Cultural Anthropology: Views on Lgbt Across Cultures Essay

The movement of the gay and lesbian population in the United States is one that has been in progress since the early 1900s, and is still facing overwhelming controversy and backlash today. The push for gay liberation in a country founded on Christian morals and beliefs has subsequently led to struggles over equality of marriage, adoption, jobs, and healthcare. One side of the controversy argues that every individual deserves the same rights, while the opposing mindset argues that being homosexual puts you into a group of people that is different, and will therefore be treated as such.

“Although sharply divided, public attitudes toward gays and lesbians are rapidly changing to reflect greater acceptance, with younger generations leading the way” (NORC University of Chicago, 2010, p. 1). This push for international acceptance of the LGBT people could not come any sooner. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals as well as transgender individuals from around the world have almost all experienced some sort of discrimination in their lives. This is why there is such a gap between heterosexual and LGBT people. There are hundreds, if not more, reasons for why some people will not accept LGBT individuals and couples, whether it is religion, family values or simply the fact that some people find LGBT people unnatural. This is why the common sufferings

Many people from the United States hold the belief that being gay is something that has always been considered to be okay. They believe that it is just a given. Despite people’s current beliefs on the subject, for a very long time, it was something that was widely believed to be taboo. In the past, people were imprisoned due to their sexuality. Regardless, throughout the decades, people have pushed for the widespread acceptance of people who are part of the LGBT community. Today, homophobia still exists in some parts of the United States, but we have come a long way since the early 1900s.

During the 1980’s indulging in homosexual activity was considered in crime, people were imprisoned when caught doing so. But in 2003 some parts of the United States, suspended the law, and made homosexuality legal, soon European countries such as Canada, Belgium, and Netherlands passed an act which approved of homosexual weddings (Bonvillain 2006). If one digs deeper into this issue, where these debatable, one can find that it roots back from religions. Most religion disapprove of homosexuality but in religions such as Hindu, for sexuality, scriptures of homosexual activity only stated that it was normal and natural, to be attracted to the same sex (Bonvillain 2006). But in today’s society the main issue is regarding the issue of males being attracted to each other, an example of this issue is ‘Homophobia of men’. Homosexuality is considered to be a cultural construct, which apart from the ‘lesbian identities’ gave rise to the ‘gay identities’ (Herek 1986). It is common for normal men, to avoid influencing with homosexual men, as they fear what the public might think of them being judged as not ‘masculine’, where as its more normal for woman to associate with lesbians or homosexual women, as they are not being judged by the rest of the females (Herek 1986). Studies showed, that the social construction of gay identities meant that there was something psychologically wrong with that person,

Berdache was a derogatory term that was used by the French to describe a Native American who demonstrated homosexual tendencies. Although European culture and other traditions around the world condemned same-sex relationships, the precolonial Native American society had different perception about such individual. Native Americans, accepted and tolerated androgynous individuals. In fact , they called them “two-spirited” persons since they had the both the spirit of a man or woman. Because of their nature, two-spirited people were made religious leaders and teachers in the society. They also served various unique roles in the society and their marriages were legitimate. However, the onset of Christianity and foreign influence in North America led to the spread of homophobic notions and the decline of the “two-spirit” tradition. Later on, gay and lesbian activists detested the use of use of the term “berdache.” Instead, they preferred to be called “two-spirit” persons. Finally, these protests led to reforms that acknowledge the importance of Native American tradition in shaping sexual orientations of Native American in the society. In conclusion, although many traditional societies are associated with homophobia, transgender diversity and same-sex relationships were pervasive in ancient Native American history.

