Orthodox Jewish Homosexuality Research Paper

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.

It was not until the twelfth century that homosexuality started to be condemned. This condemnation proved to live through then until now. Due to the fact that America incorporated these early views into its early laws, even the most bland of today's sex acts were seen as unlawful (“Homosexuality and Mental Health”). Since then, these laws have changed, however, there is still a primarily negative connotation on homosexuals when coming from a church or legal standpoint concerning the masses of America.

In the past ten years, the nonstop discussion and stress has been over the question of homosexuality. Are homosexuals to be excluded from the community of faith? Article writers, Richard B. Hays and Walter Wink explain their perspective and answer the ongoing talk.

I am very proud to say that I have helped to reintroduce our school's Gay Straight Alliance club. My freshman year our club shut down due to lack of interest and most LGBT students at Evansville High were uncomfortable coming out since there was not a lot of them. By my sophomore year, I thought it would be appreciable to reintroduce this club. I wanted to create a fun safe place where students to join as one. I worked hard finding information so I could relate to all, since we had all types of people. A large challenge at my school, which is awful, is students making fun of other people for simply being different.

Also, sexuality and its role in the family life were greatly different for Jews who lived during the Middle Ages. For the Jewish community sexuality was often perceived as an important part of the marriage that was a blessing from God, while Christians thought that sexuality was a sin. The Jewish community placed emphasis on sexuality and the mutuality in a relationship in order for it to be healthy. This standard and the fact that Jewish people also believed that procreation was only obligatory for men demonstrates the vast difference between Jews and their counterparts. By finding sexuality to be an important part of marriage and thus the creation of a family, they isolated themselves from the Christians who believed this to be taboo. All

Persecutions of homosexuals, such as stoning whipping, genital mutilation and even the death penalty, have been around for centuries. Homosexuals were sentenced to die in concentration camps during WW II, suffering a fate almost identical to the Jews during the Holocaust. It was only in 1977 that the term homosexual was removed from the American Psychiatric Association, before that they were treated with aversion therapy as well as electroshock therapy, and on the rare occasion, even lobotomies.

Have you ever thought about whether homosexuality is a choice or if it is biologically based? To most people, homosexuality is a choice that the person themselves chooses to like the same sex instead of being born that way. However, some people also like to bring religion into the topic saying it is wrong and what not, but I believe it should be the person’s choice to like and date whichever sex they want to. I mean as long as it is not being forced on them they should not really care what that person does with their life. Also, another question to think about as you read this paper is, do you think people are born this way or they choose to like the same sex? I mean look at it this way, do you think someone would choose to like the same sex

In the last two decades, homosexuality has increasingly become a topic of conversation. The "unmentionable" is now mentioned casually in many circles, named in the media, and narrated in song and film. Inevitably, despite the Church's stability and resistance as a millennia-old institution, this topic could not help but enter ecclesiastical discussion, as well. And there it shakes the foundations, for it unearths an issue critical to the unmarried, all male clerical caste on which Roman Catholicism rests. Although homosexuality among the clergy has always been known and in the early middle ages even celebrated, since the thirteenth century and until recently, it was less salient and repressed

The idea of homosexual behavior has created a number of responses worldwide. Currently, the United States has many levels of acceptance of homosexuality. There are places on this earth that have the same outlook as the United States, and there are places that are completely opposite. By looking at these different perspectives, the public could obtain some valuable points in the battle of acceptance. My objective is to give these old ideas a new audience, to show the wide range of acceptance throughout the world, and to compare the United States and other nations challenged to acknowledge a different lifestyle.

Throughout history, there have been many cases of injustice and discrimination both around the world and in the United States specifically. There has been oppression of and discrimination against differing ethnic groups, women, and now, individuals with a different sexual orientation than what can be seen as normal. While the rights of these groups have improved significantly, discrimination still occurs. However, discrimination against them is still less rampant than the discrimination against people who identify as homosexuals and other similar sexual orientations. Since we, as a society, have made extensive leaps and bounds regarding similar social issues, we can and must make similar strides regarding societal views of sexual orientation.

The development of sexuality begins right after birth and continues to develop throughout our lifespan. According to Chapter 9 it states that ¨Sexuality is a normative part of adolescent development and it plays an important positive role in growth and development¨ (Hyde, pg. 228). Understanding that sexuality influence physical, mental and social well-being of an individual it is will be my responsibility to create a positive conversations around this topic with my future son. As a Hispanic women I will discuss with my son at the age thirteen about sexuality and healthy sexual behaviors. In addition, I will provide him with a clear understanding of what sexuality is and how it will develop further as an adolescence. Furthermore, these conversations will discussion body awareness, physiological changes that occur and information on sexual orientation and safe sex practice.

Many people believe that all the troubles we have today with the treatment and rights of homosexuals, and the LGBT+ community as a whole, is something new. However even though not addressed, this group of people have been around since the beginning of time. And although it has never been proven, Walt Whitman was assumed to be a homosexual because of the feminine way he carried himself (as well as some questionable lines in his poems). Even before his time, however, there is a long line of LGBT figures and stories throughout all of history.

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.

Less than a century ago, homosexuality was thought to be a curable mental illness and was not spoken of. Many consider it to be “unnatural” or a “lifestyle choice” while others believe sexuality is a part of each individuals nature. Homosexual individuals have been around since at least the beginning of recorded history and have been found to exist in essentially every culture throughout time. Treatment of these individuals varied in each culture. Some viewed sexual orientation as another aspect human sexuality. Some cultures treated it as a right of passage, others saw it as a direct act against God and punished it severely. Whether by nature or by choice, homosexuals are still humans and should be treated as such. Although protections and

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).