subject: Being Gay in America - Tabu Or Usual Stuff? [print this page] Being Gay in America - Tabu Or Usual Stuff?
Many suicides are caused by this so it is best for those that are gay to be honest about who they are and be proud of the people that they are.
Currently, gay people who have civil unions or marriages typically cannot be covered by each others' health insurance coverage. Since health insurance is so important many people think that same sex partners should be allowed to be covered under each others' health insurance policies. There are some companies that offer domestic partner benefits but they are few and far between. Companies should extend these benefits more to their employees because it can help work place satisfaction and boost job productivity.
Many states have not made gay marriage legal yet, out of a total of fifty states only six allow same sex marriages to be performed. These states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Washington, D.C., and Vermont. New York, Maryland, and Rhode Island will recognize gay marriages that are performed in other states but do not allow these marriages to occur in their states.
The state of California has always been a state that may gay people felt at home in because it is democratic and has many gay residents. However, Proposition Eight, which bans gay marriage in the state of California was passed so currently the state is still having issues with getting the ban overturned.
There are many gay members of the armed forces. Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been an issue for these soldiers. If someone finds out that a person serving in the military is gay then that person can be discharged from the military. This policy has been in effect for many years and has angered many active military members and a majority of the public. Many feel that it is unfair because members of the military put their lives on the line every day to serve their country. They should be allowed to serve openly because that is what true freedom is about.
Currently, the House of Representatives has passed an amendment repealing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy. The Senate still needs to vote on the repeal but with the 2010 elections coming soon, many senators are hesitant to vote on the measure right now. Many are hoping that after the fall elections that the Senate will finally repeal it once and for all so that everyone can openly serve in the United States military.
Being a gay parent can take time but it can happen. Gays can become foster parents, adopt children, get a surrogate mother, or if they're women carry a baby themselves through artificial insemination. One such celebrity couple that did this was celebrity chef Cat Cora. Both her and her wife Jennifer became pregnant at the same time using artificial insemination. They both gave birth to boys a few months apart from each other.
Many families now have two mothers or two fathers. Some say that children need a mother and a father to become productive individuals. However, the majority of the children that are in the foster care system are children that are from heterosexual couples.
Being a gay person is not something that is new to anyone. As society changes hopefully others will view being a gay person the same way that they view having brow hair color instead of blond. Everyone is born to be who they are and should have the freedom to be who they are ad love whom they please.
Popescu Ion is an editor at http://en.darkq.net, a gay blog that aims to cover a diversity of topics, some of them related to LGBT issues such as homophobia, coming out, sexuality, religion & culture, while other topics are related to life, health and family matters.
