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Gender, Equality, And Gender Identity In The United States

Decent Essays

In the history of the United States, there has been one dominant group of people. White males have been oppressing other groups since the country’s beginning. Not until 1865 was slavery abolished, and millions of black slaves had been allowed to live a life of their own. In 1920 women were granted suffrage, allowing them to vote almost a century and a half after the country was founded. But today, women and minorities are still oppressed, and most of government is made up of white males. The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank lists unemployment statistic by race. Currently the unemployment rate for black Americans is just under 9%, and for white Americans it is around 4.5%. For Hispanic Americans, the unemployment rate is 6.5%. Although the United States is among the most diverse nations in the world, there are still issues when it comes to discrimination. When it comes to race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, the United States seems to have a very conservative history. In fact, not until 2015 was it legal for gay couples to marry nationwide. Still, to present day, most states don’t allow people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. CNN reports that 70% of gender non-conforming Americans have been denied access to the bathrooms, assaulted, or harassed. Gender Identity will most likely be among the prevalent civil rights cases of the near future. The United States has a long history of discrimination against those who are not white/ Caucasian, heterosexual, and male. Blacks which make up 12.6% of the population were freed from slavery only 150 years ago. Women, who make up 51% of the population were granted the right to vote only 100 years ago. Japanese-Americans were enslaved in internment camps only 75 years ago during World War II. Approximately 9 million gay Americans were granted their right to marriage only 2 years ago. Finally, millions of Americans that struggle with self-identity, and gender identity are not allowed to use the bathroom in which they feel they identify with and they are comfortable using. There is no longer complete domination of the white male in America, but there are still issues regarding discrimination. Younger generations are leading the way

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