Category: LGBT

Abstract

The author explores various aspects of transgenderism in sports, related problems that arise in athletes, and the influence of gender on sport career success. The significance of the paper for science is associated with a large number of prejudices associated with people of non-traditional orientation. In case of successful research, further discussions will be triggered, which will help change attitudes towards transgender athletes. The difficulties in the field under study are primarily due to the relatively recent beginning of coverage of this problem, and therefore the number of existing studies in this area is still not very large. The methods used in the study include literature analysis and comparison. As a result of the study, a conclusion was made about the influence of belonging to a certain gender and the main problems faced by transgender athletes were identified.

Introduction

In recent years, the problem of participation of transgender athletes in competitions of various levels has appeared and is steadily progressing in modern sports, including in high-performance sports. This issue is also relevant for the continental and World championships and the Olympic Games. The problem of transgender people previously existed in the social, cultural, religious, and psychological planes at the level of numerous scientific discussions and favorite topics of the media. In recent years, it has moved into the practical reality of sports, where sports functionaries of various levels needed to respond quickly and concretely to the sports community to the difficult challenges of today in world sports. This is a difficult job, involving clinical and sports psychologists, geneticists, biochemists, endocrinologists and gynecologists, lawyers and specialists in many other fields. It continues today, but has not yet brought a clear, unambiguous, accepted by all, answer to the question of the status of transgender athletes in modern sports.

Background

Among the successes in resolving the subject of transgenderism in society, medicine, psychology and sports, scientists include the exclusion of transgender issues from the sections of psychiatric diseases, and their inclusion in the section of psychological problems of a person (Dubon et al., 2018). This solves a lot of social, legal and medical issues on this issue. Due to the research, the International Olympic Committee has revised its requirements for the diagnosis, correction and definition of transgenderism in sports (Flores et al., 2020). It abolished the requirements for sex reassignment surgery, forced hormonal medication, determination of the athletes’ gender by medical, including laboratory/genetic means. It also revised the level of testosterone in the blood of female athletes, taking into account the problem of the presence of hyperandrogenism of different genesis in a number of them.

Previously, before scientific research, in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), transgenderism was considered as a gender identity disorder and was considered a mental and behavioral disorder. However, on May 25, 2019, this was canceled by the WHO decision (Dubon et al., 2018). The latest version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which will come into force from January 2022, states that transgenderism is used to describe people whose gender identity differs from the gender recorded at birth (Dubon et al., 2018).

The process of their adaptation, not only in society in general, but also in the sports family, is complicated. This is due to the fact that in modern science, the modern terminology and classification of transgenderism and transgender people have not yet been fully developed. The special literature on this issue is replete with diverse terms, of which there are already several dozen. This is misleading and controversial, not only for non-specialists, but even for scientists dealing with the problem of transgender people and transgenderism (Richardson & Chen, 2020). A small part of the special terms from the scientific literature includes: agender, androgen, bigender, cisgender/cisgender-woman/man, Female to Male (FtM), Male to Female (MtF), Gender-fluid (Gender-Fluid), bodily dysphoria, mental gender and many others.

In order to properly understand the special terminology that will be used in this paper, a number of definitions will be given and the most commonly used terms that will be used. They are necessary to describe and characterize transgender athletes, with reference to a number of modern, authoritative sources. The interpretation of definitions such as gender is deliberately omitted in order not to complicate the main points of the study presented in this paper.

It is necessary to start with an explanation of the term “transgenderism”. Accorfing to Dubon et al., “transgenderism is a mismatch of gender identity (internal psychological feelings) or gender expression of a person with a gender registered at birth” (Dubon et al., 2018). In other words, “transgenderism is a mismatch of a person’s gender identity in relation to his biological sex” (Richardson & Chen, 2020). The opposite is the term “cisgender” or “cisgender” (from Latin. “cis” – “on this side” and Eng. “gender”) which is “a gender identity denoting people whose social gender coincides with the biological gender” (Dubon et al., 2018). A transgender athlete can be considered a person who, as a result of a sex correction procedure or operation, officially received the status of a person of the opposite sex (Richardson & Chen, 2020). Athletes who have chosen a different social gender without undergoing hormonal and surgical correction are also considered transgender.

The scientists believe that in this issue, the key point is the concept of “self-identification”, i.e., how a person themselves, at their psychological level, evaluates their own self (Flores et al., 2020). At the same time, a person in the body of a man or a woman can be at any stage of the path of their gender identity. They themselves must determine and designate for other people or organizations their belonging to a specific gender. Today, this is the basis for the fact that the IOC and a number of sports federations of the world require a transgender athlete to make a timely written statement about it.

Scientists distinguish 2 large groups: men who feel like women, and women who feel like men (Flores et al., 2020). Hence the manners of behavior, the preferred type of activity and a lot of actions related to this. Therefore, it was possible to choose two terms for this study. These are Female to Male (FtM), or biological by gender women who consider themselves men, and – Male to Female (MtF), biological by gender men who psychologically identify themselves with women (Dubon et al., 2018). The available statistics indicate the dominance of MtF-transgender athletes in modern sports of the highest achievements. The number of FtM transgender athletes is still insignificant with a small number of victories in professional sports.

Male to Female (MtF), or “from man to woman”, is a term, in general terms, talking about the vector of transition of a given personality at the moment. Most often, these are representatives of the biologically male sex with many of its components, but psychologically identifying themselves with a woman. This term is actively disputed and condemned by various groups and scientific trends investigating these problems (Richardson & Chen, 2020). Nevertheless, it appears to be the most convenient and understandable for the materials of this paper among the existing ones. In turn, the reverse of the previous one, the term Female to Male (FtM), or “from woman to man”, indicates the transition from a “female” essence to a “male” one (Dubon et al., 2018).

Discussion

International sports organizations are responsible for ensuring equal conditions for participants. Most sports competitions are classified by gender – male and female. This means that the competition criteria for these two categories should be clearly defined (Richardson & Chen, 2020). There is a sufficient amount of evidence that testosterone, produced by the body naturally or artificially injected from the outside, provides significant benefits of athletic performance. This imposes an obligation to ensure fair and meaningful competition within the framework of gender classification in the interests of a wide class of female athletes. Mixed sports competitions are held, as a rule, in those sports in which gender differences do not play a significant role in the manifestation of sportsmanship. Among them are equestrian sports, mixed combined relay, mixed triathlon, shooting and other sports.

The problem of ensuring fair competition in sports is constantly in the spotlight. Along with the adoption of anti-doping measures, the issue of the need for gender verification is increasingly being raised. It is perceived very ambiguously due to objective doubts about the reliability of screening tests, insufficient elaboration of the problem of intersexuality, as well as ethical and legal aspects of stigmatization of women based on the results of laboratory testing. After the decision of the International Olympic Committee to transfer the authority to regulate the conditions of admission to sports competitions to the relevant sports federations, some States are trying to develop their own approaches to their regulation (Dubon et al., 2018).

The US experience looks rather contradictory in this sense. On the one hand, it is due to the increased attention to the protection of the rights of sexual minorities that have a pronounced political connotation. On the other hand, it is influenced by the historically broad legislative powers of the states. In 2016, the Obama administration signaled that in order to comply with the provisions of federal legislation on non-discrimination, it would monitor and prevent the establishment of restrictions on sports in educational institutions in accordance with the redefinition of the concept of gender as gender identity (Dubon et al., 2018). Donald Trump refused to follow this example, which is why individual states and the private sector retain sufficient freedom to choose their own course (Flores et al., 2020).

