Sexual orientation has been and to some degree is still seen as a taboo topic. For many years it has been argued that sexual orientation is based on one's gender and one's sexual preference, should be based on one's sex (i.e. females should be attracted to males and males to females). For gener...

For minority protection by lesbians and gay men has moved to the center of American life at the outset of the 1990's. It is almost certain that lesbian and gay issues will be a more eminent aspect of the public consciousness and American political scene in the coming decade than in any other time i...

Issues/Strengths/Challenges What does it mean to be gay? "I never had any real attraction towards women, but I really knew that I was gay when puberty began. I felt an attraction toward the other boys and I was curious to find out what they were like." P.J. Smith (Personal communication, November 2...

Same-sex marriage There are many important issues discussed in public policy today. One of these issues is homosexual marriage. This is an important issue because it deals with a relatively large minority of the United States. This issue is put into many different lights. Those of morals,...

The topic of gender is relevant to everyone. It is also a topic that evokes a strong emotional response. Gender is a social construct and few of us are aware of the system of rewards and punishments that have shaped our gender identity. For others who this system did not 'succeed' are...

"Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable"(Leviticus 7:22). This is the quote that most often justifies Christian homophobia. This essay will show that everyone, is this is what they believe, is welcome into the kingdom of God no matter what their sexual prefe...

I. Introduction A gay man remembers his high school years filled with loneliness, fear, and self-hatred. Another man recalls spending every lunch period in a bathroom stall. A lesbian recollects her bottling up all her emotions and silencing all impulsive gestures, terrified of saying or doing a...

The joke goes "you can hardly find a strait play on Broadway anymore," however, that wasn't always the case. A lot of devoted theatre artists spent much time in jail and being ridiculed in order to get us our say on the legitimate stage. From obscure hints at homosexuality in such ea...

Gay rights have been a very controversial issue in the past fifty years. The oppression of homosexuals has been an expanding focus in our media and society. After reaching a satisfactory level of equality within gay rights after the Equal Rights Act of 1973, the opportunity of gay marriages is the n...

For thousands of years, most cultures around the world have recognized marriage as a union between a man and woman. In the majority of modern nations, including almost all of the United States, same sex or gay couples cannot be legally married. Several gay couples have unsuccessfully filed lawsuits ...