Discrimination Of Homosexuals In The United States (Research Paper Sample)

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Discrimination of Homosexuals in the United States of America
Homosexuality is defined as attraction or sexual desire towards members of one’s own sex. A person who is attracted to persons of the same sex is called a homosexual. Homosexuals are divided into gays for males and lesbians for females. There are religious denominations that view homosexuality as being unnatural and a transgression against divine law. There are those on the other hand who condemn homosexual practices like anal sex between men but not the state of being a homosexual. Opposition against homosexuality ranges from execution of homosexuals, explicit prohibition of the practice, opposition of homosexual friendly laws to quietly discouraging homosexual activity (Greenberg 112). The attitude toward homosexuality also varies with cultures. Some cultures may consider it inappropriate while other cultures may approve. Homosexuals face discrimination from people who do not approve of them.
Forms of Discrimination faced by the Homosexual Community in United States
Gay bashing is considered the worst form of discrimination, especially when carried out by public officials (Brown 2012). The homosexual community has faced police brutality and harassment for decades. Some members have been victims of beatings, public humiliation and indefinite detainment. There are reports of sexual assaults and rapes on lesbians and male drag queens in the 1950s and 1960s done by police officers. The police are not the only people against homosexuals in fact cases of violence against gay people and destruction of their property by civilians exist at a high rate. There are efforts to repeal anti-discrimination laws in states where they exist. In places where these laws do not exist yet, there are people actively prohibiting them.
Second to physical assault, discrimination in employment was and still is in some cases the most threatening type of discrimination (Hough and Blackford 2013). Employers refuse to hire homosexuals regardless of their qualifications. There is no employment protection for homosexuals as there is for other groups like ethnic and racial minorities and straight women. Some employees dismiss homosexuals who were hired before the employee knew of their sexual preferences.
In a survey carried out by The National Gay and Lesbians Task Force between 2000 and 2011 found that 44% of the respondents faced employment discrimination due to their sexual orientation. 19% reported difficulty in renting a house. Discrimination in receiving health services, in education, obtaining insurance and in restaurants was also reported. The household income of homosexual was generally lower than the national household income levels.
History of the Discrimination of Homosexuals in the United States
The largest communities of homosexuals in United States are based in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. This is attributed to the migration of people to large cities to find work as a result of economic dislocation being experienced during the first half of the twentieth century. The cities had no traditional family structure and some people found themselves living in same sex settings like industrial and military barracks for prolonged periods. Those who were homosexual were able to find one another and found the freedom to express themselves without religious or familial disapproval. The ban of gays in the military led to the development of coastal gay and lesbian enclaves. Gay and lesbian people were dishonorably discharged from armed services and dumped in port cities. Due to disgrace they could not go home, they opted to stay.
In December 1950, the first known homosexual political society was founded in Los Angeles. The society was called Mattachine Society, the brain child of Harry Hay, a musicologist. At that time persecution of homosexuals was rampant. Public disclosure that one was homosexual led to being ostracized from ones family or community or even loss of employment. In 1952, one of the founders of Mattachine Society was arrested for "lewd and dissolute behavior" (Ford). He acknowledged he was a homosexual but pleaded innocent to the charges against him. This forced authorities to draw a distinction between homosexuality and illegal activity. The press, including; radio stations, newspapers & magazines did not release any news about the victory. There was complete news blackout on all information related to homosexuals. The Mattachine Society had to communicate through fliers and postings in areas where homosexuals congregate.
President Eisenhower in 1953 declared homosexuality a reason on its own to terminate the employment of a federal employee. In order to gather enough evidence for dismissal or arrest the United States Postal Service put tracers on suspected homosexuals’ mail (Ford). By 1969, there were about fifty small gay and lesbian organizations. Homosexuals faced religious persecution, police brutality, violence and discrimination in employment. Reverend Troy Perry founded the Metropolitan Community Church in 1968, because homosexuals were unwelcome in mainstream religious organizations. The Metropolitan Community Church is currently the largest gay and lesbian religious organization.
On June 29, 1969 the first resistance against police brutality occurred in New York’s Greenwich Village at a popular gay and lesbian bar called Stone Wall Inn. The police had attempted to raid the bar but the patrons were fed up with the constant harassment and held them inside the building and a riot ensued soon after. The homosexual movement started becoming violent. This movement succeeded in pressuring the American Psychiatric Association into removing homosexuality from the list of sexual illnesses in December 1973 (Ford). The homosexual communities began pushing for anti-discrimination laws, they succeeded in some cities.
The Californian state Senator John Briggs introduced a move to stop homosexuals from teaching in public schools in 1978. This initiative was defeated. However discriminati...