This initiative does not interfere with the consistent implementation of a policy of non-discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity at the federal level. It led to the adoption of the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation on September 20, 2019 (Flores et al., 2020). Its developers noted that various groups of transgender citizens, including athletes, were subjected to constant and widespread discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Therefore, it became necessary to adopt a clear and comprehensive national solution to this problem. The reason for this was seen in the absence of explicit prohibitions of discrimination based on gender identity in accordance with federal law, including in sports.

The emphasis on the physiological aspects of this problem was also made by legislators, who referred to a number of studies. The key change was the broad interpretation of gender in industry legislation (civil, financial, labor, educational, etc.), which became gender identity. This, in turn, required the legislative consolidation of the relevant categories in international sports. The category of “gender identity” includes identification with a certain gender, appearance, demeanor or other gender characteristics of an athlete, regardless of their gender at birth (Flores et al., 2020). As a result, the concept of “gender” includes a sexual stereotype, sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual characteristics, including intersex traits (Richardson & Chen, 2020). At the same time, it is stipulated that such a perception or belief has legal significance, even if it is inaccurate.

The question of whether identity, rather than biology, will determine the category of gender in sport has been raised, but not resolved. It is unlikely that this situation will radically change the new legislative approach to determining gender. At least for the moment, biological men who identify themselves as women cannot automatically benefit from such self-identification. They cannot fit into that category. Rather, it is about the opportunity to challenge and undermine the arguments in favor of adherence to the biological sex in sports.

Replacing gender with gender identity contradicts the institutional mission of sport, where it is impossible to arbitrarily make a transition from one category to another or completely get rid of classifications. Indeed, there is a need for careful consideration and harsh criticism of acts of discrimination based on gender. However, without an adequate separation of the sexes, it is impossible to create equal opportunities for athletes in sports, and to increase the social status of transgender people.

In general, it can be stated that transgenderism in sports is part of a very important legal and ethical problem. It does not have an unambiguous solution both among the public, including sports, and among representatives of legal science.

Conclusion

The idea of eliminating discrimination against the transgender community is increasingly taking over the world and penetrating into sports. Even the presence of transgender people in the men’s competition causes big problems. Combining the rights of genetic women and transgender people seems to be a much more difficult task. Currently, the issue is far from being resolved, international sports organizations have not developed uniform requirements for the admission of such participants. Therefore, the answer to the question of who transgender people will compete with still does not have a clear design: only two resolution paths are presented. The first option is that for people with sexual development disorders, sports competitions will be held separately, which is unlikely. Due to the second option, which already takes place in a number of cases, athletes under the reasoning about a wide range of norms are infringed in their rights. As in other spheres of human activity, it is necessary to reach a certain consensus in the sports industry. In particular, its achievement is especially necessary on such sensitive issues affecting transgender people competing on the world sports arena.

References

Dubon, M. E., Abbott, K., & Carl, R. (2018). Care of the transgender athlete. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 17(12), 410-418.

Flores, A. R., Haider-Markel, D. P., Lewis, D. C., Miller, P. R., Tadlock, B. L., & Taylor, J. K. (2020). Public attitudes about transgender participation in sports: The roles of gender, gender identity conformity, and sports fandom. Sex Roles, 83(6), 382-398.

Richardson, A., & Chen, M. A. (2020). Comment on: “Sport and transgender people: A systematic review of the literature relating to sport participation and competitive sport policies”. Sports Medicine, 50(5), 1857-1859.

Introduction

Women have always competed with men but generally stuck to their gender group. However, this has now changed because of the involvement of transpeople in women’s sports, making women and girls feel pressured. Biological and social benefits force fewer and fewer women to participate in the “big” game. It also leads to social stratification and even more transphobia.

Arguments

First of all, it should be considered the IOC rules and how they changed through years and why. It started with a change in 2003 when the IOC only allowed transgender people to participate in the Olympics. At first, the rules were strange and incomplete, but now many believe that they are absurd because they continue to preserve the advantages of transgender people over women.

Second, a study of testosterone levels shows that the existing IOC rules are not correct. Testosterone in transgender women is used for different purposes than in cisgender women: for example, it goes to muscle and lung strength times more than in women. This proves that biological advantages are not erased during the hormonal transition and continue to affect speed and endurance. This is not fair and is seen as an additional injustice.

Third, the social aspect of transpersonal participation in women’s sports significantly affects teenagers and children. Many states have been found to redistribute quotas from the “girl” pool for transperson athletic scholarships. Sociologists have found that this affects children’s desire to participate in games and to continue playing sports such as running or soccer. Also, in big sports, the news of a transperson on a girls’ team is perceived more sharply, despite the outcome.

Counterarguments

The main counterargument of proponents of transpeople participation in women’s sports is that there is no proven link between biology and endurance. Much research on testosterone and hemoglobin levels confirms otherwise, and this argument does not work. Proponents also argue that no man would want to experience a gender transition to outshine women. However, cases of gender transition to get into women’s spaces (e.g., prison or women’s locker rooms in schools) prove that the chance is relatively high.

The article entitled “Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy” deals with the newly established rules that govern the participation of transgender sportsmen in the Olympic movement. The updated regulations place the decision to let transgender sportsmen take part in the competition in the hands of the national governing body or, in the absence of such, of a sport’s international federation. In cases where no coherent international federation policy has been established, the IOC’s policy criteria apply.

For taking part in 2022 winter and spring championships, IOC requires transgender sportsmen to provide documentation to the CSMAS four weeks before the start of the events. It must be recorded within the documentation that the sportsmen have been taking testosterone suppression treatment for at least one year prior to the competitions they want to take part in. Besides, transgender sportsmen must have a test showing a one-time serum testosterone level below the one established as a criterium foe a particular sport.

Starting from August 2022, transgender sportsmen, apart from providing documentation that meets the 2010 NCAA policy regulations, must meet the standard for documented testosterone levels at the start of their competing period and six months later. To take part in NCAA championships they must also provide documentation testifying to the fact that their testosterone level is below a certain criterium.

Starting from august, 2023, transgender athletes must provide medical documentation twice a year, at the start of the competitions and half a year after. The IOC called for additional flexibility in considering whether transgender sportsmen may take part in the competitions provided that they meet the newly adopted standarts.

Works Cited

Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy. HCAA. Web.

Introduction

Many individuals depend on sports for livelihood, motivation, and entertainment. The field of professional competitive sports provides individuals with fame, financial awards, and strong feelings of achievement. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) and World Athletics management exist to promote inclusivity and fairness in sports. However, the emergence of transgender participants in competitive sports causes meaningful debate worldwide, especially in female sports. Despite various claims in favor of gender inclusivity in sports, the physical peculiarities of gender-specific hormones will never let the competition between transgender and cisgender competitors be fair.

