What Does Gay Rights Mean To You Essay

The history of the gay rights movement goes as far back as the late 19th century. More accurately, the quest by gays to search out others like themselves and foster a feeling of identity has been around since then. It is an innovative movement that seeks to change existing norms and gain acceptance within our culture. By 1915, one gay person said that the gay world was a "community, distinctly organized" (Milestones 1991), but kept mostly out of view because of social hostility. According to the Milestones article, after World War II, around 1940, many cities saw their first gay bars open as many homosexuals began to start a networking system. However, their newfound visibility only backfired on them, as

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community have always had issues with discrimination and prejudice; even now anti-gay movements are growing not only in our communities but also in our legislative branch in the government. These people disguise their hate behind the constitution and claim freedom of religion and speech. There ignoreos is growing to our congressmen and women, laws are being pass in some states to prevent other anti gay laws. We as a nation in some states are regressing as a whole and not progressing. The progress we have made recently which allows gay marriage in all 50 states is wonderful progress but we can and should do much more to allow LGBT members the equality they

essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.” – United States Supreme Court

Being gay in America is difficult. Being gay in America is even more difficult when you’re not quite gay. Being a closeted not-quite gay woman in America, surrounded by Indian immigrants is pretty difficult, too. It’s a bit like staring in a James Bond film, if all of the characters suddenly developed Bollywood accents, and marginally less homicide. Also, I may be exaggerating, because I don’t attract nearly as many Bond Girls, no matter how much I’d like to. Even understanding what “not-quite gay” means for me was and is a struggle. I suppose a common saying is true: if you can’t find the gay cousin in your family, then you are the gay cousin. And it’s true; in my jumbled mess of aunts, uncles, and third-step cousins once removed, there hasn’t been a single person to come out. Or, if there has, we certainly never talk about them.

The struggle for gay rights was not always publicized due to fear for being “ill” for thinking that way. The fight for rights was known in the mental health community as an illness. In the courts where same-sex couples would be denied the right to marry, from the Stonewall riots to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on June 26 of this year, the evolvement and difficulty of those fighting.

All families face challenges in their everyday life. For some, the challenges are easier to handle while for others, surmounting those challenges can be more difficult. Over the years, the LGBT community in the US has faced many hurdles. Whether it’s the legalization of same-sex marriage to adoption rights to alimony, child support and child custody in case of divorce, legislation specific to gay and lesbian couples still has a long way to go.

The LGBTQ community has struggled for decades to receive equal treatment but despite many advancements, this group of people is still not treated justly. The prevalent discrimination and prejudice enacted against the LGBTQ community can be witnessed on accounts of the Stonewall Riots and laws that affect the community such as not allowing gay men to donate blood, sexual orientation in connection to the military, et cetera. The gay rights movement has united to eradicate these issues through support of the LBGTQ community and to help people understand the process, timing, advantages, dangers, and pitfalls of coming out, as well as recent local and international rulings of the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage and the methods, laws, and attitudes of having children.

According to an opinion widely held, homosexuality is said to be freer today than ever before. It is present and visible everywhere: in the street, in the newspapers, on television, at the movies. It is even supposedly completely accepted, judging by the recent legislative advances made in many countries for the recognition of same sex couples. Certainly, some work remains necessary in order to eradicate the last vestiges of discrimination. But with changing public opinion, it will only be, according to some people, a matter of time, the time needed for a movement begun many decades earlier to achieve its goals.

She argues that “framing gay marriage as a religious right suggests that the parties who are harmed by marriage laws discriminating against same-sex couples include not only the individual men and women in these relationships but also the churches who support gay marriage and their members, regardless of their sexual orientation”. Even though DeLaet wrote this before the Supreme Court ruling, her argument can still be applied to the rights that gays and lesbians face in society today. The LGTB community is still striving to find acceptance among business owners who discriminate against them because of their sexual orientation. These business owners cite the First Amendment and their right to express their religion freely and use it as a scapegoat to refuse service to homosexuals. However, with DeLaet’s argument, gays are also protected under the First Amendment because there are many religions that sanctify their union. The concept of freedom of religion cannot be used to grant right to one group of people while discriminating against

Quote: “There is always inequality in life. Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded and some men never leave the country. Life is unfair.”

Like African-Americans, rights for homosexuals, transgender, and others has greatly been debated on since the establishment of religion. People who aren’t straight have been looked down on and scorned by society because of its refusal to accept anything different. The gay stigma in society was so great at one point that many closeted individuals would have sex with a partner of the opposite gender and start a family instead of accepting that they weren't straight. Because of the large number of suicide and murders among the LGBT+, the gay rights movement began in the late ’90s. This movement evolving now into the present has been heavily supported by the Democratic party which has helped to establish same-sex marriage and transgender rights for LGBT+ people (“Democrats”). The Democratic party has become an important ally to them and “continues to push for same-sex equality and fair treatment to stop the discrimination against them” (“Democrats”). However, the LGBT+ community still faces scrutiny because of Republicans and religious leaders who don’t agree with gay rights or same-sex marriage seeing it as going against their beliefs; this makes it essential to keep bringing attention to this issue and establishing laws to protect the LGBT+

most profound example of equality within society. In his piece, he says, "But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which

We need to ask ourselves if we would just be submissive to someone telling us how to live our life. We need to ask if it’s right for someone else to tell us who we can and cannot love. We need to ask ourselves if we would be okay with someone telling us to change something that is a part of how we are. We cannot just oppress these people because they are a part of every country, race, religion, and gender. We need to give them the same rights as every other minority. “...Let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source”

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people are discriminated against, terrorized, and protested against. They have barely any laws guarding their rights. All Americans are supposed to have all the rights needed for their pursuit of happiness, yet LGBTQ+ citizens do not. This needs to stop. And the U.S., while still quite far away, is slowly on its way to equity for all of its citizens. But good LGBT Americans are mostly treated unfairly.

In this country there is a flawed assumption that gay people enjoy the same civil right protections as everyone else and there are a lot of stereotypes about gay relationships. Living as a gay individual in this country can be extremely overwhelming and scary. When it comes to marriage between gay couples, controversy is bound to turn up. There are numerous arguments as to why gay marriage is not “right” such as; it offends everything religion stands for, marriage is for procreation, and gay