Gay stigmas?

Question

I'm doing a paper on how gays get treated unfairly.

Unfortunately, I am not gay so I don't know.
If you see any problems with how gays get treated or if you know anything about the topic.... please reply.

Answer 1

Ok, here are a few -

We are still the subject of state-sponsored discrimination when it comes to marriage rights. Some bigots are even proposing that we change the Constitution - where all are created equal - to endorse such prejudice.

I have received negative reactions when house or apartment hunting with my male partner. Suddenly things become "unavailable."

I have been physically or verbally assaulted in every city I have visited in the US, just for hanging out near LGBT areas or bars. [Except Salt Lake City - you folks rock!]

At work, I have been passed over for promotions since "I don't have a family" and been assigned holiday shifts for the same reason.

That's all I feel like blowing off steam about right now. :o)

Answer 2

Do you mean other than being required to pay for separate hotel rooms in some places, or not being able to visit their partner when they are dying because they aren't "family", or getting beaten, or the high number of GLBT runaways?

There is lots that happens. Try, for your paper, as an expierment, announcing to your family and friends that you are lesbian. Talk about it in a church youth group. See what happens. See who sticks with you. See how many refuse to believe you. If you want to experience what it's like, play the part for a while. Remember, unlike GLBT folk, you can go back.

Answer 3

Hi,

Thank you for asking this question.

Many of the things have been covered. Please also note -- experiences vary. I and my partner have suffered no appreciable visible prejudice, however, we have friends who have. Being red-lined out of housing is common in many states (not legal in NY and enforceable, so not really a problem here). Not being allowed to see ones life partner when they are dying or ill. Not being able to inherit without paying the highest level of state inheritance tax (totally unaffected by federal law changes), that for "unrelated" persons, even if you have been partners for many decades (that one we will suffer when I pass over, [I'm several years older and from a shorter lived family] unless we do a lot of work in advance to make the property both of ours in advance [some of our property is, some isn't], not being able to adopt children in some states [I've had the honor of raising two, both of whom were straight boys]...

For many in worse areas, being physically abused, beaten, even killed (Blessed Matthew Shepard pray for us). In other countries even killed by the state (Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni in Iran -- just teenage boys, 14 and 16 when arrested. Tortured 18 months, then hung to death (at least hung to death together, which was some tiny mercy I suppose, so that at the end at least they weren't each alone).

I don't know if that helps. but I hope it does.

Regards,

Reyn
[e-mail]

Answer 4

you could start with the holocaust and work your way up to not being allowed to marry