Social Diversity free essay sample

Even in the military, these individuals experience discrimination. Therefore, the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy was put in place to protect gays and lesbians. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) individuals are unique and have unique needs in terms of civil justice and equality. The LGBT population comprises a diverse community with health concerns, civil liberty needs and family planning anxieties. They must also deal with paranoia, isolation, depression, and others being homophobic due to their sexual orientation. The issues surrounding personal, family, and social acceptance of sexual orientation can place a significant burden on mental as well as physical health for those in the LGBT community. (Clarke, 2010). Some individuals go as far as contemplating suicide to actually completing suicide because they feel they are less worthy than people of heterosexuality. If these individuals were more accepted in society, more information would be attainable to increase programs to meet the unique needs in these communities. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Diversity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page LGBT people must deal with prejudice and discrimination when trying to obtain health care in hospitals and certain religious-based clinics and hospitals. (Sember, 2006). In the LGBT community, sexually transmitted diseases are often more widespread than in communities where the LGBT population is lower. Currently in the United States, blood donation centers will not accept blood donated by gay and bisexual men. The same goes for men who have ever had even one sexual experience or contact with other men. Gay and bisexual men are excluded regardless of their individual sexual histories or HIV risk. Current policy establishes different standards for behaviors that pose similar (or greater) risk of HIV transmission; it has been criticized, as stigmatizing and discriminatory to gay and bisexual men. (HHS, 2012). Currently, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is conducting studies to examine the policy banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood. HHS(2012) has stated, â€Å"When these studies are complete, the Department is committed to a full evidence-based evaluation of the policy. If the data indicate that a change is possible while protecting the blood supply, we will consider a change to the policy. (HHS, 2012) Until these studies are complete, the HHS will not consider the remote chance that a gay or bisexual man can donate blood. Literature Review One issue of contention in the LGBT community is the issue of raising and/or adopting children. LGBT individuals and couples become parents in a variety of ways, including adoption, foster parenting, donor in semination, surrogacy, and having children from previous heterosexual relationships. The law governing family relationships varies significantly from state-to-state. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2012). Currently, in the United States, Utah, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana have laws where same sex couples are barred from doing joint and/or second parent adoptions. Nebraska, Utah, and Mississippi have laws barring same-sex couples from even being a foster parent. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2012). Being there is a lack of loving, stable foster homes in America, it would be beneficial to these states to allow LGBT couples or individuals to foster children and provide stable homes for these children. Some people believe that children of homosexual parents are at greater risk for sexual abuse, pedophilia, or other mistreatments. Social scientists have been studying children raised by what society calls â€Å"normal† families and children raised by parents of the same sex for over twenty years. They have noticed there is no difference in the children’s behavior, affect, development, or relationships. What matter the most is whether they are in a loving, nurturing home with committed parents. (Lev, 2004). The American Academy of Pediatrics (2012) recognizes that a onsiderable body of professional literature provides evidence that children with parents who are homosexual can have the same advantages and the same expectations for health, adjustment, and development as can children whose parents are heterosexual. When one thinks of marriage, the first thing that comes to mind is a union between one man and one woman. Marriage in the United States is considered one of the most sacred unions one can enter into formally. LGBT couples are not afforded that same luxury in most states. Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington are the only states that recognize same sex marriages. California recognizes only those marriages conducted between May and November 2008. The states Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that laws prohibiting same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. That ruling was overturned later that year by Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage. In February 2012, a federal appeals court ruled that Proposition 8 violated the U. S. Constitution. But same-sex couples cannot get married in California until appeals, which may go to the U. S. Supreme Court, have been exhausted. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2012). Studies conducted in several countries indicate that better-educated people are more likely to support the legalization of same-sex marriage than the less-educated, and younger people are more likely to support it than older generations. Additionally, polls indicate that people who personally know a gay person are more likely to support marriage than those who do not. The American Anthropological Association (2012) has been quoted as saying: â€Å"The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies. LGBT couples often move to states that are more open to gay and lesbian marriages. They move to states that are not as discriminatory towards their lifestyle choices and they can live in peace with their spouse. