Lgbt Needs for Acceptance and Marriage

The United States for centuries is notable for its diverse citizens fighting for their basic human rights. Whether it was about one’s social economic class, race, religion, or gender, Americans have pushed for their right to live freely as they wish without the whim of government or people placing restrictions. These groups have won their civil liberties and rights throughout tedious groundbreaking trials and acts of legislation to achieve their goals to live peacefully the way they desired to. If it was not for women suffrage or for the civil rights movement, these groups would cease to have never achieved these rights. Homosexuals are now the next advancing group for civil rights.
In modern times, homosexuals strive to accomplish a long taboo throughout the world called same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is a conjoint agreement between two genders of the same sex. As of September 2012, 11 out of 194 countries allow same-sex couples to marry (ProCon.org). In the United States, there has been legislation initiated to ban homosexuals from instituting marriages between the same-sex; these acts are called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8 (Prop.8). Across the globe, various countries are not far behind the United States when it comes to similar laws. The majority of nations partake in forbidding marriages between same-sex couples due to multiple reason; these reasons can vary to each person, such as morality, culture, religion, economic, or political.
Due to the extreme measures by these nations, many homosexual couples are left powerless when it comes to certain aspects of the law. Heterosexual married couples are granted benefits that they can take advantage of that homosexual non-married couples cannot. For instance, straight couples receive tax exempts and entitlements from their spouse that initially gay couples cannot acquire since the state and federal government do not recognize these unions.
In a recent documentary called “Social Security“, a man who was not married to his lifelong partner, lost his partner who had been receiving Social Security benefits. With these benefits, the two were able to live comfortably in their home, but since they were not legally married, the benefits were no longer provided and the man was unable to afford his lifestyle any longer. He was forced to sell his house or face losing everything he had established with his partner. Stories like this are heartbreaking and feature everyday in reality; gay and lesbian couples must address this issue one day and find another means to survive, whereas a simple reform would allow them to receive these benefits, and could prevent future tragedies from repeating.
Throughout ages, homosexuals have been persecuted through centuries. Whether it was the Nazi’s rounding up and shooting them down, or Stonewall riots during the 1960’s, Homosexuals have been deemed societies lowest until recent times, but it does not stop there. Hate crimes continuously harm gays and lesbians, sometimes leading in death, or worse, suicide. These causes must be stopped immediately.
To thwart this issue from continuing, Americans need to convince the federal government to reform the laws that prevent same-sex marriage, and provide the essential benefits to homosexual couples, while the American people need to advocate the acceptance of homosexuality.
In November of 2008, California voted on a horrific law that cursed the countless souls of numerous gay and lesbian couples. “Proposition 8 was a 2008 California ballot initiative that established that only marriages between a man and a woman”(Marin 1). Many attempted to fight this law from passing, for example, Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, pleaded to the anti-proposition 8 crowd “This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not." imploring same-sex marriage is inevitable. Progress of acceptance same-sex marriage has redefined over the years, especially in recent polls from a Gallup poll in 1996, it “showed only 27 percent of Americans supported gay marriage, with 68 percent opposed”(Gay Rights), but the best part of this is in 2012, WSJ and NBC found that “49 percent of Americans supported legalization and 40 percent opposed it”(Gay Rights). This demonstrates the evolve thinking of the United States position on same-sex marriage.
Unfortunately, Prop. 8 supporters won due to voters overwhelming swamping the ballot; thus this law disabled any future same-sex marriages, sparking the threshold for several states to follow. Proponents of this law consisted of harsh conservative republican lawmakers, since it is traditional for red conservative republicans to vote against gay rights. Outside the political zone, religious groups also tend to vote against same-sex marriage, pertaining generally to christian religions believing against the act of homosexuality. Not to mention hate groups, most creditably Westboro Baptist Church, who protest with “God hates Fags” signs. These kinds of people impact the government on a colossal scale where they import their animosity like Prop. 8 to pass.
The rest of the world is not exempt, it can be clearly seen across all continents. Correspondingly, countries with muslim domination, i.e., Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and others believe strongly against same-sex marriage. Numerous muslim/islamic follow a strict Sharia law, which condemns homosexuals, or in Iran, an islamic country, have the Islamic Penal Code of Iran of 1991, which follows the muslim Sharia law which if a homosexual person is found of somody, they are put to death (Islamic Penal...5). These laws are not meant to be taken lightly. Across Europe, development is in process, out of 52 countries, eight of them allow same-sex marriage, but majoritarily, most nations disagree with same-sex marriage. Europe is based heavily on Christian religion, and to most Christians, they do not believe in an institution of marriage between two men/women. Consequently, this discrimination encourages countries and lawmakers to continue this malicious hate and persist as nations to belittle a peaceful group’s rights due to societies deplorable ambitions to eliminate a human right individually all people should share, and that is, marriage.