LGBT culture is a community made up of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. This community shares a common interest in social movements. Many people today have been able to come out and be who they truly are because of the LGBT community. Roughly, 6.7 percent of the U.S. world population is said to be a member of the LGBT community. However, many negative stereotypes do not support this community. People are very biased towards the LGBT community and it is unfair. The LGBT culture has always been frowned upon by many people, however, most of those people are uneducated and do not understand what the LGBT culture truly is. The LGBT community deserves a chance to be who they truly are without being judged and looked down upon by

They are still marginalized today, since it is almost an accepted truth, especially in other parts of the world, that queer people are sick, they are sexual predators, attention seekers, recruiting others to be homosexuals (particularly youths).

LGBT acceptance has varied greatly over time in every culture in the world. For example, while it is commonly accepted that homosexual relations were common in Ancient Greece and Rome, the same cannot be said for the Middle Ages’ Holy Roman Empire. In American culture throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, sodomy was the phrase used to describe all “deviant” sexual acts. A homosexual lifestyle was unthinkable, mainly due to the high rate of Christians who devoutly believed in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. However people such as Walt Whitman, Charlotte Cushman, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, among others all achieved greatness in literature, the arts, and other fields, while also maintaining a secretive LGBT identity (Norton, 2004). To say that the proven biological inclinations of LGBT people is a “new” occurrence that exists solely due to societal acceptance simply contradicts historical evidence.

Homosexuality has always been a controversial topic in the United States, and the twenty-first century has brought about many new rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group. The American Gay Rights Movement has a long history, but the LGBT community is now starting to have more rights and protection.

Homosexuality plays a big part in Sexual Prejudice in the United States today. According to Herek 2002, “Survey participants generally were more likely to regard gay men as mentally ill, supported adoption rights for lesbians more than for gay men, and had more negative personal reactions to gay men than to lesbians”. People in the present US society, mostly label gay men as completely wrong and are more favorable for lesbian

Many anti-gay laws have also shaped the society to discriminate against the gay community. There are some societal beliefs, norms and practices that have been shaped by the many anti-gay, which have resulted in structural discrimination against the GLBT group in the US. Consequently, there is a culture in the US that does not validate the gay community. The US society does not recognize gays and lesbians, and they are taken to be sinners who deserve to be

Last summer Gay-Marriage was legalized in the United States. Yet, it is evident that sexual discrimination continues to exist. Nevertheless, people who are homosexual or transgender are bestowed with the same unalienable rights as a heterosexual. It is not my job, nor is it the job of society to criticize or discriminate against those with different sexual orientations. Instead it is my duty, and the responsibility of society to accept people for

Throughout centuries of generations, there have been many changes that have influenced sexual tolerance. Sexual tolerance is defined as “the acceptance of multiple sexual orientations and lifestyles, generally accompanied by the appropriate legal and civil rights” (Urban Dictionary, 2009). Though there have been improvements in tolerance, there are still many different views on the recent policies, laws or social trends occurring towards sexual and gender orientation. Every aspect of society, from the Department of Defense to local school departments, are beginning to adapt to this growth in gender identity and orientation. An article published by the New York Times (Rosenberg, 2016) addresses an uprising policy on the acceptance of

There are individuals that live in fear of showing their true identity to the world because they simply fear that society won’t accept them for having a different sexual orientation. Society advocates that individuals should be able to be proud of who they are, but yet they judge homosexuals for being different. People are taught not to judge others based on their race or religion, so why do they still discriminate against homosexuals? The homosexual subculture is not accepted by society, looked down upon, and misjudged; however, they are human beings and deserve to be treated equally.

The realization of the homosexuality in the modern western world as a cultural, sexual and a social category has been a result of complex power relations that surround sexuality and gender. The acceptance of homosexuality in the society has met its fair share of resistance and skepticism. The view that homosexuality can be in the same league as heterosexual has led it to be viewed as a normal behavioral and moral standard (Gallagher & Baker, 2006). Inasmuch as the skeptics may not want to accept the existence of homosexuality studies show that the habit is rampant today with many gay people coming out in the open. Of interest is the political acceptance of homosexuality with passing gay rights so that it can be recognized by law. This move has given homosexuals the ability to engage in legal entities like marriage (Gallagher & Baker, 2006).