Inclusivity versus Fairness

Allowing transgender people to participate in men’s and women’s sports promotes inclusivity but jeopardizes justice. Harper et al. support the necessity to maintain impartiality in sports for the right people to receive credit (867). However, allowing transgender professionals to participate in women’s and men’s tournaments significantly compromises fairness. Bianchi claims that gender issues mostly affect female sports because having masculine traits gives transgender women benefits similar to doping (337). Tiffany Abreu and Stephanie Barrett are volleyball and archery professionals allowed by the IOC to compete with cisgender women directly (Richardson). Nonetheless, the guidelines cause more disquiet than peace, eliciting the need for a lasting solution to the issue.

Strength Advantage

Transgender women’s increased body strength and mass make it unfair for them to compete with cisgender women in the same sporting categories. According to Harper et al., “transgender women’ have muscular benefits even after the testosterone-targeted hormone therapy” (467). Jones et al. report that an individual’s body strength depends on the testosterone hormone level (705). The IOC sets the recommended testosterone level for transgender women to participate in female games for inclusivity and fairness. However, Harper et al. suggest that hormone treatment on transgender women boosts estrogen intensities but leaves the characters sturdier than the cis women (471). Therefore, relying on therapies and IOC recommendations does not offer a compelling answer but leads to endless court cases that make the situation more difficult.

Hormone Therapy’s Inefficiency

After receiving hormonal therapy suggested by IOC, transgender professionals still have the advantage of a skeleton structure and hemoglobin levels. Bianchi links skeletal muscle strength to increased physical activity, thus refuting the possibility of competitive fairness among transgender women and cisgender women (236). According to Richardson and Chen, humans develop body features during puberty, with most developed features, such as physical strength and stronger skeletal structure, irreversible (1858). The researchers insist that fairness is realizable if hormone therapy occurs before puberty. Subsequently, the point that almost all correctional therapies among trans-sport persons occur post-puberty means that no current intervention promotes fairness. As a result, many professional sportspeople undergoing hormonal therapy are disqualified. For example, Castor Semenya, a long-distance runner, was barred from the competition for high testosterone levels (Streed and Sieger). The aspect reiterates the need for an additional sporting category for transgender persons with time.

Defense and Rebuttal

One of the arguments in favor of transgender sportspeople’s participation in the competition is that the IOC explicitly allows such participation if transgender people take hormone suppression therapy. For example, Harper et al. note that the IOC rules allow transgender female competitors with serum testosterone intensities at ten nmol/L for a year to participate equally with the natural women (869). However, evidence shows that even one year of suppression therapy does not bring the expected results, claiming only a 5% change in hemoglobin levels (Ivy and Mitchell). Moreover, the therapy itself disrupts the complicated and challenging process of hormone replacement therapy. For this reason, the existing guidelines on transgender people’s participation in competitive sports do not provide a solution, making the competition unfair for both transgender and cisgender people.

Conclusion

Sporting participation should be categorized based on gender to promote fairness. Establishing specific competition categories for transgender sports professionals will avert the current disputes concerning the group’s involvement in men’s and women’s games. Equally, the strategy will reduce the potential bodily harm caused by hormone therapies to transgender people. Lastly, introducing a just platform in sports promises to end social branding resulting from the current unfairness in sports.

Works Cited

Bianchi, Andria. “Transgender Women in Sport.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 44, no. 2, 2017, pp. 229-242.

Harper, Joanna, Lima, Giscard et al. “The fluidity of gender and implications for the biology of inclusion for transgender and intersex athletes.” Current sports medicine reports, vol. 17, no. 12, 2018, pp. 467-472.

Harper, Joanna, O’Donell, Emma et al. “How Does Hormone Transition in Transgender Women Change Body Composition, Muscle Strength and Hemoglobin? Systematic Review with a Focus on the Implications For Sport Participation.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 55, no. 15, 2021, pp. 865-872.

Ivy, Veronica and Chelsea Mitchell. “Why Are Transgender Opympians Proving So Controversial?” The Economist, Web.

Jones, Bethany Alice, et al. “Sport and Transgender People: A Systematic Review of The Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies.” Sports Medicine, vol. 47, No.4, 2017, pp. 701-716.

Richardson, Andrew, and Mark A. Chen. “Comment On: “Sport and Transgender People: A Systematic Review of the Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies”.” Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no.10, 2020, pp. 1857-1859.

Streed, Carl G., and Jennifer Siegel. “POV: Cheering a More Inclusive Olympic Games.” BU Today, Web.

Gay’s rights should be respected because in the US they are never allowed to serve in the army. Christians believe that being gay is a sin and it is very wrong since it undermines their moral values. After the Second World War, movements were started, which were determined to fight for the rights of the gay. They should be recruited openly in the military as the European countries do.

According to the equal employment opportunity commission, there should be no discrimination in employing, promoting or discharging people. This means that applicants for a job should be selected fairly regardless of their color, sex, religion or background (Bruce 1998).

The commission has established uniform guidelines to enhance selection of the applicants without any type of discrimination. They are usually in form of valid tests and selection strategies. All applicants should go through a background check for the position offered. Therefore, the employer should not focus only on specific groups like the Muslims to undergo intense security checks. Clearance must be processed equally regardless of the applicants’ race, religion or origin.

In the EEOC commission, states have separate laws that control the inspection of background employment. In case the background information shows that the applicant was guilty; he or she is not supposed to be automatically removed from the consideration (Bruce, 1998).

Government agencies know that a diversity program will help them achieve their goals and objectives in managing a diverse workforce. Their work is to design a new diversity program, but the crucial thing in creating diverse and excellent employees for tomorrow starts with a powerful leadership obligation and wisdom of where the agency is currently. Successful diversity plans rely on placing the agency first.

The government agency must be fully committed to the diversity program as well as readiness of the agency to move ahead. This is because commitment is the basis for achieving and maintaining a diverse and powerful workforce (De Pree, 1989).

Proper information should be incorporated in the agency employees planning models so that they are available in hiring, recruiting and retaining the workforce. The government agencies should fully comprehend their existing demographic status.

To do this, an employees’ profile is required, which should have a full image of their workforce and the way diversity has been reflected especially in the main occupations. Lastly, the government agencies manage a diverse work force by examining the developments and plans in the workforce. They are able to find out skills gap and wants as well as formulating a series of planning procedures.

Government agencies have the following in the non-discrimination act: the employer should not refuse to hire an employee because of his or her employment privileges or conditions. Secondly, the employing department should not buy genetic information concerning the employee.

Besides, any generic information concerning the employee should not be disclosed by the hiring department, unless the employee permits them to do so. Lastly, the hiring department should not put the generic information in the main files, rather, it should be put in the medical records since that kind of information is very confidential.

Workforce is not only made of two genders; males and females, it also includes the LGBT, that is, lesbians, gay, bisexual as well as transsexual.

This class has always been discriminated especially in the work place. There is one bill that highly supports this class of people, known as, Employment Non Discrimination Act, because its aim is to end discrimination against sexual orientation, which includes the gays and lesbians.

Reference List

Bruce, S. (1998). Television Ads invite gays to change. Conservative news service in-depth. Web.

De Pree, M. (1989). Leadership is an Art. New York: Doubleday Business.

Introduction

The word lesbian encompasses a description of intimate and passionate longing between two females and t is also used to describe female persons who are set apart as having the principal element of female homosexuality (Castle 2). The term is also used to refer to attributes of an entity or action associated to female same-sex longing.

