Bittersweet victories for gay rights advocates in US
But several recent incidents point to a harsher reality on the ground. At least five teens across the country have taken their own lives after allegedly being taunted as gay. Authorities in New York have recently arrested 10 people in the Bronx in connection with brutal assaults on two teens and an adult who police say were tortured for being gay. And Carl P. Paladino, the Republican candidate for governor of New York, grabbed headlines for saying that children should not be "brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option."
The incidents have sparked outrage from gay rights advocates, who say they are evidence that much work is left to do despite the movement's significant and rapid progress.
"It's a very odd moment, because there's all of these horrific things happening, and they are happening at a moment when we're making faster progress than, I think, ever before," said Kevin Cathcart, executive director of Lambda Legal, an advocacy group.
He and other advocates also note that most of the victories in court are being appealed. On Thursday, the Obama administration asked the federal judge to stay her ruling on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, even as Pentagon officials announced that, in the meantime, they would comply with the law and refrain from dismissing service members who violate the policy.
This summer, supporters of gay unions won a historic victory when a federal judge struck down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. The decision followed a ruling in Massachusetts declaring unconstitutional the federal government's ban on recognizing legally married same-sex couples. Both decisions are on hold pending appeal, and the California case is likely to end up before the Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, Florida officials announced they would comply with a court ruling that the state must drop its 33-year ban on adoptions by gays. And a federal judge in Washington state late last month ordered the reinstatement of a decorated Air Force officer who had been dismissed for disclosing she is a lesbian.
But the Bronx attacks, the rash of teen suicides and the remarks by a prominent politician - who later apologized - have cast a shadow over the legal gains.
According to police, the 10 men in the Bronx attacks lured the teens and a 30-year-old man into a home and "tortured" them for several hours while using gay epithets.
Last month, Tyler Clementi, 18, a Rutgers student, jumped off a bridge after a sexual encounter he had with another man was caught on a webcam and broadcast. About the same time, Seth Walsh, an openly gay 13-year-old, hanged himself in his Fresno, Calif., home after complaining of bullying, according to media reports.
Asher Brown, 13, of Houston shot himself after classmates mocked him by calling him gay, his parents told the Houston Chronicle. Billy Lucas, a 15-year-old from Indiana, hanged himself after enduring years of torment, a friend told news organizations.
And 15-year-old Justin Aaberg, who killed himself in July, was the third openly gay student from his Minnesota high school to take his own life in a year, according to media reports.
Gay rights groups acknowledge that it is impossible to fully know why someone commits suicide. But they say the confusion, isolation and bullying that gay youths often experience can contribute to depression and self-destructive thoughts.
The advocates, who view their struggle as a fight for civil rights, add that social change often sparks negative reactions.
"Our gains are generally so hard won, and take place in the context of fairly vitriolic debate, so the message that goes out is not just what the victory is but also the horrendous debate that surrounds it," said Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group, has argued that it is unfair to blame society for the actions of a misguided bully, or a single troubled teen driven by unknown forces to take his or her own life. He criticized gay rights groups that encourage youths to embrace homosexuality at an early age.
"Bullying is bad regardless of what the motivation. But let's not jump to the conclusion that suicide was the result of bullying, and that bullying was a result of homosexuality," Perkins said.
Ethan Geto, a longtime gay activist and lobbyist, said that the incidents of violence, while disturbing, should not obscure advances. Advocates point to public opinion surveys, including Post polls showing that 75 percent of Americans think gay men and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, and nearly half think gay men and lesbians should be allowed to legally wed.
"This is the fastest civil rights movement in history," Geto said. "While obviously, in some communities, terrible incidents of terrible physical and emotional violence occur, it's a shadow of what it used to be like."
Sandhya Somashekhar
The Washington Post...
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