Furthermore, when a couple becomes married, they are not only married, but they also obtain special benefits. These rights extent to multiple areas. The rights acquired are the essential benefits same-sex couples desire when they become serious partners. For one, parental rights are vital to same-sex couples who decide to have kids, for both parents need joint custody to nurture the child legally. Imagine if the parent with the legal rights over the child happened to die, the parent without the parental rights has absolute control the circumstances of the child. The state may take the child and put it into the system, or worse yet the grandparents do not like the other partner and disallow the partner from further seeing the child. These inconveniences make it difficult for the lives of gay couples. According to Fox News in 2011, more than 646,464 couples in the US are legally not married, which gives a huge perspective of how many couples are not given these rights (Census Reports...1)
The privileges of same-sex marriage are disregarded by state and federal governments as the result of Defense of Marriage Act which invalidates any gaining of federal benefits, and states do not have to recognize out of state marriages (Ojeda 114). This prevents the advantages of becoming married, by such taxes, employment, governmental, medical, and death benefits; among a few others DOMA prohibits. This act was promoted by religious conservatives who believe marriage should be kept traditional. Little do they know, traditional marriage actually involves a female between the ages of 10-17 who would be wed to a 30-40 year old for a dowry involving a trade of animals or gold. Women were property in “traditional” marriage centuries ago and this was expected of the husband to pay the daughter’s family for her. Traditional marriage has changed meaning, and marriage in general has changed, and in the effort, same-sex marriage will be part of marriage eventually.
In europe, most commonly it is not found to for same-sex couples to share the same comfort same-sex couples are deprived of. Most countries ban same-sex marriage, especially the middle east because of the muslim dominance. Out of the eleven countries listed earlier who legalized same-sex marriage, its difficult to believe nearly any of these countries who tolerate same-sex marriage. In Asia, The dominant countries like China and Russia do not recognize same-sex marriage, let alone give a substitute to unions to receive some benefits. Not to leave out nearly all other countries, but it apparent the major part of the world does not acknowledge homosexuals considering catholicism, islamic, mormon, and all other christian religions respectfully do not approve of same-sex couples. Fortunately, as we become more educated, it has been noted we become more open-minded to new ideas, therefore one day homosexual couples will no longer have to fight for these rights.
Overall, DOMA causes stress and misery for same-sex couples, and needs to be repealed. Homophobes do not realize, but everyday this act destroys families. Whether its about a parental rights, medical insurance, or hospital visitations, these are all crucial rights LGBT members require to live equally and to survive in their everyday lives. If our congress cannot provide these necessities any quicker, LGBT members will continue to suffer.
Homosexuals have been persecuted for centuries varying from B.C. depending on the region of the world, and to modern day A.D. around the world for thousands of years. Sure in the Roman era, marriages were conducted between two men existed, but it was not nearly as accepted easily throughout ages. Muhammad began his teaches in the 600s, which created the Sharia law that banned somody and homosexuals. Around the same time, bishops preached of condemning homosexuals and banned acts of such. These kinds of hatred, they encourage this feeling for centuries, that impact our current society in the world. It makes it difficult to convert people from this objection of everyday life.
Some people look at gays as beast, comparing homosexuality to beastsality and polygamy. High officials in the US government use disgraceful language towards gays and lesbians, especially in the recent court case United States v. Windsor, where Supreme Court Justice Scalia said "If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality, can we have it against murder? Can we have it against other things?"(Sink 1). Here it is evident he is comparing the morality of homosexuality to the morality of murder, which is absolutely absurd. These kind of religious officials implement their religion into the law, when the Supreme Court should be interpreting whether a law/act is constitutional or not. This must be deemed unacceptable.
Although the Obama administration fights for gay rights today, many oppose his advocating. Westboro Baptist Church features a website called godhatesfags.com which directly diminishes gays, along with picketing and protesting nationwide. They believe they are righteous and believe their word of gospel is true, that America is doomed because America is enablers of gays and lesbians. This affects gays and lesbians, to live in fear and question themselves, to the point some may commit suicide or deny who they are, and nobody should ever have to feel that way about themselves. Many are taught to repent or fear going to hell, these kinds of attitudes must change. If children are taught to not be true to themselves, why should people have children in general?
Moreover, Hate crimes increase with these groups advocating that homosexuality is wrong. They target young adults and push them into fear, making it uncomfortable to “come out” or live their everyday life. Transgenders are not indifferent from this same kind of hate, especially them since it is look down upon many for a person to transition to the opposite gender. These people are bullied and it is completely unfair. Only a few selected states have acted upon reducing transgender violence based on their gender identity or expression (Jost 1). Hate crime toward the LGBT community need to be considered more intolerable and dealt with in a serious manner.
Altogether, these kinds of cruel laws, groups, attitudes, and hate crimes contributes to the real world problems today. America needs to avoid these kinds of people, these kinds of laws and attitudes so strongly, for this immoral to believe so harshly towards a group of people, to the extent of a death penalty. Love is love, and whether people like it or not, gays and lesbians will always be around.
Same-sex marriage is virtually unavoidable, whether people want it or not. Societies grow in a whole to improve, to right the wrongs of society. Its only natural, and even though we may fear it, we eventually learn to cope with it into our everyday lives. Sadly we are not exactly there yet to prevent further damage to gay couples today;but as society matures, it grows more liberal viewed. Same-sex marriage with all perks will eventually be another part of the history books, where children will question “Why was this even a problem?” where universally, gays and lesbians are accepted in everyday life and will live free from the whim of the government, and protected by the people.