Lesbian as a theory, to distinguish women with a common sexual preference is a creation of the 20^th century. Much as this form of homosexuality has come out in many civilizations in the course of time, not until in recent times has the term ‘lesbian’ referred to a set of individuals (McCormick 6)

Towards the end of the 19th century, sexologists brought to the fore their findings on same-sex longing and grouped lesbians in the West as a distinctive group. Consequently, women who found out their new sexual orientation came up with secretive social groups mainly in the larger Europe and America.

A further expansion of this term was to come up in the 1970s. Various historians have been studying relationships between females from times gone by and have queried the criteria used to group an individual(s) or an association as lesbian (McCormick 6). From this, three aspects of categorizing lesbians have emerged and they are; sexual behavior, sexual longing and sexual individuality.

Men have over time came up with opinions on what is upright for females in love, intimacy, and due to the nonexistence of males in a lesbian association, often rebuffed the likelihood of the practice discounting it as a legitimate reference to sexuality.

The various forms in which lesbians have been depicted in the media gives an impression that the Western society has on a larger scale been both appalled and intimidated by these women (Castle 4). There is also an aspect of fascination by lesbians from some quarters.

The lesbian women on the other hand give accounts that suggest a grouping that can be likened to an ethnic or tribal association. They are brought together by the bias and probable denunciation they may face from their families and other people (Doan 9). Due to the fact that they are female, the challenges they encounter are unlike those of men.

Construction of lesbian identity

For a good number of females, the apprehension that they got involved in acts that qualified to be described as lesbian led them to refute or hide it. There existed an effervescent homosexual way of life by the 1920s in Berlin. Up to fifty lesbian clubs existed and these women had publications in the form of magazines up to the early 1930s (Doan 10).

The clubs involved both the big set ups that attracted even tourists to smaller establishments for the locals mainly. What actually popularized Berlin as the center for lesbians was a book done by Ruth Margarite by the title ‘The Lesbians of Berlin.’ Surprisingly, homosexuality was a crime in Germany, though it was given the leeway since some acts were permitted by the law enforcers who took the chance to catalog the names of transvestites for future reference.

The 1920s represented a period of societal trialing especially in matters dealing with sex in the United States. It came after the famed Sigmund Freud’s publications which suggested that intimate desire is deep seated within a person and that one can never get to fully ignore this longing (Doan 11).

There was a conception that sexual acts were an element of lesbianism and their relations and experimentation was prevalent. The cities with lively nightlife were the most well-liked with women seeking sexual escapades. Bisexuality became the in thing especially in America’s first homo localities like Harlem.

Greenwich Village also experienced an expanding homo society. Just like Harlem, it offered furnished apartments for single men and women which was a key aspect encouraging advancement of these places as hubs for homosexuals. Greenwich was mainly for male homosexuals while Harlem was for women majorly (Castle 8).

The prime element essential to promote lesbians to come out in the open and look for other females was financial autonomy. However, this faded away in the 1930s during the Great Depression (Castle 8). Most women found it essential to get married to a gay male and end up in an arrangement where both parties were free to go on with their homosexual escapades with caution.

Current issues of lesbians

The invisibleness of lesbians that had developed from the period following the Second World War has progressively worn away since the initial 1980s. Part of the cause is popular people and celebrities that have caused rumor and other suggestions in the media concerning their sexual orientation and lesbianism as a whole.

The most memorable such person was Martina Navratilova on whom speculation was rife until she finally accepted that she was indeed bisexual (McCormick 13). She had great achievements on track but her sexual orientation also caused even more attention. It was an open secret that she had relations with other notable women like Judy Nelson and Mae Brown.

As time went by, lesbian visibility increased even further with the year 1994 being the most notable. Various popular magazines published tales of popular women admitting sexual escapades with other women. Analysts reasoned that the lead up to this was that lesbians had become more appealing generally since they had shed off political affiliations of the past (Doan 17).

The occurrence of intimate activities between two females as the yardstick for classifying a lesbian still continues to elicit various debates. Naomi McCormick who is a famed women’s rightist and writer says that the sexuality of women is by and large make up by men, whose key pointer of lesbian is intimate acts with other females (McCormick 15).

Nevertheless, the same pointer is not required in distinguishing a woman as heterosexual. The writer continues that poignant, psychological and ideological associations between female individuals are as vital as or more so than the venereal.

Even so, during the 1980s, a considerable interest group rebuffed the decasualization of lesbianism by prominent feminists, resulting in a fiery debate referred to as the Sex Wars. Lesbians who were noticeably masculine and female roles were once again back even though not as firmly adhered to as they were in the 1950s period (McCormick 15).

They turned out to be a form of selected sexual self-articulation for a number of females in the 1990s. These individuals once again experienced safety and comfort as they believed strongly that they were more sexually audacious and took sexual tractability as an acceptable way of life.

The focal point of this discussion mostly is on a development brought to the fore by Pepper Schwartz, a renowned sexologist. He established that long-run lesbian couples admitted to having less intimate contact than straight persons or gay male counterparts.

Nevertheless, lesbians query the research’s classification of intimate contact, and have over the time brought in other elements such as profound ties being real between females that make regular intimate relations uncalled-for, better sexual flexibility in females making them to shift from straight persons to epicene to lesbian several times in the course of their lives (Castle 12).

Further debates on sexual category and sexual predilection individuality have had an effect on how women look at themselves. Almost everyone in the world is now trained that heterosexuality is an inborn feature in all persons. Thus, when a woman finds out that her intimate and desirability to a fellow female, it is highly likely to result in an experiential crisis (Castle 13).

A large number of those go through this usually take up the personality of a lesbian and defy what the social order has presented in typecasts about same sex intimate and emotional relationships.

Lesbians and especially those in the West partake in a uniqueness that corresponds to those based on ethnicity. They have collective times past and social grouping and same understanding with bias which has resulted in a majority of lesbians rebuffing heterosexual standards over time.

This distinctiveness is exclusive from gay males and sexually straight women and thus stems up uneasiness with bisexual females (Doan 18). Social experts have reiterated that in most times conduct and personality do not equal.

Many women may tag themselves sexually straight but have sexual escapades with other women, self made out lesbians may get intimate with men and in some cases women may establish that what they deemed an unassailable sexual individuality has transformed with time. A piece published in 2001on distinguishing lesbians for therapeutic study proposed distinction of lesbians by way of the three qualities only which are; personality only, sexual conduct only, or the use of both (Castle 13).

Works Cited

Castle, Terry. “The Literature of Lesbianism: A Historical Anthology from Ariosto to Stonewall.” Columbia University Press, ed.2003.

Doan, Laura. “Fashioning Sapphism: The Origins of a Modern English Lesbian Culture.” Columbia University Press, 2001.

McCormick, Naomi. “Sexual Salvation: Affirming Women’s Sexual Rights and Pleasures.” Praeger Publishers, 1994.

Homosexuality as a lifestyle and sexual orientation has been documented in nearly all civilizations throughout the ages. The practice has bore heavy condemnation in many societies which uses religious connotations to justify that homosexuals not only go against the laws of nature, but they willingly or unwillingly defeat God’s purpose of procreation (Kinsey et al, 1998).

Recently though, the practice seems to be gaining acceptance in predominantly modern societies across the world. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate how historical and scientific standpoints on homosexuality continue to shape the way gay people perceive themselves.

