Controversial topics today will never fail to include LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) Rights. Personal preferences of partners should never be imposed on a society that has to grow. Through the course of history, man has always looked at women as second class citizens. Women have been equated to the lowest and creatures and unjustifiably treated even beneath that equation. Today, some countries still have that patriarchal perspective in society, but majority already see women as an equal. Unfortunately, human beings still have a very judgmental mind.
When it was established that woman can work equally with men, they found other people to criticize. These are those whose gender could not be classified as heterosexual. According to Tom Head regarding Civil Liberties, there were many members of the military who were given an honorable discharge after having found out about their sexual orientation. One image in the website provided a niche of a Vietnam war veteran. On it was his date of birth and death. Beneath those dates were the words that told the world that he was given a medal for killing two people, and an discharge for loving a man.
This unjust treatment of the men in military signify how laws failed to protect these people who served their country well, regardless of their gender identity. Discriminatory arguments imply that LGBT individuals cannot even be considered as human beings. They are the people in between, and lost. On top of this, there has been high rates wherein LGBT individuals experienced inhumane treatment from other people because of their genders. This should never be the case. The human mind must not only learn to open itself.
Rather, man should learn to accept the fact that regardless of one’s gender, they are still human. In this regard, their human rights should not be trampled over just because of their gender. They should be able to live without worry regarding adoption, workforce, and in the military. LGBT and Work A Fact Sheet from the Gay and Lesbian Right Lobby presented a considerable array of how discrimination is prominent in the workplace. Their research was able to establish some of the forms this discrimination has been acted upon. Some of these involve exclusion and dismissal, others extend to more violent forms.
Many of these cases have been saved through legal actions. However, instances wherein couples were involved, there were unfortunate results. According to Peter Hill in his career guide manual, only 17 states have any legal recourse for any discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. In the same website, it was mentioned that LBGT individuals were not given just protection against discrimination. Although advocates insist to have laws more open with LGBT rights, the actions taken by the government can be called insufficient.
Some gay and lesbian people have been terminated from their jobs and were denied of any promotion based on their gender and orientation. They should be given the rights which are due them, and be provided with the necessary provisions against unjust treatment at work, Of the 900 people sampled by the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby in a survey research, 52. 8% of them said that they experienced harassment in the course of their employment. 50. 3% of them experienced being ridiculed by in front of co-workers, receiving homophobic commentary.
28. 3% were subject to inappropriate questions regarding their status; while 11. 3% of them experienced verbal abuse and threats related to physical and sexual natures. More importantly, 17% of the sample felt that their careers and dreams have been restricted due to their sexual orientation. This should never be the case. It is difficult to understand why there are so many people who react vehemently against gay and lesbian individuals in the workplace. One should ask why the capability of a person has to be directly related to his gender.
Studies continue to show that there are no relations between these aspects. Unfortunately, many heterosexual individuals still strongly oppose of being equal with “gendered” people. There are no studies that showed how the gender of a person has an effect on their capacity to excel in their work. LBGT and Military Earlier in this essay, a story was told about a Vietnam veteran who was awarded with a medal for killing men, but was discharged because he loved one. A simple story like this should knock at the hearts and conscience of those in the government.
They should see that although he was gay, and that he loved a man, he was still able to do his duty in serving his country. America is one of the countries wherein closeted LGBT individuals are subjected to undergo an investigation. After finding the truth about their true genders, they will be automatically discharged. With this, they are unable to receive their pensions and benefits regardless of the number of years they have served in the army, as shared by Tom Head. This process, however, does not mean that every one is subjected to this treatment.
The Campaign “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was used so that the officials were not allowed to run specific investigations on subjects. Unfortunately, there are still those who undergo the investigation based on the perception of others. There would have been no investigations if there was no one who raised the issue. With this, there were misjudgments and unjust actions towards individuals who simply aimed to serve their country. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was an attempt to protect the gay and lesbian members of the army, but it has also become an avenue for another form of gender persecution and inhumane treatment.
