LGBT Human Rights Final PPT

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L G B T by Sophia Otap Human Rights Online Final Topic Presentation Due May 5, 2011

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I N T R O D U C T I O N The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peoples in the United States have faced a long struggle for their rights and equality. Many people across the U.S. continue to believe that homosexual relationships are dirty, disease-infested, and sacrilegious, even if homosexual activity is legal in the United States (Brier, 25). Although people are technically free to express what they believe by the power of Amendment I of the U.S. Constitution, many times this pressures the government into passing laws that discriminate against gays. In actuality, homosexuals are not dirty or diseased simply because they prefer same-sex relationships; they are United States citizens, just as the anti-gay protesters are, and should be treated equally. Based on the very principles that the United States was founded on, more action should be taken to legalize gay marriage and to ensure that it is as equally recognized as heterosexual marriage.

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H I S T O R Y For over a century of its independence, there was not a single movement in the United States to legalize homosexual activity or marriage between same-sex couples. Even in the first half of the 1900s, minor organizations were formed in support of gay rights, such as the Society for Human Rights and the Veterans Benevolent Association, but they disbanded quickly (Marcus, 3). Starting in the 1950s, the effort truly began to take off. The Mattachine Society was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1950. This organization met to discuss the idea of homosexuality, whether it was a disease and whether or not to take up the debate of gay rights with the United States government (Marcus, 21). The release of the Kinsey reports -- studies on the sexual behavior of men and women -- in 1948 and 1953, brought the first significant wave of media attention and debate over the topic of sexual psychology (Marcus, 21). Over the last sixty years, LGBT movements have gotten very far. Sodomy, often associated solely with homosexual relationships, is no longer illegal in the United States (Brier, 199). Same-sex marriage is legal for LGBT couples in the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. “Civil unions” and “domestic partnerships” are performed in Illinois, New Jersey, and Hawaii, but there is no nationwide law in the United States that allows gay marriage or civil unions (www.ncsl.org).

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R O O T C A U S E S The issue of LGBT marriage varies by state, but a federal law is in place against it. The Defense of Marriage Act, or “DOMA”, passed by Congress in 1996, prohibits the government from recognizing same-sex marriages (Miller, 11). Some states, such as Maryland and New York, have deemed DOMA unconstitutional and recognize couples that have been wed outside of the state (www.cbsnews.com). Despite the efforts of several state governments that allow or recognize gay marriage and civil unions, the existence of DOMA has made it difficult for homosexuals to appeal to their state governments for the passing of laws that override DOMA (Marcus, 346). In addition, the laws of the federal government are supposed to reflect the general ideals of the citizens of the United States, but this is not the case.

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R O O T C A U S E S Homosexuals have always been the object of ridicule: often seen as a disease or dysfunction, and deemed immoral and unlawful. H omosexuals being publicly abused at random by authorities, and blamed for criminal action, such as kidnappings and robberies. Hoping to change the public's mind about the transinternal anatomy and emotional complexes of the homosexual, and disprove the idea that "homosexuality is a disease" or "mental disorder," Dr. Alfred Kinsey published his famous Kinsey Reports ; one on men, in 1948, and one on women, in 1953 (D'Emilio, 18). These two volumes were large, primary source collections of erotic histories and personal accounts. Kinsey provided hard-hitting stats on the increasing sexual activity of men and women, with other men and women (both homosexually and heterosexually). His reports proved that homosexuals can be found in every corner of the world, and thus, his avid, gay readers didn't feel so alone anymore. There were, of course, those that made attempts to counter Kinsey's arguments, saying that his "statistics are unreliable" and "a disgrace to humanity (D'Emilio, 37).” Over the course of the 1950s, oppositions tried harder and harder to humiliate the gay liberation movements. Time magazine wrote articles opposing sexuality, calling it a "hopeless sickness that deserves no encouragement (D'Emilio, 138)." The Sixth Man, a New York Times Bestseller, was written specifically to blame homosexuals for divorce and the rising crime rate.

