... Safe School Anti-Violence Project reported some interesting statistics. Out of the 8,400 students: "95% characterize themselves as heterosexual; 5% as homosexual or bisexual, and 4% as uncertain." (TSSA-VPW) Among the gay/lesbian/bisexual students, "34% has been harassed" due to their "sexual orientation." Also, they were "3 times more likely to be injured in a fight that requiring medical attention." (TSSA-VPW) ... as damaging as physical, sometimes more so. Teachers that hear the verbal harassment "fail to report about 97% of it." (Hopkins, Gary) While in school about "69% of all GLBT ...

• Word Count: 1998
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... . Others are finding adoption to be their preferred method of bringing a child into their family. Since state laws vary on adoption rights, not every gay and lesbian person has the same ability to adopt. Only four states, Vermont, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California permit same sex couple adoption. Some ... states permit single people to adopt, others discourage it. Because gays are not allowed to marry, it can be hard for gay people to adopt a child in those states. Because Vermont has Civil Unions , both parents have equal rights in adoption cases. Currently Florida specifically b...

• Word Count: 767
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Kerry is the father of two daughters and three sons and married to Teresa Heinz Kerry. Kerry has long been a supporter gay rights, having served with several gay people in Vietnam. Although most of them were not open about it until after the fighting, he expressed great pride and honor ... , Kerry said in a speech to the Human Rights Campaign. "The issue is as new as a current United States Senator's unacceptable invocation of prejudice against gay men and lesbians - and as old as the still unfinished pledge of equality with which this nation began,"" Kerry said. "In the America in which ...

• Word Count: 1262
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Institute, it has been estimated that one out of every three gays and lesbians struggles with chemical dependency every day. In a study of 218 gay and bisexual youth (ages 14-25), 41.3 percent had used a non-prescription drug and 38.5 percent had used alcohol . Males reported a higher ... and often lead to an association with elders. When growing up, sexual orientation is often withheld from other peers. For this reason, gay adolescents are lured to interact with people much older than themselves. They seek acceptance from the adult population, and tend to participate in ... discounted ...

• Word Count: 854
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... or her spouse could not request that his or her partner be taken off the respirator despite how the companion feels towards life support. Also, Stoddard refutes statements declaring that gay marriage promotes "antifamily" (para. 8) views. The truth is that marriage promotes "emotional stability and healthy rearing of the next generation" (Sullivan, para. 6). The sacrament of marriage has lost its meaning ... not scorned. The government has no legitimate interest in how that love is expressed" (para. 8). It should not matter what the sexual orientation of the couple is. Additionally, by ...

• Word Count: 906
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the mainstream. An example of this is the Bravo series Queer Eye for the Strait Guy. It features five extremely outwardly gay men giving a strait man a fashion, home, and lifestyle makeover. These strait men are not pressured to do this. They are open to having ... gay men critique them and make changes as they see fit. This shoe is no different that a Jenny Jones makeover. Everyone can take a lesson ... where homosexuals have been held back but as a whole, homosexuals have been able to succeed. This is evidenced by my prior reference to the TV show featuring gay men. The second qualifi...

• Word Count: 749
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... man and woman. Ozzie and Harriet introduced us to the quintessential American family "father in a suit, mother in pearls, and two exceptional children. It wasn't until the 1970s that gay characters and lifestyles began to emerge. In 1973, "An American Family-, a PBS series featured one of the family's sons revealing his homosexuality. In 1977, the television show Soap costarred Billy ... - became a huge success and most reviews talked about the relationship between Everett and Roberts. Other films such as; "The Opposite of Sex-, "Trick-, "Beautiful Thing-, and "Get Real- all depicted gay ...

• Word Count: 1377
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... but more intense changes. Not only has it changed, but also at the same time, a new family has been created. Families consisting of gay fathers and lesbian mothers with children growing up in an environment that is very different compared to that of children in a traditional family. There are ... our society. I imagine that two mothers would do a better job than one, and the case would not change too much when it comes to gay fathers. Families with both parents pertaining to the same sex can still show their children the same love that a traditional family would. For example, ... There a...

• Word Count: 860
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... hospital, where he eventually died, 5 days after the vicious beating. Murderer's McKinney and Henderson were put into jail. And according to story that appeared on CNN, "McKinney Gets Life in Gay Student's Murder", McKinney admitted to being an accessory to the crime, but he proclaims that he was not part of the beatings and even tried to stop Henderson from repeatedly ... ." The media swarmed these incidents in Laramie, Wyoming. Everyone across the country all the way from the common man to the President used Matthew Shepard has the figure head for gay rights and to help stop "hate crim...