Religion and heritage are two historical perspectives that have contributed immensely towards the development of a worldview that homosexuals are evaluated in society especially in regard to sexual behaviors (Kinsey et al, 1998). In religion, it is known that ancient Greek and Roman cultures habitually engaged in homosexual affiliations.

The Christian religion, however, censured homosexual relationships, arguing that it was unchristian and ungodly to engage in the practice despite its mention in the Holy Bible (Siker, 1994).

In early societies, religion was greatly intertwined with the state, and therefore the Christians used their muscle to introduce a legal system that criminalized homosexuality (Rathus et al, 2005). This standpoint makes individuals with homosexual tendencies to live in conflict of fulfilling their natural body desires on the one hand and going against the law on the other.

Cultural heritage is yet another historical perspective that shapes the way homosexuals perceive themselves. In many traditional cultures, there exist clearly cut gendered roles for both males and females, and the family is considered as the primary social unit. Anything that is practiced outside the gender roles designated by society is considered unacceptable (Rathus et al, 2005).

Specific gender roles in nearly all civilizations across the world lay the foundation and regulations for what is right and wrong for both genders especially in regard to sexual orientation. Homosexuality is viewed as culturally unacceptable, and hence individuals exhibiting gay orientations are left with no basis to exercise their sexual orientations whatsoever (Kinsey et al, 1998).

Apart from the historical perspectives, a multiplicity of scientific factors such as gene, hormonal compositions, and brain differences influence the way homosexual individuals perceive themselves. This paper will discuss the brain difference factor. Scientific research has revealed differences in neuropsychological and neuroanatomical reaction in straight and gay individuals (Pinel, 2007).

Such evidence-based discoveries insinuate that an individual’s sexual tendency may be premeditated by biological factors outside his or her control. This perspective qualifies homosexual orientation as a natural behavior that is dictated by biological factors. A gay individual following this standpoint will not feel any guilt for his sexual orientation since he understands too well that there is nothing much he or society can do to change the scenario (Siker, 1994)

The experience of adjusting as a gay individual through openly stating your sexual orientation is not an easy one for homosexuals as they are stereotyped and looked upon as unnatural beings in most societies (Kinsey et al, 1998). Many homosexuals are met with negative connotations of going against the very tenets of culture. As such, many homosexuals prefer to engage in clandestine relationships.

Due to breakdown of cultural standards, however, more homosexuals are feeling safe to state their sexual orientation and express their true identities, including formally legalizing their gay relationships (Siker, 1994). Indeed, many gay people have now formed organizations to spearhead campaigns for equal rights amongst people with different sexual orientations, may they be heterosexual or homosexual. However, fear of rejection after coming out to state your sexual orientation still remains a challenge for many homosexuals.

The historical and scientific perspectives have helped me understand my sexual orientation in addition to assisting me understand the sexual orientations of others. Culture and religion continues to reflect heavily on my sexual orientation since these two perspectives continue to hold that it is only acceptable to engage in heterosexual relationships.

However, the scientific perspectives have greatly assisted me to understand why we appear to have a crash on members of the same sex as I personally experienced when I was in high school. All in all, tolerance for different sexual orientations can be advanced by clearly understanding the perspectives.

Reference List

Kinsley, A.C., Pomeroy, W.B., & Martin, C.E. (1998). Sexual behavior in the human male. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press

Pinel, J.P.J. (2007). Basics of Biopsychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

Rathus, S.A., Nevid, J.S., & Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity, 6^th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

Siker, J.S. (1994). Homosexuality in the church: Both sides of the debate. Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press

Homosexuality has been a huge topic of discussion in most social forums and political debates. Specifically, homosexuality is being discussed in all forms of media including television, magazines, books and the likes; however, homosexuals being a minority group in the society, many people view homosexuality in various ways.

Through the years, many people in different societies have come to understand homosexuality but still, there are a few people who view the sexual orientation as weird and unnatural (Byer 386). Through the divergent perceptions evident in almost all societies, homosexuals have been stereotyped along various social parameters, thereby wrongly shaping the perception of people to how gays should be viewed.

Homosexuality has a huge role in the way society defines gender roles and this outlines the framework to this study because it defines the impact homosexuality and the media has on our understanding of gender.

Homosexuality changes the way we analyze gender in terms of sexual orientation because it encompasses a person’s sexual, romantic, affectionate and emotional feelings towards people of the same gender, as opposed to people from different genders (Byer 386). Many people believe that homosexuality is a choice or lifestyle people choose, but research studies point out the contrary by stating that homosexuality is brought about by psychological factors underlying a person’s personality (Byer 386).

However, this study does not seek to dig deeper into that debate because it exposes the fact that homosexuality tries to change the way we understand gender because it redefines gender roles in relationships. In some aspects, homosexual couples play various male and female roles seen in conventional relationships, even though they hail from the same gender. In other words, homosexuality poses a threat to the conventional way we view male and female gender roles in the society.

The influence of the media in our understanding of gender comes at whatever age, thanks to the volumes of television programs we watch, both as children and as adults. These programs consequently shape how different sexes and gender roles are represented in the society. Research studies cited in (Shapiro 3) affirm this fact by stating that: “the majority of television programming presents the sexes in traditionally stereotyped roles.

This covers a broad area including programming aimed at adults, children and including television commercials”. Moreover, it is plausible that the imitation children do from watching certain television programs shape the way they perceive gender or understand gender role development and it goes without saying that the way media perceives homosexuality plays a big role in the way the society understands gender in this context.

Since the media greatly defines how the society views homosexuals, it is important to analyse how the media plays a role in shaping our perception of gender and homosexuality. In this regard, this study will focus on the most basic forms of media which shape homosexuality in the society and how they are able to project a given image about homosexuality to influence our understanding of gender altogether. Through this analysis we will analyze the media’s portrayal of homosexuality viz a viz politics, television and movies.

Politics

In the 21^st century the issue of homosexuality has been a hot topic of discussion, especially in the policy formulation process of various governments.

For instance, In the 2004 American elections, former president Bush and rival John Kerry had to state their stand on homosexuality but in other zones of the world, leaders have also been grappling with the same issue; with notable places like Uganda, in Africa, where homosexuals have been banned by the government and civilians maim homosexuals because of the stigmatisation associated with it (Shapiro 3).

With all these political undertones associated with homosexuality, the media has been at the centre stage in the whole drama. For example, many presidential hopefuls have in the past been faced with the dilemma of either legalising same sex marriages, or not, and their decisions have been beamed throughout local and international media.

The American set up especially provides a good platform for the analysis of this issue, in the Bush vs. Kerry presidential contest where voters who were against same sex unions sided with Bush while those who were sympathetic to homosexuality sided with Kerry. Unlike most elections around the world and indeed in the history of the US, homosexuality has been brought to close focus and it can actually seal the fate of presidential hopefuls, depending on the society they hail from.

The role the media plays in this matter is actually bringing to fore the issue of homosexuality as one of a high moral and ethical concern, since it instigates debates at the highest form of government. However, in the past, homosexuality was portrayed by the media (and in other social forms) as just an issue that plagued the society because it was never regarded as important as other issues in politics, such as a politician’s stand on economy, racism and the likes.

