Sociology Literature Review and Analysis - Essay Example

Even so, the society can be sensitized to accept the gay community just the way they are. The Plight of the Gay Community There is an emerging trend that many states are increasingly legalizing gay marriages across the world. The trend is more predominant in western countries where there is what one may perceive to be spirit of liberty and human rights than anywhere else. However, it is pertinent to give a broader picture of issues to do with same sex marriage and issues that normally arise. One may observe that as gay people face their social challenges, lesbians, trans-gender people and culture also face the same challenges (Cock, 2003).

Perhaps given that major religions do not have a place for LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender) has been the reason these category of people have always faced stigma. For the purposes of this paper, social identity of the gay people in many parts of the world has been one that has been kept underground for so long. Based on the larger societal beliefs, many straight people perceive gay community as social deviants. Not so many straight people want to identify with the gay especially after they have confessed their sexual orientation (Petrow, 2012).

As such, many gay people had always remained underground, keeping their orientation a secret for the fear of being judged negatively. In the latter period of the late 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, there have been bold steps taken by the gay community to seek legal and social recognition. Perhaps the Obama administration has done the gay community some justice to recognize and accept them as they are. Clinton’s administration had set the ball rolling back in 1993 when he recognized homosexuals serving in the military under what became known as “Don’t ask don’t tell” (Emery, 2012).

Analysis Research shows that same sex marriage first became a reality back in the year 2004 after a ruling by a Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in Massachusetts had maintained that there was a need to protect everyone equally as enshrined in the constitution. Right now one may observe that states ate increasingly becoming lenient with their reservations concerning the gay community. One may notice that states such as Iowa, Vermont, Maryland, and others had approved of same sex marriages even though they never came into force immediately.

Political observers have noted that Obama is likely to have come under pressure by his loyalist to grant recognize not just the gay community but all homosexuals (Sears, 2005). Other scholars have observes that the issue to do with same sex marriages is one that has been very controversial. The battle must have been won only from the legal perspective and not from the social arena. Whether this implicates anything or not is something that is yet to be seen. The only undeniable fact is that the gay community has made more strides in the 21st century.

Stigmatization may not end immediately and religious groups may not all agree to conduct same sex marriages just because the law recognizes the group. In fact, one may observe that the Catholic Church has never wavered on its disapproval of the same sex marriages. With an estimated population of nine million by the year 2011 for the LGBT group, one may observe t