Essay on Gays/Lesbians Normalization in America

On the other hand, opponents of legalizing same-sex marriage have consistently outnumbered supporters, although by varying margins at different points in time, for instance, in 2004, just after Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay marriage, a joint survey by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & Press found that about twice as many Americans opposed legalization same-sex marriages (60%) as supported it (29%). More recently, an April 2009 survey found that same-sex stood at 54%, with 35% supporting the rights of gay and lesbians.

“Being gay is much more profound than simply a sexual relationship; being gay is part of that person’s core identity, and goes right to the very center of his being. It’s like being black in s society of whites, or a blonde European in a nation of black Asians” (Tamara L. Roleff). Although marriage, cohabitation and parenting styles of homosexual families pose no threats to the heterosexual society; many still believe same-sex marriage goes against its true purpose. “At the national level, American public opinion on the issue remains split (44 percent support legalizing same-sex marriage; 53 percent oppose same-sex marriage in a May 2010 Gallup Poll) even as opposition toward legalizing same-sex marriage is at its lowest point in decades

Gay marriage is not the only issue that is being discussed throughout America involving the gay community. In a particular study done by USA Today, results showed that when Americans were asked if they think homosexual relationships between consenting adults should be legal, 46% answered yes (“USA Today” 6). However, when asked if they would then favor a law that would allow homosexuals to get married, only 24% were in favor (6). This survey also showed the differences of peoples’ ideas based on if they attended church or not (6). The results showed that 73% of Americans who attend church weekly oppose the legalization of gay marriage and only 38% of those who don’t attend church oppose legalization (6). These results show that for many Americans, marriage is a religious agreement, but for many others, marriage is a right that should be given to all who want to partake in it.

There are roughly 313,900,000 people living in the United States and within those people roughly 9,000,000 people categorize as either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (gates). This statistic was calculated throughout many surveys issued in 2010 throughout all states in the United States. These statistics were presented in an article written by Gary J. Gates in April of 2011. Now that it is currently almost the year 2014 the number of homosexuals have only risen in the past few years due to the legalization of same sex marriage throughout some states. Same sex marriage is becoming a well-known controversy in the United States due to complete opposite opinions. Society often examines the changes throughout the years in terms of consequences rather than in benefits. The legalization of same sex marriage is often portrayed as consequential to society however when examined more closely there would be more benefits to society if this controversy was viewed in terms of positive change. Benefits society could achieve from legalization of same sex marriage are providing new economic and business opportunities, and encouraging equal opportunity and a non-discriminatory society.

The greatest issue facing America today is the ongoing battle for social justice among minority groups such as: African-Americans, the LGBT+ community, and Native Americans who've suffered harsh treatment in the present and past. Since the early colonization of America, these minority groups have continuously fought for their rights because of the oppression that society placed on them. They’ve sought justice through non-violent/violent protests, movements, and laws to spark change among an unfair society that has endlessly persecuted them. However, this injustice doesn’t happen entirely from racism or prejudice but from the majority “refusing to take a stand against the problem causing it to grow further” (Thoreau 326).

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the United States exhibit great heterogeneity in its members’ racial and ethnic, class, religious, and other sociodemographic backgrounds and characteristics. However, the LGBT community is often represented as a monolithic group with unified social, economic, and political agendas, especially since the large sociopolitical mobilization for the legalization of same-sex marriage that lasted more than a decade and came to fruition just last year in 2015. Scholars and activists have criticized this monolithic representation of the LGBT community as white, affluent, and highly educated movers and shakers of the larger society (Duggan 2012), and this voice was especially strong among

In 1996, twenty-seven percent accepted gay marriage, and sixty-eight percent were opposed against it. In 2011, barely over fifty percent accepted it, but it was a huge increase. From 2011 to 2012, the acceptance rate only increased by one percent. Now, in year 2015, a new goal was reached, and fifty-five percent now accept gay marriage. Even though more people are starting to accept

Herek, G. (2002, January 1). Gender Gaps in Public Opinion about Lesbians and Gay Men. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from

The New world was of great wonders discovered by the Vikings, inhabited by the natives ,and stolen by a bitter elite, that punches the great world with an iron fist; the explorer, Columbus starting the brick of colonization, an open path for Europeans to take the land and call it their own to grasp a new life, a dream that is to be savored and fulfilled as growth and prosperity continues to emerges out of the westernmost winds, and south of the Mediterranean sea, dominating the land, free to do whatever they please.

