Final Thought

Gay Rights movements are happening all over the world since the18th Century—from The United States, to parts of Africa and Australia.  Although it is great that all gay people are hoping for a more equal life, I think it is important to stay relevant and only focus on the gay rights movements happening in the United States. Homosexuals have not had as hard a fight obtaining equal rights as African Americans during the Civil Rights movement, or women during Women Suffrage, but their struggle absolutely continues today—often times, the issue is but on the backburner and deemed unimportant compared to the other changes our country is going through.    

This alternative lifestyle is becoming more popular in recent years.  Many homosexuals are settling down, adopting kids, and having families. However, this is a struggle for them as well.  Straight married couples have always been allowed to file their taxes separately and split their earned incomes on tax returns.  Gay married couples have not had this option until recently (James).  This does seem like a giant leap in the gay rights movement, it is quite costly to those who chose to participate.  Same-sex couples are running into trouble because to the IRS, it looks as if they are underreporting their taxes resulting in heavy outstanding fees.  This can lead to other tax credit difficulties as well.  Interestingly, heterosexual married couples do not have this problem. I found this article persuasive because it shows how much of a struggle it is for gay people to get rights in something like tax returns—and even after they got that right, it’s not equal to heterosexual couples.
To see the full article please visit http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/.

Along with tax returns, same-sex couples are allowed to adopt children as well.  It is becoming less abnormal for kids to have two moms or two dads—my 13 year old sister has a friend who lives in this kind of household.  In the article, The changing face of the American family, extensive surveys find that “63% say a gay or lesbian couple raising a child is a family…[but] 88% say a childless married couple is a family.” It’s interesting to see the different variations a family can have. But when the word family pops into my head, I see a bunch of people who help each other out, who are there for each other in times of trouble and happy times. The statistics also show that this same idea is on the rise; the 63% has been an increase from years past.  This article makes me hopeful that people are becoming more comfortable about the vast change in America.
To see this full article please visit: http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/

While we still have children with same-sex parents on the mind, I found an interesting article about the forms for applying for passports. There used to be two sections on the application of kids 16 and younger for the mother’s and father’s name. Now, these sections are titled Parent 1 and Parent 2. This is just a small step to all forms asking for parent identification to turn to Parent 1 and Parent 2, but it finally recognizes different types of families across the US (O’Keefe). Like all other issues, there are oppositions to this change. Arguers dispute that Parent 1 and Parent 2 change the initial relationship than what mother and father mean when written on official forms.  I don’t see an end to escalation of acceptance on this issue. It is great that these strides are being made.
To see this full article, please visit:
http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/

President Obama is finally fulfilling his promise to the GLBT Americans and the “Blueprint for Positive Change” before his term is over.  According to the article, Conservatives decry Obama’s pro-gay moves; Same-sex partners included in federal medical leave act from the Washington Post, anyone is allowed to take unpaid leave to take care of a child, “specifically including same-sex partners who are adopting or raising a child together.”  The blueprint also allows gay men to donate blood once again as long as they fall within the restrictions given by the FDA. As the title of the article suggests, Republicans are not happy with this turn of events.  They feel as if Obama is slandering the United States—meaning Obama won’t be able to do any of his future plans without a fight from them. This article made me feel empowered as a gay rights supporter. However, Obama says “I’m going to keep fighting until that bill is on my desk and I can sign it,” and it makes me worry that if all this great change happens all at one time, in the last year of his presidency, when the new president takes over, all this effort would be put forth for nothing, and the 45^th president would take it away. Sure I wanted these rights for these people all my life and right away, but after this article, I think it’s best if equal rights come slowly to better appeal to the other side.
To see this full article please visit:
http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/  

The issue at the forefront of the gay rights debate is gay marriage.  The Fourteenth Amendment gives equal protection to every citizen of the United States.  This is the problem when it comes to same-sex marriage; it is up to the reader to interpret.  After a 1993 Hawaiian Supreme Court discussion resulted in the solution, “…laws denying same-sex couples the right to marry violated state constitutional equal protection rights, unless the state could show a ‘compelling reason’ for such discrimination,” the country has struggled with whether same-sex marriages (NCSL). Ten years later, Massachusetts was the first state to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples.  Since then, it has only been an uphill battle. California allowed gay marriage until the passing of Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage.  This sanction was challenged but denied until recently when the federal district court judge in California again deemed it a violation of the equal protection rights of the United States Constitution; however, the ruling is still currently pending.  Slowly, states have begun allowing gay marriage to happen; there are currently seven states that allow same-sex marriages, including the District of Columbia. The government has trouble deciding which decision to make. I find this article persuasive because it is hard for me to understand why gay couples are allowed to adopt children but not allowed to get married.  I feel as if a child is much more of a commitment than marriage is.
To see a full timeline of the back and forth history of gay marriage please visit: http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16430.

 As talked about earlier, Obama is trying to fulfill the “Blueprint for a Positive Change.”  In this document is the right for same-sex marriage.  Eventually, maybe not in my lifetime, all of the US will enact this proposition.  A lot of people think that this would ruin the traditional marriage. If you think this, please read this article— http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/ some food for thought at least. It talks about how marriage has changed a lot since getting married started. It began about property, then people got married for love, then people got married for money, then people got married just to get married and then divorced!  The tradition of marriage ruins itself, and so do the people who get married for the wrong reasons. Marriage is about love and committing yourself to another person, till death do you part. It’s a convincing article and an interesting view.

Here is my question: Some people have always known they were gay, others do not figure it out until later in their life. For those people, how is it just to take away their rights when they decide to live this alternative lifestyle?—And even those who have always known, why can’t they enjoy the things, we don’t even consider luxuries, like we do?  As Ellen DeGeneres said in her interview with John McCain, “One day I hope it won’t be called a contract, it will be called a marriage.” See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7addd1-SY8

James, Scott. "For Same-Sex Couples, a Tax Victory That Doesn't Feel Like One." New York Times 14 Jan 2011, NationalPrint.

Jayson, Sharon. "The changing face of the American family." USA Today

18 Nov 2010, First: 10B. Print.

NCSL Home. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16430.>.

O'Keefe, Ed. "Change in passport language is boon to gay rights activists." Washington Post 12 Jan 2011, Suburban: A13. Print.

Stephanie, Coontz. "Gay Marriage isn't revolutionary. It's just next.." Washington Post 09 Jan 2011, Every: B05. Print.

Wetzstein, Cheryl. "Conservatives decry Obama's pro-gay moves; ." Washington Times 25 July 2010, Nation: A5. Print.