• Word Count: 1479
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... and who homosexuals are have been clearly evident and voiced throughout history. Different cultures view homosexuality in extremely different ways. The rights of openly gay and lesbian individuals are slowly becoming equal to those of heterosexual citizens of the United States. In this paper, I will focus on five ... identical twins share all of their same genes, where as fraternal twins only share about half of their genetic makeup (Corvino 119). "Some gay rights activists have maintained that, by bolstering the argument that sexual orientation is not chosen, the biological evidence w...

• Word Count: 1677
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... why are there two men over there kissing?" This may be becoming one question that a child may ask more frequently now that gay marriages are becoming more "acceptable." Many people find this topic to be extremely controversial. Because America is known as the land of ... by some people throughout my lifetime. Times are changing and currently there is the argument on whether or not "gay marriage" should be allowed to happen. My opinion on this matter is that gay or lesbian couples happiness should not depend on someone else's morals or someone else's religious background. I do ... amendm...

• Word Count: 836
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the best detailed) strongly support the legalizing same sex marriages are; Iowa Representative Ed Fallon's speech to the House in 1996, and an article from the Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples. On February 20, 1996 and Iowa Representative (Ed Fallon) was reading his speech to the House of Representatives discussing why he supports the legalization of same sex ... no threat to the society. There is another argument that I think would help clarify the up more it was written by the co-director of the Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples. He (like others) believes ...

• Word Count: 756
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... family issue. There was one question that is often discussed when people discuss family, and that is whether gay/lesbians can be considered a family. I would have to agree with the argument that gay/lesbians can be classified as a family; the definition does not specify a specific sexual orientation. I think ... that the gays/lesbians should have the same right as any other person. A number of people do not think that gay/lesbians should be able to adopt or provide foster care for children. However, I strongly disagree with this statement because the need fro homes for homeless ... pare...

• Word Count: 342
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... over one million homosexuals in America. There is also 3,850,524 heterosexual unmarried couples in America. The only event that recognizes us is during the month of October which is Gay and Lesbian history month. Not many people are aware that there is such a month that celebrates this. This month commemorates the anniversaries of the first two ... have been rendered invisible, dismissed as asexual, and depicted as unfit parents. Same-sex relationships have been devalued and treated as unworthy of recognition and respect. I believe that we, the gay community should not have to put up wi...

• Word Count: 684
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... and answer to many kids unhappiness because for the thousands of children that are in these orphanages that could easily go home with gay/lesbian couples. These couples are just as capable of taking care of a child as any other parents. Many people argue that it is real interesting ... that gay couples can be foster parents but cannot adopt. What is the difference you may ask well here it is.In foster care the child is ... the child becomes legally available for adoption. Adoption then provides children with a permanent home. Like other adults in this country, the majority of lesbians ...

• Word Count: 413
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family". However, the working definition of marriage is being challenged, and many people feel that marriage should be changed to fit a "gay and lesbian lifestyle". This pressure to change the definition of marriage needs to be considered seriously. If the definition of marriage needs to be changed, what will be the consequences ... natural parents than normal adopters. They might as well be influenced by the performance that is seen in homosexuals. This might than result in the child as being seen as gay, by picking up the ...

• Word Count: 1158
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family". However, the working definition of marriage is being challenged, and many people feel that marriage should be changed to fit a "gay and lesbian lifestyle". This pressure to change the definition of marriage needs to be considered seriously. If the definition of marriage needs to be changed, what will be the consequences ... natural parents than normal adopters. They might as well be influenced by the performance that is seen in homosexuals. This might than result in the child as being seen as gay, by picking up the ...

• Word Count: 1166
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... affects on one's life. For example: military, policeman, and teachers are all types of careers that can be ruined once it comes out that you are gay. While it is true that there should be equality for all, it is not always true due to prejudice. Most people would agree that gays, blacks, etc ... "Liberty and justice" as concepts are universally agreed upon in this country, but whether they are practiced equally in reality is a different issue. Although I do agree that gay's on one hand should be able to live a relaxed and normal life due to there sexual preference, but on the other hand...

• Word Count: 1243
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... cried and spent a whole night talking to her, tried to convince her to give up her belief to become "normal" again. Or when Wai-Tung's mother heard that he was a gay, she couldn't talk, just cried and mumbled to herself. Their reactions were the same and pretty predictable. I think my mother's reaction would be like that or even worse than that ... . If love is defined to be a search for your other half, why it matters that half is male or female as long as you feel happy. However, in our society, gay and lesbian is still considered a sickness. Parents always want good things happen to t...

• Word Count: 1725
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School