Gay on America

Name
Instructor Houston
English 205
September 2, 2013
Gay in America In today’s society Gay men and women have to fight for everything, including the right to marry and have a baby. Gays face many challenges which include a job, a loved one, a family; the right to life, liberty and justice, all these rights are given to all but Gay people. I ask you; is this fair; are Gays not people to? Sometimes even before a gay person comes out they get teased, ridiculed, punished, assaulted and you wonder why some people try to hide it. For a Gay person it can be a constant struggle, just to live and be happy. Everything in a gay person life is a challenge, they must fight for everything. A person that is born has no choice on who they are or what sex they find attractive. Being gay is no different then being attracted to the opposite sex. ABC News reports, “Northwestern University psychology professor Michael Bailey has spent years studying human sexuality. He says sexual orientation is something people are born with, and this orientation makes some gay men more feminine” (1). Yet we blame and punish the families of these gay people. We even try to limit Gay people’s rights. Society believes that being gay is wrong and disgusting. Dr. Berggren claims that “It has long been asserted, primarily by various religious and politically conservative groups, that homosexuality is detrimental to the well-being of any society in which it occurs” (1). Being gay cannot affect the well-being of society, it is a personal choose on who you love and desire a relationship with. Think about this, how you would like to be fired from a job just because of who you are in a relationship with. Gay people face this there whole life and currently there is nothing that they can do about it. It is legal to fire someone based on their sexual preference in most states. Current laws protect people from employment discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin and disability, but not sexual preference or identity issues. Johnson assures us to stop discrimination a bill called “ENDA (or the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) is currently being lobbied in the federal government that would make it illegal for employers to discriminate against individuals based on sexual orientation or gender identity” (1). ENDA needs to be approved for all people. This kind of discrimination should have never been allowed in the first place. Besides from a job, gay people face relationship issues. Gay people are not allowed to marry nor have the same kids of rights as heterosexual people. In most states they are not even allowed to have a civil union. Gay people all over America are fighting for equal protection under the law. Johnson emphasizes that “Some may think granting civil, registered or domestic partnerships is enough- seeking to preserve the legal definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. But, did you know most civil, domestic and registered partnership laws around the world provide fewer benefits than full marriage? So in many cases, life-long partners are denied some or all of the rights of marriage simply based on their sexual orientation” (1). Most civil partnerships provide fewer benefits than marriage. Life long partners are denied many benefits because of their sexual preferences. There are some states in the United States that are considering different types of protection for gays under the law. These protections that some states are considering include civil unions, domestic partnerships and same sex marriages. Johnson further states that “in most cases, civil unions and domestic partnership laws only offer a fraction of the 1,049 benefits the United States government provides for couples in a heterosexual marriage (1).” Currently there are two states that allow gay marriage Massachusetts and Iowa. Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire allow Civil Unions. District of Columbia, California, Maine, Washington, and Oregon allow Domestic Partnerships. As time goes by Gays are allotted more rights. It is a very slow process though. Wikipedia states that on “May 17th, 2004 will live in U.S. history books forever. Massachusetts became the first state to legally marry same-sex couples (1).” In our home state Washington recognizes Domestic Partnership but the only rights they get are hospital visitation, authority to authorize autopsies and organ donation in case of death, inheritance rights, state employee partnership health and pension benefits. It sounds like they are missing lots of benefits that married couples get. Civil union and domestic partnerships rights vary by state. There are no two states that have the same laws. America needs to provide the same benefits to gay couples as they do married couples whether they call it civil unions, domestic partnerships or married. This is America we are supposed to have the right to make choice that is what America was founded on. In America marriages will be stronger if we allow gay marriage. More marriages will last because a gay person will not marry a straight person just to make society happy. They will follow their heart and not create havoc for the person they marry and do not love or create a broken family. What America wants is a strong and stable family that is supportive of each other. Another advantage with allowing gay couples to marry is that it will slow down the spread of sexually transmitted diseased because of what marriage means to a person. A person that is truly devoted will not cheat therefore will not spread sexually transmitted diseases. Gay couples bring many values to society that is often ignored by straight people. Gay people are more loyal and devoted to their partners. Bidstrup claims “Many make valuable contributions to their communities, serving on school boards, volunteering in community charities, and trying to be good citizens. In doing so, they take full advantage of their relationship to make not only their own lives better, but those of their neighbors as well (1).” Traditionally after you marry you decide at some point to start a family. Well, when you are a gay couple it is a fight just to have a family. Society is trying to stop gay couples form having children. Society seems to think it is harmful for a child to go up in a gay family and that gay parents are not fit to be parents or are not emotionally equipped. Society also seems to believe that children that are brought up in a gay home will be sexually confused and might become gay. Jonathon argues “there is no conclusive evidence that homosexuality is linked to one 's environment. In other words, growing up in a gay couple household will not "make" a child gay (1).” For the Gay couple that desires to have a child there are a couple of options. Some gay people already have a child from a previous marriage that they bring into the family. Others try to adopt but they will face multiple challenges when they try. Some states do not allow adoption by gays, very few allow it. There are some states out there that allow a gay person to adopt but not the significant other, the co parent. In some states Gay people are allow to become foster care parents but in other states Gay people have to lie about there sexual preference. For the states that do not allow the co parent to adopt it is hard on the child when emergences arise. Jonathon claims that “the co parent has no legal rights to the child if something was to happen to the legal parent of the child. The co parent has no visitation rights if they are separated from the legal parent. The child cannot claim inheritance or other household assets in case of death. A parent without legal rights to the child cannot legally register him/her for school. The co parent cannot put the child on their health insurance or make medical decisions for the child. The child has no claim to the social security or other insurance benefits of the co parent. Gay parents without legal rights do not benefit from the generous tax deductions granted to straight parents” (1). Gay co parents need the same rights as parents, they need to be allowed to adopt for the child’s sake. Gandossy emphasizes “There are at least 65,000 adopted children being raised by same-sex parents in the United States and estimates that over 14,100 foster children were living with one or more gay or lesbian foster parent” (1). Most states do not allow foster care children to be placed in a home with a gay person. Many gay people have to lie about their sexual preference to raise a child. So doesn’t it make since to allow Gays to adopt and or raise foster care children? There are so many foster care children that are unwanted by straight people and gay people are willing to raise and love them. By allowing Gay people to adopt these unwanted foster care or problem children we are giving these children a chance at life. We are saying the child is worth while and we love you and want you to succeed at life. What a child needs is a loving home that they can grow in. They need parents that are there for them and will see to their needs. A lot of children that grow up in straight family homes (non gay) have numerous problems. The children might have a broken or an abusive home. One or both of the parents might not be around, even though society seems to think they are. The child might have been bounced around in a foster home. These are all current problems and unfortunately some children might have had the option of being in a loving gay home if society wasn’t so prejudges. Gay couples want to have children. The key word is want. They will do what ever it takes to have one. A child needs to be in a home that they are wanted in, for them to get the best possible care. A child is not born prejudges and a gay home sometimes is the best option for them. If a child is wanted they will get better care then the ones that are not wanted. Gay couples have to try hard to be able to get a child. They are not about to screw up and abuse the child they always wanted. Usually the child will have the better clothing, shoes, toys, activities, sports and a better self image. The child is taught that whatever they choose will be okay and that they (the gay couple and the child) can overcome everything as a family. By teaching a child to be secure in there chooses they are more likely to be successful in life. Society would have less juvenile offenders which in turn would be less crime. Society needs to make it easier for Gay couples to marry or have civil unions and have children. The benefits are enormous and there is no proven side effect to letting Gays marry and have children. By letting Gays have the same rights as straight people we are improving our communities and America. We are a country of free choice and as long as no one is hurting others; or committing criminal acts why stop something that can be beneficiary to American. Our children are our future we need to make it easier for them no matter what their sexual preference is. America equals freedom. We need to change the laws.

