Gay Pride Parade Calls for Wed Rights - Essay Example

40 Years After Stonewall, Gay Pride Parade Calls for Wed Rights In this article, published in the NY Daily News last June 29, 2009, the 40th year celebration of the Stonewall event was described. It described how hundreds of gays and lesbians celebrated the event that marked the gay rights movement. Although there have been improvements in the laws concerning gays and lesbians, they are struggling these recent years in fighting for gay marriage. The same-sex marriage bill is still pending. And most of the people in the recent celebration were calling for a movement in the said bill. They are calling out for a recognition of their rights, as one of the participants in the parade remarked, “gay marriage isn’t just a civil right, it’s a human right.” There have been several improvements in the legal standing of the gay and lesbian community, however, it is in a slow pace. The laws concerning them are dragging in the legislation department to be approved. Although the society recognizes their existence, the gay and lesbian community now seeks to enjoy the same rights and privileges that the heterosexual people have. The Stonewall event commemorates and reminds the people the stand and the clamors of the gay and lesbian community, that they, too, are human beings who deserve a fair position in the society. They, too, are humans, and deserve to be treated as such. They, too, have rights the same as the heterosexual community. The gay and lesbian community deserves to be included in the many laws against discrimination and other laws that prevent them from exercising their rights. There is a need to further educate the lawmakers in revising laws in order to accommodate the needs and the rights of the gay and lesbian community. Let My Two Moms Marry! On Stonewall Anniversary, Kids of Gay Parents Join Same-Sex Marriage Fight This article tackles the issues that the same-sex encounter in their plight to be accepted as legal partners, same as legal marriages of the heterosexual community. It brings out in the open the voices of the children of gay parents wherein they have also been in the middle of the fight towards their parents’ plea to legalize their marriages. The gay and lesbian community’s children insist that the same sex marriage will not only benefit adults but it will also provide the children equal benefits and privileges as the children from heterosexual marriages. The children’s worries center on issues of custody, financial aid and visitation rights. For example, there is no legal child support requirement in the event one partner leaves the child in care with the other. Another example cited is in the event when one of the gay parents is sick, the children are questioned when visiting them which is very different if the parents are legally married. And the most damaging for the children is in the event when the biological mother passes away, the children will be given to the grandparents instead of the other parent. The children of the gay and lesbian community point out that allowing their parents to be legally married will provide them protection of their own rights, and bring more awareness and acceptance on homosexual families. The society is aware of the existence of homosexual couples raising children. But the level of acceptance for the said community is low. The society needs to see past the difference in the family composition and look deep into the structure of a homosexual family. The children in the community have the same rights as the children in heterosexual marriages. And legalizing gay marriages is a step in improving the protection of their rights. This way, the children of gay couples will have an equal opportunity in receiving benefits and privileges as other children. Forty Years After Watershed Moment for Gay Rights, It’s Time to Extend Anti-Discrimination This article focuses on the lack of federal protection against discrimination of the homosexual community. There are a number of states that have federal laws that protects the rights of the homosexual community but there are more number of states without it. There is no federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations. The state and local laws provide only one form of discrimination, against employment discrimination, but the implementation of these laws show an issue since there are still people experiencing discrimination within the work field. The article informs the readers that there are attempts of passing a comprehensive gay civil rights bill but certain issues, like the AIDS issue made it possible for the bill not to be passed because the right wing of the government made the homosexuals a primary target in the AIDS issue. The article also informs the gay and lesbian community to inform the society and the government, the President himself, to work on the basic protection rights they deserve to experience. There have been several attempts to pass bills for gay protection rights but the pace is slow in getting supporters on it. Though the public is aware of the situation and there is a greater tolerance on the issue today than before, the majority still lacks a better understanding of the whole agenda. What is needed is a public awareness of the importance of gay protection rights and how this will benefit, not only the gay and lesbian community, but also the entire society. It will provide equal opportunities for the gay and lesbians in different fields in the society, not just with employment but also in housing, loan and accommodation opportunities. It will also put in place the real equality opportunity for the entire society. It may also set in motion other laws against racial discrimination and providing equal opportunities for other types of discriminated groups in the society. Anti-Gay Bias Still Rampant in the Media: When Will Broadcasters Grow Up? This article focuses on the media discrimination against the gay and lesbian community. Although there is a level of awareness and acceptance of the community, most times, especially in media, they have been the subject of hate, ridicule and criticism. An example provided in the article is a mediaman’s comments regarding gay marriage, comparing it to legalizing polygamy, bestiality, child molestation and pedophilia which is highly discriminatory of the gay and lesbian community. There are laws that have been passed regarding gay rights but they are only patchworks. It does not encompass the entire human rights of gays as humans. There is no law that protects them from the ridicule, as what is mentioned in the article, of the media. They have been the subjects of cruel comments and jokes and there is not a right law protecting them from such defamation. Since media is a very powerful tool in advertisement and public awareness, they should be a vehicle for educating people not a vehicle for the public to shun gays and lesbians. In this regard, there should be a law against these kinds of ridicules and media bias. Gays and lesbians should have the right to be protected from the bias much the same as any human being. They should be able to sue these people who defame their characters and there should be enough supporters that will back them up. That is the main problem in this issue. There are not enough people who would go against the majority of the people who have anti-gay biases. And that is what is needed to be combated by the government. They should start the ball rolling by implementing laws that will protect not just the heterosexual community but the entire society as well. References Carter, D. “Forty Years After Watershed Moment for Gay Rights, It’s Time to Extend Anti-Discrimination.” NY Daily News. (29 June 2009). 7 July 2009 Frisch, K. “Anti-Gay Bias Still Rampant in the Media: When Will Broadcasters Grow Up?” NY Daily News. (29 June 2009). 7 July 2009 Goldsmith, S. “Let My Two Moms Marry! On Stonewall Anniversary, Kids of Gay Parents Join Same-Sex Marriage Fight.” NY Daily News. (29 June 2009). 7 July 2009 Porpora, K. et.al. “40 Years After Stonewall, Gay Pride Parade Calls for Wed Rights.” NY Daily News. (29 June 2009). 7 July 2009 Read More