Government Strategies on Homosexuality - Term Paper Example

Homosexuality Homosexuality Adolescents are under increasing pressure to perform sexually. They live in a culturethat is full of sex and the messages that they get from the media and even from the school clearly communicate an expectation that sex is nothing but a part of their social life. In reality, the youth are never told about the consequences of being sexually active both physically and emotionally. The agenda that defines sexual freedom is also involved in trying to ensure that homosexuality is viewed normally. For this to be possible, the government has to come up with strategies that ensure homosexuals are not victimized by the society. Homosexuality Introduction Adolescents are under increasing pressure to perform sexually. They live in a culture that is full of sex and the messages that they get from the media and even from the school evidently communicate an anticipation that sex is nothing but a part of their social life. In reality, the youth are never told about the effects of being sexually active; the plan that defines sexual independence is also involved in trying to ensure that homosexuality is viewed normally. Given that young people undergo a time of transformation during the adolescents period, most of them are forced to decide whether they are gay or straight by the time they are in middle school. However, while adolescents are guided on how to choose careers during this age, none of them are taught on how to approach the issue of their sexuality. Even though the issue of homosexuality is rampant in the current society, it is surprising to note that the attitudes of most people as far as homosexuality is concerned have remained largely unchanged. In most cases, the attitudes of the society regarding a matter are shaped by the existing government legislations as well as the agility with which people fight for change (Brewer, 2003). In the United States, it has been the responsibility of individual states to establish and implement laws that focus on the process of guiding couples on marriage and the requirements needed for a marriage union to be complete. This has resulted to each state having varied requirements unique to their respective states. In some states, blood tests are mandatory for sexually transmitted diseases, for others it is certain age, other forbid marriage among cousins, and some follow common law on marriage while others do not. In the present, there are some states that consider same sex marriages as legal while others prohibit the act and do not recognize unions between people of the same gender. In such situations, the issue relies solely in the role and responsibility of the government in addressing the issue. Despite the continuous efforts by the government to address the issue of homosexuality, it is sad to note that very little has been done to address the issue among the youth (Brewer, 2003). Primarily, the subject of homosexuality has elicited immense religious, political and secular debate in different parts of the world including the United States. The concern for same sex relationships has taken center stage and it has been given attention but like abortion, it is still a complex topic, debatable and cannot be easily open to compromise. This is because; the states in the U.S. have specific choices: they can legalize same sex relationships or they can ban it but in other states it is recognized. This makes it hard for young people to decide whether to come out in the open regarding their sexual orientation or stay in the closet for fear of stigmatization (McKie, & Callan, 2011). Although the government might be willing to address the issue of homosexuality in the society, there is a big challenge because it is bound by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) law even in states where homosexuality is legalized. The law is being implemented and as much as efforts are being made to repeal it, there are several lawsuits that the courts have declared as being unconstitutional. In addition, like any other change, changing the culture of people is challenging especially because it can cause distress to a large percentage of people. In particular, the distress can be immense when a key building block of the society has its structure altered and in this case, the family. More so, when the change involves changing matters associated with human sexuality, it causes disorientation. Given that homosexuality is an issue that can cause distress to the society, the government has the responsibility of ensuring that the society is in harmony and for that reason, it has to develop ways to respond to the issue of homosexuality especially among adolescents (McKie, & Callan, 2011). The other reason why it is important that the government responds to the issue of homosexuality is that it has led to the division of Americans. First, Americans have either supported or rejected homosexuality depending on their age. On their part, the young people tend to support homosexuality while the elderly have either rejected it or shown symmetric division in their support for the issue. Secondly, homosexuality is an issue that has divided Americans on the basis of political affiliation. A large section of the democrats have shown support for homosexuals, the Independents have shown slight support, while most of the Republicans have rejected it. Religious background has also played a role on the issue with conservatives showing strong opposition, as liberals, secularists and progressives supporting it. Geographically, the issue of homosexuality has gained support on the northeast, while the west coast showing an even split, and rejected by the rest of the country. If such divisions are not addressed, they can lead to other disastrous events and that it why, having efficient strategies to deal with homosexuality is fundamental (Olson, Cadge, & Harrison, 2006). Putting into perspective the detrimental effects that the debate on homosexuality can have on the society, the federal government has the responsibility of developing measures that should be used to eliminate or minimize possible problems resulting from the homosexuality debate. According to Cline (2012), the federal government should uphold the Constitution which mandates equal rights for all citizens. Being guided by that principle, the federal government should first permit states to define homosexuality laws based on principles. Changing Attitudes The continuing debates homosexuality has influenced the society’s viewpoints on the issue in that, there are those that support it and others have condemned it. Surveys have shown that, urban young, religious, and educated females tend to support same –sex marriage more than the older, less educated and less religious males from the rural parts of America. In addition, the legislation of same- sex marriage in America has triggered acceptance of homosexual marriages the nation. Apparently, there has been a rapid shift in the perception of homosexuality by the American society whereby, people have shown more tolerance for homosexuals. The support has also been broad –ranged to include both the young and the old, students, urban and rural residents, males and females alike (Price, Nir & Cappella, 2005). Given that the adolescent stage is critical in defining sexuality, it is important to ensure that the societal attitudes are changed to avoid sending the wrong signals to the adolescents. Particularly, religious institutions and other groups should desist from engaging in activities that can harm the other members of the society. For example, when the issue of homosexuality came up, the Catholic Pope- John Paul II- categorically said that the government should stop same sex marriages because they harmed the family and the society at large. As much as such responses focused on protecting the Christian families and societies, they encourage homophobic responses and this makes it hard for the homosexual youth to come out and declare their stand on their sexual orientation (Cline, 2012). In most cases, the prevailing culture in the society is what determines whether people will be proud of whom they are or not. This is the same case with homosexuality in the society in that having the wrong attitude towards homosexuals makes it hard for them to come out in the open and declare their stand. Although the societal attitudes towards homosexuality has been changing, there is still some individuals who are uncomfortable with homosexuals and this makes it hard for them to come out in the open and declare their stand on their sexual orientation. In all this discussion, the government has a critical role in ensuring that the existing debate on homosexuality remains objective. This can be achieved by not only passing legislations but also by ensuring that there are no homophobic attacks on those who come out in the open to declare their sexual orientation. Doing so will encourage homosexual adolescents who suffer in silence for fear of stigmatization to come out and declare their stand. This should be done especially for the church, which for long has been leading campaigns against homosexuals in the society. This has forced most young people to shy away from coming out in the open about their sexual orientation and this has led them to become frustrated to a point of committing suicide (McKie, & Callan, 2011). References Brewer, P. R. (2003). Values, political knowledge, and public opinion about gay rights. Public Opinion Quarterly, 67, 173–201. Cline, A. (2012). Pope John Paul II and Homosexuality: Do Gays Have a Place in the Catholic Church? (2012). Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/popejohnpaulii/a/homosexuality.htm McKie, L. & Callan, S. (2011). Understanding Families: a global introduction. New York: SAGE publishers Olson, L., Cadge, W. & Harrison, J. (2006). Religion and Public Opinion about Same-Sex Marriage. Social Science Quarterly. Vol. 87 (2), p.340-360 Price, V., Nir, L., & Cappella, J. N. (2005). Framing public discussion of gay civil unions. Public Opinion Quarterly, 69 (2), 179–212. Read More