Understanding LGBT Issues and the Struggle for Equality

LGBT Issues LGBT issues really caught my attention. I was never cared or thought about people are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender until I took this class. What really caught my attention was Paula’s story. That was very touching, and I felt bad for her. And I realized that probably many people have most likely gone through what she went through; especially with your family. Your family are the ones who love you and are always suppose to be there for you and when they are not there for you when you really need them at a time like that.

In your lecture, on November 17th, you discussed about sexual orientation. Not only is it a sexual attraction but also a spiritual connection, as well as an emotional and romantic attraction. It is not the same as sexual behavior because it deals with feelings and emotions. This ranges on a scale from exclusive homosexuality to exclusive heterosexuality. The scale is called the “Kinsey Scale” from 0-6. Zero meaning heterosexuality and six meaning homosexuality. There has been a struggle for equality for many years. Through gender, race and now sexual orientation.

Still to this day there are the struggles of gender and race, such as for African Americans and Women, but it has gotten better. Now the main struggle is for the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender. The struggle for equality, such as marriage. I am now starting to realize that why should a person be judged on whom you are attracted to, or whom you connect with? I know I would not want to be judged that way. Also, if you love someone and you are willing to spend the rest of your life with them and make a family and you are willing to marry them, then go do it.

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No one should have the right to tell you who to marry. As it says in this article, “The Semantics of Marriage Equality”, written by Steve Kleinedler, he argues, “When asserting that marriage has always been solely a union between one man and one woman, our adversaries trot out old dictionary definitions to support their claims. The job of dictionaries is primarily to describe how language is used, not to dictate how it should be used. ” Still to this day people are fighting for the same sex marriage. A recent article in The New York Times, “New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill”, written by Jeremy W.

Peters. had said that The New York State Senate rejected a bill on this past Wednesday that would have allowed same sex marriages. The vote was 38 to 24. The gay rights organizations have steered almost up to $1 million into the New York legislative races to boost the support for the bill to be passed. He said that the senators who had voted against had explained by saying, “the public was gripped by economic anxiety and remained uneasy about changing the state’s definition of marriage. ” They believe that the problem is “dead” in New York at least until 2011, when a new legislature will be installed.

Now reading about all these articles and hearing stories, such as Paula’s I now feel bad and understand where they are coming from. I may not fully understand since I am not a lesbian or bisexual, but I now have an understanding of what people are going through. I do not have any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender friends, so I never understood or really cared about the situation, but now I do. Whenever I found out that someone was gay or lesbian or even bisexual I would honestly stop talking to him or her, I do not know why, but that was my reaction.

Now I want to make friends with them, it would not hurt. I am not saying that I am going to go out and try to make friends, but if I do happen to come across and meet someone who is gay or lesbian or ever transgender I would like to give them a chance to be my friend. I think if my parents knew they would not be happy about it, but I think maybe I can make my parents realize that it is okay. They are normal people like anyone else. Spending time with someone does not turn you gay, because some people may feel that way.

Like when we had a discussion in class about gay and lesbian parents, and some people had felt if the parents were gay or lesbian that the child sexual orientation would be homosexual as well. Which is not true. It is something inside of you that you cannot control. I honestly believe it is something that you are born with, you just cannot help it. I hear stories about people whom if they could change their sexual orientation and become heterosexual they would, so they would not have to go through the pain that some people put them through.

I enjoyed learning this topic in class. At first I was not so pleased that we would be talking about it, but Paula’s story caught my interest and that is when I decided I wanted to do my paper on LGBT issues. Works Cited New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill. The New York Times. 2 Dec. 2009. 1 Dec. 2009. http://www. nytimes. com/2009/12/03/nyregion/03marriage. html? _r=1. The Semantics of Marriage Equality. Advocate. 24 Nov. 2009. 1 Dec. 2009. http://www. advocate. com/News/News_Features/The_Semantics_of_Marriage_Equality/.

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