Again, the gender identity and sexual orientation of an individual does not directly influence their capability, even to serve their country. Unfortunately, people today continue to find ways to argue that gendered people are unacceptable in society and should not be perceived as an equal. It seems like a myth today when one says that the army should only involve strong men. They have failed to include their mental capacity and their willingness to serve their country in the best way they know how. How can one find fault in a person who was willing to die for the freedom and life of a nation?
How could their spirit be any different than those of heterosexual individuals? Why was it so wrong? LGBT and Marriage This essay aimed to affirm that gay and lesbian individuals deserve all the basic rights as heterosexual individuals do. They should be able to adopt children, work without discrimination and be part of the military without discrimination against their gender and sexual orientation. However, this essay also aims to establish that they deserve all the rights, except to be married. Marriage is considered as the highest form of commitment to a relationship.
It is often found wonderful to be in a relationship that would as bound and stable as marriage. However, a marriage should only be between a man and a woman. God only made man and woman, and be united only in that manner. However, non religious arguments may insist that every one’s basic rights should surpass religions, given that there a lot of religions in the world. A person’s basic rights should not be subjected to any cultural scrutiny or religious belief. With this, they should be given the right to express their relationship in the ceremony, and be recognized by the state.
Although this was their argument, they cannot take away the fact that a person’s rights are indeed influenced by religion. Religious objections can be correct at some points. Those in favor of same sex marriage can argue that if God is taken into the picture, He should love his gendered people, much like how He loves those heterosexual individuals. If God is all loving, why not the love between the same sex? Conservatives, according to the website Religious Tolerance, found this as a threat to the concept of marriage itself. The idea of marriage is to bind a man and a woman in a religious ceremony. This excludes the same sex couples.
Furthermore, if advocates pursues to present same sex marriage as an activity that should surpass religion, then they will have to change the whole constitutional rights, because these were generally based on religion. It goes hand in hand. These were created so one can generalize the value of life. If marriage was a religious practice, then leave it to the religious. If the state won’t allow same sex marriage, shouldn’t LGBT individuals have to make do with the things they have? They can be together. Although the state will not fully recognize their union, at least the relationship they have will be bound with the love they have.
Conclusion This essay shall remain firm with the notion that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals must be able to practice and maximize their rights. They should be able to adopt children just like heterosexual couples. They should be screened in the same manner, and be judged in accordance to the welfare of the child. They should be able to work in an office without discrimination for their gender. They should be promoted when necessary, and be protected from maltreatment and inequitable termination. They should be able to grow as professionals, and not be obstructed from reaching their goals.
Furthermore. this essay aims to affirm the protection needed by gays and lesbians in the army. Their willingness to serve should not be equated to their gender and sexual orientation. The “Don’t ask, don’t tell” practice in the army does not fully protect these individuals from being restricted from the activities they aim to do for their country. This essay also aimed to establish that marriage should remain an activity exclusive to heterosexual couples. It is a fact that marriage is rooted in religious practices, and religions often only accept heterosexual couples.
To respect that, LGBT couples should not impose drastic changes in a religion. To ask that of them is to completely change their beliefs, and perhaps their God. Overlooking religious beliefs implies that the whole constitutional rights should be changed as well.
References
(n. d. ). “Same-sex marriages (SSM), civil unions & domestic partnerships. ” Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://www. religioustolerance. org/hom_marr. htm. (n. d. ). “Gay adoption debate and polls. ” Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://www. youdebate. com/DEBATES/gay_adoption. HTM.
(n. d. ). “LGBT rights. ” Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://knowyourvote. googlepages. com/lgbtrights. Head, T. (n. d. ). “Lesbians and gay men in the military. ” Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://civilliberty. about. com/od/gendersexuality/ig/Lesbian-and-Gay-Rights-101/Gays- in-the-Military. htm. Hill, P. (2007). “LGBT rights law: A career guide. ” Retrieved March 3, 2008 from www. law. harvard. edu/students/opia/docs/guide-lgbt. pdf. NSW. (2004). “Fact sheets. ” Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://www. glrl. org. au/publications/fact_sheets. htm.