Читать реферат по английскому: "Homosexuals Research Essay Research Paper How America" Страница 1

(Назад) (Cкачать работу)

Homosexuals Research Essay, Research Paper

How America should react to homosexuals?

How America should react to homosexuals Many experts agree that homosexuality has

existed as long as human beings themselves, although the attitude towards them has undergone

dramatic changes in some countries. Accepted by many societies during Greek and Roman era,

most of the time homosexuals were considered to be sinners against nature and even criminals. In

Medieval and modern periods homosexuals were prosecuted. Enlightenment brought some

liberation, substituting death penalty by imprisonment.

In Nazi Germany so-called “doctors” tried to “cure” gays by the ways of castration and

extreme intimidation. Until 1973 attempts to find a cure against homosexuality, what by majority

was viewed as a disease, were continued. Today, when research on twins suggests that sexual

orientation is not a choice, but our genetic predisposition, homosexual acts are still considered to

be immoral and even illegal in majority of countries and in the eyes of most religious groups

homosexuals, probably, always will be the subjects of anathema. As much as the future may look

gloomy for many gays and lesbians all over the world, there are remarkable changes in public

opinion and officials? attitudes toward homosexuals in some countries. For example, in 1989

Denmark was the first to allow the same-sex marriage. In the United States the subject of

homosexuality remains controversial. For example, In Hawaii three homosexual couples asked

the court to recognize their right to get married and the court did. However, the state government

refused to legalize this marriage. Consequently, a new amendment was introduced to the state

Constitution. At the same time, majority of the states are not even considering this option and

homosexuality itself is still illegal there. Still, not only authorities try to determine the position

they should take towards homosexuals, many common Americans also have no clear

understanding of how to react to homosexuality.

Why should we bother to find the answer to the questions: who are the homosexuals and

where do they belong in our society? First of all, it is important to realize that homosexuals are

an integral part of our society. Your neighbor, your co-worker, your hairdresser, your child and

even your spouse can be one of them. According to Richard D. Mohr “[t]wo out of five men one

passes on the street have had orgasmic sex with men. Every second family in the country has a

member who is essentially homosexual and many more people regularly have homosexual

experiences”(186). Should we avoid them, ignore, express our anger and disgust? Unfortunately,

many people feel that way because they have a remote idea about people of different sexual

orientation. For them homosexuality is perversion, abnormality or decease. The ignorance may

foster fear, which in its turn leads to hostility. Homophobia is dangerous, because it affects all

groups of people ? heterosexuals and homosexuals, grown-ups and children, men and women. It

may lead to violence and even death. There are numerous cases when people were actually killed

because of homophobia. To name few of them ? Matthew Shepard(homosexual), John Braun

(heterosexual), Steve Kennedy (homosexual) and the list can be continued. Prejudice against

homosexuality sharply limits how all men and women may acceptably behave, among

themselves and with each other.

It is obvious that we can no longer pretend that the homosexual issue is none of our

concern. In attempt to evaluate our attitude towards people of different sexual orientation we will

be able to understand them better. What is more important, we may overcome our prejudice,

which often results in discrimination of one group against another. To acknowledge that there are

people who are different and learn to tolerate them means to live in a safer world. The next

question is: Do we have the right to discriminate against homosexuals? Until recently

homosexuals were invisible minority. Therefore, many Americans were unaware that gays and

lesbians were discriminated against. But homosexuals were and still are treated unfairly on the

basis that they undermine our morality, that they present danger to our children and that they are

transmitters of AIDS far more than heterosexuals. Today many gays and lesbians come out of

“the closet” and demand the same rights that heterosexual take for granted. We have to admit that

some steps have been made to protect homosexuals. However, many government and public

institutions and individuals still discriminate against homosexuals denying them employment,

housing, insurance, marriage, child?s custody and so on. Why is it allowed to discriminate against

people who have different sexual orientation? Some may put forward arguments that being gay is

immoral, that it is illegal, that it is a sin against nature and violation of God?s law and, some

people consider homosexual variety [as a] proof of existence of Satan .

Some homophobics qualify homosexual behavior akin to lying and stealing and,

therefore, support the idea that gays and lesbians deserve to suffer. As Pete Hamill points out

,”?gay-bashing is real; homosexuals are routinely injured or murdered every day, all over the

world, by people who fear or hate their version of human sexuality”(532). But as was mentioned

above, the medical studies confirm that being gay is

Похожие работы