However, in as much as the media plays a role in bringing the issue, not only to national focus but international focus, it still remains dehumanising to the gay community the way the media reports on homosexuality, without sensitivity (Shapiro 4). Upon close analysis, it can be said that the issue of homosexuality is now being used by candidates to garner votes by declaring a popular stand in the issue (against their opponents) instead of debating about the issue per se and how it affects the society or the public for that matter.

The media has heightened anxiety over the issue further by covering the activities of gay rights movements and similar organizations, as well as politicians’ take on the matter, thereby exemplifying the issue above other moral issues of similar magnitude. Recent articles on homosexuality published in magazines such as The Advocate have essentially changed the way homosexuality should be perceived because they publish biased views on the topic and indeed about sex union marriages.

This development has a direct effect in the way society views homosexuality because their perception is influenced to think on the more liberal view of homosexuality (Shapiro 5). In this regard, the perception of the public is inclined towards the view that gender roles can be switched and indeed, gender should be analyzed from a more liberal point of view. Probably, for many people, this influence implies that there is a lot to gender equality than probably meets the eye.

However, more conservative media publications and religious organisations tend to sway the perception of the public to think on a more morally conscious way. By representing the issue of homosexuality as a matter of public interest, the media is succeeding in dividing the general populace into two: one side advocates for homosexuality while the other is against the concept.

This fact even exceeds the political divisions to the matter because it has dragged people who were apathetic to the matter to take a stand on homosexuality, even though they do not really care about the issue in the first place (Shapiro 5). The media on the other hand has been unrelenting in keeping the public busy on the matter through various forms of media including the internet, television and newspapers by asking the public for their views on the matter.

It therefore becomes almost impossible to ignore homosexuality even if you wanted to, because the media has a strong power of persuasion and controversy which has been unrivaled over the decades. In recent times, its power in politics through an exemplification of the matter has been highly critical in all forms of media. For example, even before a politician opens debate on homosexuality, the media would often demand for the politicians’ stand on the matter.

Nonetheless, a significant part of the controversy comes about because the issue comes with a high moral and ethical significance in almost all societies. With regards to how the public should perceive the matter, Miller (6) reports that: “In the media homosexuality was shown as impersonal, and it divided the viewers based on their opinions over what should be done about it” he further affirms that “….the opinions still stand. Through the media, politics has brought the issue of homosexuality to an inescapable new level” (6).

Television

The 21^st century has brought with it many different perceptions in the way we view contemporary issues in the society, but with the change, new issues have also arisen. As evidenced in this study, homosexuality is such an issue. Television has changed the way homosexuality is perceived because it has transformed the issues from a taboo topic to make people openly talk about it, and in the same way, provided a forum where homosexuals can talk about it (Tipton 2).

In close relation, many television producers have come up with more television programs which have gay personalities but the coverage is still evolving as the years go by. Perhaps the first television show to give an insight into the life of a homosexual was MTV’s “The Real World” which first aired in 1992.

This program first hit viewers as a shocker with many people wondering why the producers would air such a show in the first place; however, as the viewers got to know the television personalities at a personal level, they came to a conclusion that homosexuals were just like everybody else (Tipton 2). Because of increased coverage, homosexual relationships have become more common and many people are not shy to talk about it as compared to the past.

The MTV reality show, “The Real World”, still remains a pioneer in changing the perception of people to how they view homosexuality, because it revolved around the lives of 7 people (who were the main characters), and every season came with the promise of airing at least one homosexual individual out of the 7 individuals (Shapiro 9).

However, “The real world” was not the only program that forecasted the life of homosexuals, the sitcom “Will and Grace” was also another common program which highlighted the life of two homosexuals but who didn’t share a sexual relationship with each other (even though they were very close friends). The sitcom showed the character Grace, cohabiting with Will, even though she was heterosexual and Will was a homosexual.

The way they cohabited together and her acceptance of Will’s sexual orientation showed the changing perception of the society on homosexuality, while the household set up where the two characters (Will and Grace) cohabited gave an insight into the gender roles both play, with regards to their sexual orientations.

Conversely, viewers pick their roles as synonymous to their sexual orientations but more importantly, these roles shape the way the society views gender roles similar people with the similar characteristics are supposed to have.

Another common reality television program that brings homosexuality to fore is “Survivor”, especially when the once famous character Richard Hatch won the coveted winner’s price. Richard exemplified homosexuality to international limelight by making an assertion that his win was brought about because of his life as a homosexual (Shapiro 9).

This assertion goes into the minds of the viewers as a plus for homosexuality because it was depicted as giving some positive attributes, despite the ethical and moral concerns that surrounded it. However, amid all the intrigues on homosexuality in television programs, it can be evidently seen that the media is trying to come out strongly as a neutral entity that does not discriminate on homosexual individuals.

For instance, in the latest season of the “Real World”, two homosexuals have been put on cast (which is a deviation from the usual one person) (Shapiro 12). However, one of the homosexuals cast was more flamboyant and therefore fit the stereotype attributed to homosexuals, but the other was very conservative, which also came as a shocker to the other participants because they never thought homosexuals would be that reserved (Shapiro 12).

This assertion also reflects the perception the society has on homosexuals, because to a significant degree, the perception held by the other participants in the program, reflected what the society thought of homosexuality and the stereotypes associated with it, since they were socially tuned to think in that manner. However, the media’s role in this analysis tends to be more liberal because it shows a different side of homosexuality, through a lack of flamboyance of the other character in the program.

Nonetheless, televisions shows which highlight the life of at least one homosexual are many because the media has broken the once existent impulse of the way society understood homosexuality and its concerns. Comprehensively, television has redefined the way the society thinks of homosexuals and the gender roles they play in the same context.

This is true because homosexual characters have been observed to live together in conventional set ups, while their roles in the society is the same, even when they are interacting with people of different sexual orientation as is seen by the viewers. This was never thought of homosexuals before because there was a widely held perception that homosexuals were weird people who never led normal lives.

Movies

It comes not as a surprise that today; many movies with homosexual themes are being churned by the week (considering increased media coverage of homosexuality and its antecedents). From these movies, many gay themed movies have busted into the spotlight and are now receiving a lot of media coverage than ever before.

Nonetheless, the messages contained in these movies represent the views of Hollywood, and unfortunate or otherwise, they are very different from each other (Ribeiro 3). This exposes the liberal nature the media tries to attribute homosexuality.

When analyzed closely, movies which have the theme of homosexuality tend to portray the true picture of homosexuality but mainstream movies tend to be biased. Also in the same light, some movies portray a very negative picture of homosexuality while others paint homosexuality in a positive light and beckon the society to be more accommodative of the concept (Ribeiro 3).

This great divide however represents how the media has transitioned in its depiction of homosexuality over the years with the latter representation depicting the current status of media perception while the former represents the past representation of homosexuality by the media.

Previous movies tended to cast minor characters to represent homosexuals, and the biased opinions about homosexuality tended to abound in that context because the movies emphasised more on the stereotypes which had already been generated by the society (Ribeiro 3). Some of the movies which had strongly come out to perpetrate wrong stereotypes on homosexuality were the likes of “Mean Girls”, “As Good as It Gets” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding”. However, this has changed.