Work Cited

Berggren, Niclas. “Does Homosexuality Pose a Threat to Society?” unknown date of publication. 15 Nov 2007.

Bidstrup, Scott. “Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives.” 2004. 17 Nov 2007.

Binkley, Gena, and John Stossel, “Gay Stereotypes: Are They True? Are Gays More Like Straight Men Than We Think?” 15 Sept 2006. ABC News 20/20. 15 Nov 2007

Gandossy, Taylor. “Gay adoption: A new take on the American family,” 27 June 2007. CNN.com. 15 Nov 2007.

Johnson, Ramone. “Benefits of Civil Unions; Federal Rights; Protections and Benefits of Marriage; Where Gay Marriage Legal; Benefits of Domestic Partnerships.” 2007. Ask.com. 15 Nov 2007.

Wikipedia. “Same-Sex Marriage.” 14 Nov 2007. Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 17 Nov 2007.

Cited: Berggren, Niclas. “Does Homosexuality Pose a Threat to Society?” unknown date of publication. 15 Nov 2007. Bidstrup, Scott. “Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives.” 2004. 17 Nov 2007. Binkley, Gena, and John Stossel, “Gay Stereotypes: Are They True? Are Gays More Like Straight Men Than We Think?” 15 Sept 2006. ABC News 20/20. 15 Nov 2007 Gandossy, Taylor. “Gay adoption: A new take on the American family,” 27 June 2007. CNN.com. 15 Nov 2007. Johnson, Ramone. “Benefits of Civil Unions; Federal Rights; Protections and Benefits of Marriage; Where Gay Marriage Legal; Benefits of Domestic Partnerships.” 2007. Ask.com. 15 Nov 2007. Wikipedia. “Same-Sex Marriage.” 14 Nov 2007. Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 17 Nov 2007.