m the gay next door, and I just happen to be a hair dresser and I’m very nice and I’m a good cook and I’m very domestic.’ And it’s just this cliche that’s being perpetuated and luckily it’s letting people be more comfortable with the idea of what gay is and identifying as gay. But the minute you show gay or the minute the alternative, slightly more aggressive or over-the-top gay male, it freaks people out. So I just hope that there is being visibility for the gay community that there’s visibility for all different types of the gay community. We’re not one guy! We’re lots of different people, just like the straight community isn’t one dude.”
This is something I agree with, and this cliche that Lambert was referring to does not only apply to gay men, but to lesbians and bisexuals as well. Some people think that lesbians are women who display more of a masculine side than a feminine side and bisexuals are people willing to have sex with practically anyone, even if they are already in a relationship. But what Adam Lambert said, made me have some sort of epiphany. What if the creators of the television shows that have the cliche gay characters want to show that there are different kinds of gay people like Lambert talked about, but the networks will not allow it because they think it will stir up controversy? It also made me wonder this, too: Do people who are now realizing that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or whatever think they have to act the way gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are portrayed in the media to get accepted? It is something to think about. It is not like I do not like that gays are finally getting some exposure, because I do. And I am sure that some members of the gay community feel the same way as I do about it. It is better to have some visibility – even if it is a cliche – than to have none at all.
Even though the media is portraying one part of the gay community, it is showing that society is getting closer to accepting the gay community and making people re-think their beliefs. And since the awareness of the gay community is rising, people are beginning to question whether it should be a subject taught to children or not. According to Kevin Jennings, “homosexuality itself has nothing to do with education, any more than biology, chemistry, algebra or any subject does. What is important is what one can learn form the study of a given subject. A discussion of how we understand homosexuality in our culture and how this reflects our values, beliefs and world view has a tremendous educational value” (Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality). Personally, I agree with him. People go to school to get a basic education, but they also go to learn how to socialize and to survive in the outside world. Since homosexuality is becoming a huge part of our culture, I think schools should provide the opportunity where children can learn more about it. But there are some people who disagree with that. However, most of the people that disagree, are just concerned parents that believe the stereotypes revolving around the gay community. It is understandable that some parents are concerned with what their kids are being taught. The school systems in this country have changed drastically over the years, and these days it is difficult for parents to keep track on what goes on in their children’s lives. But by teaching children about homosexuality, the stereotypes that go with gay people and the fear that some parents have about the subject, will hopefully disappear. Not only that, the gay bashing that occurs during school and outside of school will go away as well. I believe that one of the reasons people who are gay get bullied in school, is because the people who are bullying them do not fully understand that being gay is something they should not be afraid of. Some kids use phrases like “that’s so gay” and insults like “fag,” “faggot,” or “dyke” all the time, and sometimes they are not even aware that they are saying it. It is obvious they are aware of homosexuality, but they do not know much about it and how hurtful those terms are to other people around them, gay or straight. So because of these reasons, homosexuality should be taught in schools across the country, not to “recruit” children to being gay or to force believe onto them, but to give them an idea of how people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender are.
I still stand by my belief that gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals deserve to be treated equally. The journey society has taken to recognizing people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender has been very long. In some ways, it has been very rewarding. Gay marriage is now legal in six states and there is now a law that punishes people who commit any kind of hate crime towards the gay community. The media has also helped improved some of society’s opinion on gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. However, there is no denying that society still has a long way to go to get people to see that homosexuality is not something to be afraid of and is not a “taboo.” Even though that is true, I believe that if society can get to where it is today concerning gay rights, then it is capable to go even further.
Works Cited
“Adam Lambert.” Q1CBC Radio. Sirius Satellite. PRI International, Toronto, January 2010.
Eaklor, Viki L. Introduction. Queer America: The GLBT History of the 20th Century. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2008. xxiv. Print.
Herbert, Todd. “What does the Bible say about same-sex marriage?” Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
“Homosexuality.” Encyclopedia. Issues & Controversies in American History. Facts On File: News Services, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Jennings, Kevin. “Schools Should Stress Acceptance of Homosexuality.” Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality. San Diego: Greenhaven, Press 2004. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Johnson, Ramon. “Why Gay Marriage and Not Civil Unions?” Opposing Viewpoints: Homosexuality. Web. 17 Feb. 2010
Sanders, Cody. “Opinion: On gay rights, is there a common ground?” ABPNews.com 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.
Vestal, Christine. “Gay marriage legal in six states.” Stateline.org (2009): n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture Of Dorian Gray. July 1890. Introduction Camille Cauti. New York: Barnes and Nobel, Inc. 2003. xxxi – xxxii. Print.
Also posted at gsa_lj.
tags: "and i think i'm kinda gay!", college is eh
feeling: busy
listening to: Sure Fire Winners by Adam Lambert
4 hearts | show me your teeth
( 4 hearts — Post a new comment )
phillipalden on march 21st, 2010 01:21 am (utc)
Two things:
1. I think you're a very good writer.
2. You put forth a well-reasoned and logical argument.
I really enjoyed your essay. Erik and I have been together almost 12 years and I love him more than anything or anyone else in this world.
I wish the rest of the world, or at least my own country, could return to civil public discourse and a "live and let live" attitude that existed before Reagen was elected in 1980. I'm not saying things were perfect in the 1970s, far from it, but it's the last time I felt we were truly accepting of others.
Good Luck! And keep writing!
(Reply) (Thread) (Link)
herbabyblues on march 21st, 2010 01:33 am (utc)
Oh my goodness, thank you so much!! -hugs you-
I'm really happy you read this. To be honest, I didn't think anyone would, haha. (^-^)v
Erik and I have been together almost 12 years and I love him more than anything or anyone else in this world.
12 years? Seriously? Wow, that's a very long time. But that shows you guys really care about one another. I'm happy for you both. :)
Thank you again!!! :D
Love,
Alex
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread) (Link)
kishenehn on march 21st, 2010 02:53 am (utc)
Very well said!
Thanks so much for sharing it with us. :)
(Reply) (Thread) (Link)
herbabyblues on march 21st, 2010 02:58 am (utc)
Awh, you're welcome! I'm glad you liked it! :D
Love,
Alex