To portray the transition the media has held of homosexuals, we can see that in the movie “Mean Girls”, Damien, who is played by Daniel Franzes, represents the flamboyant attitude people thought homosexuals had because he was very colorful and seemed to be more interesting in what the girls were doing, or not doing, despite the fact that he is male (IMDa 2).

When analyzed in relative terms, the movie tried to portray the fact that homosexuality for gay men meant identifying more with the feminine side. This was further manifested in the way he acted, talked, and gesticulated like a woman, but the film even made this stereotype worse by portraying that his favorite attire was a pink polo shirt, which was easily associated with feminism (IMDa 2).

This represented the previous perception the media tried to hold of homosexuals. More examples could be seen from the movie series, “As good as it gets”, where Simon who is a male persona but a homosexual, was also depicted as having a lot of feminine attributes. Moreover, he had a tiny dog (a character which is usually associated with feminism) and because he was a painter but liked to garden, the movie portrayed him as an outright homosexual.

Also, in the movie “My Best Friend’s wedding”, George, a male homosexual, who was played by Ruppert Everet was extensively depicted as having a lot of touch with his feminine side (IMDb 2). He had a flamboyant laugh, which was typically feminine, and his liking for the Song “I say a Little Prayer for you” manifested his feminine side even more (IMDb 4).

These were the roles the media tried to portray of homosexuals in the past, basically by reversing gender roles. In that sense, the media tried to portray homosexual males as women trapped in male bodies and lesbians as men trapped in female bodies. In real sense, these depictions were nothing but stereotypes and they probably reflected nothing of what the gay community is in the world today. From an analysis of current movie productions, the media seems to have realised just that.

However, some of the inspiration to show homosexuals as a reversal of gender roles may have stemmed from a commercial base because homosexual personalities in movies tended to capture the audience a lot and therefore, movies which had such characters were bound to sell more and probably the producers were just enforcing what the personalities thought of homosexuality.

Research also affirms that only less than 16% of homosexual men befitted these stereotypical depictions in movies while less than 6% of women fall in the same category as well (Shapiro 18). The stereotypical way of portraying homosexuals as flamboyant personalities with a lot of feminine connotations to their character was a reversal of gender roles but this has changed with current movie productions.

Currently, gay movies depict the true picture of homosexuals and tend to portray the true gender roles homosexuals have in their community. More so, this is depicted in homosexual-themed movies. Shapiro (18) affirms this fact by stating that:

“Unlike mainstream movies, homosexually themed movies often portray gays in more human aspects. They look deeper into the lives of homosexuals and open a door into their thoughts and feelings, not simply focusing on what they wear or look like”.

Some of the most common gay movies that fit into the category of homosexually themed movies are like “Angels in America”, “Beautiful thing” and “Big Eden”. “Angels in America” tends to highlight the 1980s era when Aids ravaged through the gay community, but basically, it gave an insight into the spectrum that exists in the gay community today. The depiction of male personalities in the movie was not like previous movies because it showed homosexuals as masculine people (for gay males), and feminine, for female gay characters.

In real sense, the movie showed the true diversity which exists in the gay community today and even portrayed the same in the professions that the characters were engaged in; for instance, in the movie, there were lawyers, nurses, doctors and other professionals; just like it exists in the real world.

The movie therefore showed homosexuals as normal people with normal dreams, fears and ambitions, just like everyone else. This shows the real and emotional side of homosexuals despite the erosion of this perception by previous movies (Miller 2).

“Beautiful thing” and “Big Eden” also represent homosexuals in the same way and even though they focused more on the homosexual relationships of the characters, the characters were represented as normal people, except for the fact that they choose to have relationships with people of the same gender. Once again, we are shown the real picture of homosexuals, in that, they have the same types of fears and feelings, just like normal people do, only that they share these emotions with partners of the same gender.

Conclusion

With all the conflicting stereotypes about homosexuality in the society and the media, it is important for people to step back and look at the big picture with regards to gender roles in homosexuality and not merely follow what mainstream media depicts as the real representations of gender in homosexuality.

Homosexuality here plays a vital role in understanding gender in the 21^st century because it seems to change the conventional paradigm associated with heterosexual relationships by advancing the idea that romantic, passionate and emotional feelings can be shared with people of the same gender. The media portrays the same, though it used to do so, in a biased way, by reversing the roles associated with different genders in homosexual relationships.

Too often, people were led to think that homosexuals acted in a certain way, dressed in a given manner, or thought in a peculiar way, but now the media seems to change the same perception by depicting gays as just normal people; only that they choose to have sexual relationships with people of the same gender. Homosexuality though depicted as a reversal of gender roles is therefore not different from any other kind of relationship.

In our understanding of gender in this study, we can therefore come up with an assumption that homosexuality gives a more liberal sense of gender because it breaks away from the perception that certain genders can only do certain roles associated with their gender.

In other words two males can carry out the same roles a man and a woman can and two women can carry out the same roles as people in a heterosexual relationship would. Nonetheless, homosexuality and the media shape our understanding of gender, in that, gender is much more liberal than people think.

Works Cited

Byer, Shainberg. Dimensions of Human Sexuality. London: Brown & Benchmark, 1994. Print.

IMDa. Mean Girls. 2004. Web.

IMDb. My Best Friends Wedding. 2004. Web.

Miller, Burham. Why Do We Judge Based On Sexuality?. 2004. Web.

Ribeiro, Luisa. Why Hollywood’s Newfound Fondness for Gays Isn’t Necessarily a Cause for Celebration. 1998. Web.

Shapiro, Adam. Portrayal of Homosexuality in the Media. 2010. Web.

Tipton, Newton. American Television, Reality Shows. 2010. Web.

“For decades, most big cities have had a district that was understood to be the place to go if you were gay — the West Village and Chelsea in New York City, Dupont Circle in Washington, the South End in Boston. Men and women who had kept their sexual orientations hidden reveled in the freedom to live openly as gay”^[1]. The gay city (or a gay neighborhood) is an urban location with its frontiers where many gay, lesbian and also bisexual people live and develop their community.

Castro Gay Village in San Francisco is one of the most popular ones, and it is also considered to be the San Francisco’s most popular place for tourism, recreation and rest. It is also one of the safest districts of the region and a much cleaner than the rest ones. Indeed, it is a very friendly neighborhood. However, these days, the process of urban gentrification which, affects the lives of people and enhances the property values, raises fears among the gay leaders concerning the preservation of their gay community.

They provide the idea that the process of urban gentrification may result in losing their distinct identities.^. In other words, in their view, the gentrification is forced by heterosexual couples arriving in the district and starting their business there, thus, Castro ceases to be a “gay ghetto” and loses its identity becoming “an ordinary district” of San Francisco. In this paper, we are going to explore the peculiarities of the process of an urban gay gentrification and its consequences.

Before 1970’s the gay cities haven’t been developed. There existed so called “gay social network” and small gay communities were located in certain urban areas, clubs, etc., under the surveillance of the police. In 1969, the police raid a private gay bar Stonewall. It led to disturbances in the neighbor areas. Thus, the first gay ghettos appeared and “an alternative lifestyle flourished in San Francisco”^[2]. Today, there are many gay cities that are called “gay-friendly oasis” surrounded by hostile city.

These districts are adjusted to the needs of their inhabitants. They have many establishments, such as gay pubs and bars, restaurants, etc., “by representing a degree of social control by the gay community, such places created the feeling of being a safe haven against risk of discrimination and/or violence”^[3].