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is a federal law that denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and authorizes states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other states. DOMA was p assed out of the fear that a lawsuit in Hawaii would force that state to recognize same-sex marriages. Under the U. S. Constitutions Full Faith and Credit Clause (Article IV, Section 1), states are expected to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. Therefore, Congress was alarmed at the prospect of a gay or lesbian couple being married in Hawaii and then going to another state and expecting that state to recognize them as legally married. In addition, Congress did not want to grant same-sex couples the same federal benefits that are given to heterosexual couples who are legally married. (Clifford, 2012). In states that do not allow marriage of LGBT couples, they are unable to draw Social Security benefits on a partner’s pension plan. Older LGBT couples are at a high risk of economic devastation due to an absence of Medicare benefits afforded to legalized partners. In some states, including those allowing same sex marriage employees offer benefits to domestic partners as well. (Rimmerman, 2000). Employers should strive to maintain equality in the burden of proof required from eligible beneficiaries of employer benefits for both enrollment and audit purposes. Documentation should not be required of partners if it is not required of spouses. Employers particularly concerned about fraud should consider documentation requirements holistically. The California Insurance Equality Act of 2004 requires that health insurance plans in that state treat spouses and domestic partners equally, not only mandating that employers providing spousal benefits must also provide partner benefits, but also precluding employers from asking for documentation for state-registered partners if not also asking for documentation for different-sex spouses. (AAA. 2012). LGBT couples face obstacles when obtaining healthcare for them or their spouses/partners. They often face financial, personal, and cultural barriers when attempting to access health care. This is another vicinity where the Defense of Marriage Act creates an obstacle for LGBT couples. The states that do not recognize domestic partnerships or same sex marriages do not provide employer-provided benefits to partners, therefore some couples are unable to receive health care. They must obtain health insurance elsewhere, often from the individual insurance market, which can be quite costly and put a burden on the couples financially. Transgendered individuals face an even greater obstacle when it comes to obtaining health care or insurance. (Makadon, 2007). It is difficult for them to qualify for health insurance benefits that will fully meet their unique health care needs. Most private and public insurance plans do not cover the cost associated with transitioning from one gender to another. This is quite costly due to the fact there is much work to do before the actual transitioning can take place. They must do psychiatric counseling and evaluations before they begin taking hormones or before they proceed with surgery. Sember, 2006). There is also discrimination at religious-based hospitals and clinics. In some of these places, they will refuse to treat LBGT individuals due to their religious beliefs, instead of medical necessity. Some hospitals go as far as not allowing domestic partners visitation and are left out of important medical decisions regarding their partner. (Clifford, 2012). Conclusion In summation , one can deduce the lifestyle choice of LGBT individuals is not an easy one. They face bullying, ridicule, and discrimination on a national level as well as a personal level. It is a constant battle to gain the freedom and rights that non-LGBT individuals get to enjoy. The United States still has a long way to go when it comes to LGBT rights; however, allowing marriages and domestic partnerships is just a first step toward a greater global recognition that LGBT rights really are core human rights. Secretary Hilary Clinton has stated: â€Å"I speak about this subject knowing that my own countrys record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home. † (ACLU, 2012) It is the hope of many people that the Obama administration’s respect and leadership on human rights issues abroad indicates that the administration will fulfill promises made to bring human rights home. LGBT people are frequently discriminated against in hiring, firing, promotion and compensation decisions. Unjust discrimination against gay and effeminate men as well as lesbians and masculine women is common in the workplace. It is hard to prove discrimination in most cases, but most discrimination stems from people’s ignorance about LGBT individuals and couples. (ACLU, 2012). Most have a fear if they are seen conversing with gays and lesbians, they themselves will be assumed to be gay or lesbian as well. Youths in school face severe bullying for being who they are. While trying to deal with all the challenges of being a teenager, LGBT teens additionally have to deal with harassment, threats, and violence directed at them on a daily basis. They hear anti-gay slurs such as â€Å"homo†, â€Å"faggot† and â€Å"sissy† about 26 times a day or once every 14 minutes. Even more troubling, a study found that thirty-one percent of gay youth had been threatened or injured at school in the last year alone. (AAP, 2012). December 10 is International Human Rights Day. Perhaps spreading the word and educating people about the lifestyles of LGBT people will help people to understand they are human and have needs just like everyone else. Maybe then will people be more open and understanding and the violence, harassment, prejudice, and discrimination will drastically drop.