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R O O T C A U S E S Many also believe there are serious health risks involved in condoning LGBT relationships. According to the US Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), besides HIV/AIDS, “issues related to LGBT health include breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance abuse, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, issues surrounding marriage and family recognition, conversion therapy, and refusal clause legislation, and laws that are intended to 'immunize health care professionals from liability for discriminating against persons of whom they disapprove ( www.glma.org ).'” Studies show that “LGBT people experience health issues and barriers related to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression; additionally, many avoid or delay care, or receive inappropriate/inferior care because of perceived/real homophobia, and discrimination by health care providers and institutions (Gochman, 145).” It can be concluded that these perceived LGBT illnesses may be present due to negative personal experience, the assumption of negative experience based on history of such experience, or both, but not actual disease present in the individuals.

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S O L V I N G T H E P R O B L E M Freedom to Marry http://www.freedomtomarry.org/ This campaign is currently the leader in the fight for legalizing same-sex marriages in the United States. It was founded in New York in 2003 by Evan Wolfson, who is now considered the “father” of the marriage movement. Freedom to Marry has a “Roadmap to Victory,” which, they believe, will ultimately repeal the “Defense Against Marriage Act” (DOMA). The goal of the Roadmap is to persuade the Congress and Supreme Court, rather than fight a gruesome battle. They are working on gaining mass approval, state by state. A major and important aspect of the Roadmap is not only persuasion, but educating the public about why marriage is just as important to homosexuals as it is to heterosexuals: marriage should not be that one-way street.

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S O L V I N G T H E P R O B L E M Marriage Equality USA http://www.marriageequality.org/ This national grassroots organization has been fighting for LGBT rights since 1998. They believe marriage is a legal civil right, and should not be based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Marriage Equality USA does many public campaigns, such as education and outreach programs, and media events. They also collect polling data to show how dramatically support for LGBT marriages is rising. This organization is run by well-educated experts who work desperately to get the facts out there and peaceably gain support for the same-sex marriage movement.

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S O L V I N G T H E P R O B L E M Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) http://community.pflag.org/ PFLAG is a socio-political group created by and for families and friends of the LGBT. Their main goal is to promote healthy lifestyles for the LGBT community and supporting the people in their lives. They work in three steps: support (to help the LGBT and their friends/family cope with societal criticisms); educate (to teach the hostile and ill-informed public); and advocate (to fight for the equal civil rights of the LGBT community). This non-profit grassroots organization has over 200,000 members and 500 affiliates, not only in the United States, but 11 foreign countries, as well. PFLAG holds community events in different cities to get people involved. They will be hosting one in Chicago on June 2, 2011 at 6 PM in the Hotel Palomar. More information for those who would like to attend can be found at http://community.pflag.org/chicago .

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The Declaration of Independence, written as the first basic groundwork for the creation of the United States as an independent nation, states that “all men are created equal.” Though at the time this did not include men of color or women, throughout history the Constitution has been amended to include them. Homosexual people are a minority just as African Americans or Hispanic Americans, for example, are. Being a minority group does not mean having no say in the government. The Constitution of the United States should be amended in light of the changing times and the changing social attitude of the country. C O N C L U S I O N

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R E F E R E N C E S Brier, Jennifer. Infectious Ideas: U.S. Political Responses to the AIDS Crisis . Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2009. Print. D'Emilio, John. Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: the Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-1970. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1998. Print. Gochman, David S. Handbook of Health Behavior Research. New York: Plenum, 1997. Print. Marcus, Eric. Making Gay History: The Half-Century Fight for Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights . New York: Perennial, 2002. Print. Miller, Diane H. Freedom to Differ: The Shaping of the Gay and Lesbian Struggle for Civil Rights . New York: New York UP, 1998. Print. "Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships." NCSL.org . National Conference of State Legislatures, Feb. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. < http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16430 >. "US Gay-Marriage Ban Under Assault but Still Potent." CBSNews.com . Columbia Broadcasting System, 10 Apr. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/10/ap/national/main20052572.shtml>.