The social group of gay men in America remains one of the most debated in sociological and political discourse. Homosexuality has long been a neglected topic in social sciences but since 1970s, it has become a fruitful filed of research. Gay men in the US have long been an unprotected social group that being afraid of discrimination and violence preferred to live in the shadow. However, over the last decade, the life of gay men in the US has undergone the significant changes and it is important to trace the historical progression towards the current situation with the attitudes toward this group in society and the legal rights it has. The aim of this research is to study the social group of gay men in the US focusing on its history, the statistics of its population in the country, the privileges it has and the oppression it

This paper is focused on exploring the reaction closeted homosexuals have towards gay marriage and whether they experience a more extreme, negative reaction towards it than those who are heterosexual. The theory here is that individuals who are closeted homosexuals, are closeted because they are experiencing some sort of rejection of their identity as being homosexual. Those who are closeted homosexuals are either unable to come to terms with their sexual orientation or, perhaps do not want others to know, and thus, react strong against homosexuality and any legislation which supports gay rights.

As time went on, homosexuality came to be accepted as more mainstream. To confirm an article entitled “Most say homosexuality should be accepted by society” reveals that among the findings from the latest Pew Research Center political typology survey, released May 4, 2011. The survey conducted ,stated that while the public is divided over same-sex marriage, a majority of Americans (58%) say that homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged, by society. Among younger people in particular, there is broad support for societal acceptance of homosexuality. More than six-in-ten (63%) of

A good deal of information about the gay and lesbian market circulating in the trade literature comes from advertising, consulting and consumer research firms such as Overlooked Opinions, Rivendell, and Mulryan/Nash. These sources are responsible for disseminating distorted information about the gay community, which is being fed to corporations to convince them to advertise to this new market. By generalizing the results of surveys of gay-publication readers to the "gay community" nationwide and by using extrapolation techniques that cannot be applied with accuracy to a self reporting population, these firm have inflated estimates of gained lesbian income and misrepresented gay and lesbian spending patterns. For example, the claim that the gay and lesbian market is worth $514 billion

To test this hypothesis, he uses Pew Research Center for the People and the Press’s 2004 Typology Survey from December 2004 and the late March callback survey, inclusive of 1,090 participants. The author provides a haughty analysis of the survey and how the data is measured. “The callback interviews asked respondents if they have a “friend, colleague, or family member” who is gay, while the main survey asked two separate questions concerning how strongly respondents support same-sex marriage and acceptance of homosexuals ‘as a way of life.’ Contact is measured as a dichotomous or dummy variable indicating whether or not the respondent knew someone who is gay,” (249). The survey also asks questions about race, party identification, and religious affiliation (249-250). Garner then describes how the variables are coded, are applied to the Harvey Multiplicative Heteroskedastic Regression model, and the calculations required to discuss the variables

People all around the world fall victim to violence and inequality – some suffer torture, some even executed – because of who they choose to love, their appearance, or who they are. Our sexual orientation and gender identity are fundamental characteristics of ourselves, and that should never be factors for suffering from abuse or discrimination. Homosexuality is all over the world; coincidentally, so is the inequality and discrimination. According to the, International Lesbian and Gay Association, 75 countries still incriminate same-sexual acts between consenting adults, which is dropped from 92 countries when previously examined in 2006 (ILGA) According to information from national and state-level population based surveys, it estimates between 2.2% to 4.0%, or 5.2 million to 9.5 million individuals ages 18 and older fit within the LGBT spectrum (Gary). Based on the most recent data, the LGBT population has some variance between state to state; however, across the United States the average population of LGTB is 3.5. For example, Washington State has an LGBT density of 4%, Rhode