When the gay cities have just developed, the process of gay gentrification began. It was caused by the fact that gay cities were much “cozier” and safer. Moreover, in such “communities”, people felt more comfortable and more opportunities were opened for them. So scholars assume that there are there explanations of gay gentrification (gentrification theories).

The first one is the rent-gap theory. It presupposes that “gentrification occurs because developers sense the profits that can be made by acquiring cheap properties”. ^[4] The second theory estimates that gentrification was caused by consumer demands and the third theory provides that gay gentrification was provoked by demographic shifts, such as “the postponement of marriage and childbearing, the increased number of single women, and the desire of gay men and lesbians to carve out a space free from oppression”^[5]

The Castro Village in San Francisco is one of the largest gay cities in the USA and, “currently, one-third of The Castro’s residents identify themselves as gay or lesbian, compared with 13 percent citywide. Gay activists say it is important to maintain communities that gay people feel safe in and consider their home”^[6].

The Castro Village was one of the first gay cities in the USA. The first local gay activist Harvey Milk became a City Supervisor and fought for equality of human rights for the gay minority of San Francisco. Thus, the city was an important place for cultural and political activities. Today, it is more “tourist” and calm place, rather than a “venue” for political activities.

In the light of gentrification, one of the most important questions is “Will the Castro remain gay or take on another new name and new set of immigrants?”^[7]. The gentrification of the gay cities is constantly catalyzing in the modern society that seeks for globalization and economical welfare of the society. This process affects the social and spatial characteristics of the city while providing changes into the national economy:

“Places such as the Castro area of San Francisco or the West Hollywood district of Los Angeles have played a significant role in the evolution of a gay subculture. And the gentrification of districts has created distinctive urban landscape”^[8].

However, these days, there is a threat of destruction of this subculture in the city, as many heterogeneous couples seeking for better living come and stay in the city. One of the reasons of this tendency is that society became tolerant towards gay, lesbian and bisexual people and their communities.

In some areas and countries, the marriages between man and man or woman and woman were legalized. These days, people do not need to hide their sexual orientations, consequently, they do not need places where it can be possible and they can live openly. The gay leaders have different points of view in the influence of the urban gentrification. Some of them consider that it vanishes away the gay identity and gay culture, others consider it to be a great breakthrough in the fight against racism and inequality of human rights.

The gentrification is a popular term applied to the social and cultural “shifts” or displacement. It is the result when well-off people settle or acquire property in working class communities. Thus, the price of property, housing and taxes rises that makes “former inhabitants” leave the community.

As a result, the live of community can cease, or a new community can develop. The urban gentrification may change the character of the community while making it more economically consistent. This process is a part of the new economy of globalization. Apart from economic changes, there are many cultural ones. In general, the process of urban gentrification is a positive one and enhances an economic life of the city, but it is also can be regarded as a negative one, as it affects lives of individuals and communities.

Speaking about gay urban gentrification, many scholars claim that it can lead to development of new consumption space and stimulate the increase of the gay identity:

“The production of San Francisco’s Castro as a gay neighborhood, for instance, could be read as a fairly straightforward account of gentrification, given the in-migration of higher-income residents, the renovation of housing stock and enhancement of property values, and the development of new cultural and consumer spaces”^[9].

Thus, the new urban “face” can be regarded as more compatible with some peculiarities of the gay and lesbian lifestyles. Indeed, the politics of gay gentrification is more complex. Apparently, not all gay people are engaged in the gentrification process. The result of a “selective” gentrification is that it is a “class-rooted” process.

Apparently, the gay communities are multicultural, but there are still some racial and class prejudices and the communities are still skewing toward white well-off population, “when it is combined with the social activism that helps construct gay and lesbian identity against social oppression, gentrification begins to seem like a geographic as well as social strategy of identity construction”^[10]. So, we can come to a conclusion that a gay community is rather conservative one, though:

“Evidence of the geographic variability of gay and lesbian identities in the United States suggests that urban – and, in different ways, rural – spaces are significant for the formation of sexual identities”^[11].

Many scholars assume that in the core of the gay gentrification is the “the community activism” that is aimed at providing various services and access to housing which will enable the encouragement of the “constitution of gay and lesbian identities”^[12], but at the same time it can clear the class boundaries.

Thus, we can come to a conclusion that the process of urban gay gentrification is a coin of two sides. In the one hand, it has a very positive influence on the development of the economics of the country and provides the economic welfare of the communities. Moreover, many scholars assume that gentrification is a considerable “step forward” in the fight against racism, class prejudices and inequality of human rights.

Thus, these days, gay and lesbian people do not need to hide their sexual orientation and, as a consequence, there is no need for the “gay ghettos”. On the other hand, many gay leaders claim that gay gentrification provides the destruction of the gay identity. At any rate, the gentrification is an important part of the progress.

Bibliographies

Castells, Manuel. The Power of Identity. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004.

Duncan, James S., Nuala Christina Johnson, and Richard H. Schein. A Companion to Cultural Geography. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. “Gentrification”. Web.

“Gay Neighborhoods Worry about Losing Identity”. 2007. Web.

Pacione, Michael. Urban Geography: A Global Perspective. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2009.

Scholten, Pauline. “The Next Generation (1995 through Today)”, Castro CBD. Web.

Smith, Neil. The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City. New York: Routledge, 1996.

Tonkiss, Frank. Space, The City and Social Theory: Social Relations and Urban forms. Cambridge: Polity, 2005.

Footnotes

1. “Gay Neighborhoods Worry about Losing Identity”.
2. Manuel Castells. The Power of Identity. (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004), 273.
3. Michael Pacione. Urban Geography: A Global Perspective. (New York: Taylor & Francis, 2009), 383
4. “Gentrification”.
5. “Gentrification”.
6. Pauline Scholten, “The Next Generation (1995 through Today)”, Castro CBD.
7. Scholten, n. p.
8. Pacione, 383
9. Frank Tonkiss. Space, The City and Social Theory: Social Relations and Urban forms. (Cambridge: Polity, 2005), 109.
10. Neil Smith. The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City. (New York: Routledge, 1996), 102.
11. James S. Duncan, Nuala Christina Johnson, and Richard H. Schein. A Companion to Cultural Geography. (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004), 324.
12. Smith, 108.

Introduction

Due to the increased acceptance and changing societal perceptions towards same sex marriages, many gays and lesbians have opted to become parents through adoption. In addition, with the current legalization of the practice in some global communities, more so in some states in the U.S., for example, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California, the practice is spreading at a faster rate than many anticipated.

Although the practice has received immense support from a section of the society, adoption bodies, and civil unions, the safety and future wellbeing of children brought up by gays is questionable; same sex relationships or marriages being a practice detested by a bigger section of the contemporary society.

Yes, every citizen has a right to enjoy their democratic freedom and fundamental rights; however, what if such rights infringe innocent children’s rights or jeopardize to a greater extent the security and future wellbeing of children? Further, although homosexuals deserve equal rights to have family, homosexuality goes against the traditional family structure, which brought homosexuals into existence.

Hence, although individuals may give which form of justifications to support the homosexuals’ quest to adopt children, practically, the issue is morally wrong, because as research studies show, the traditional family structure plays a very crucial role in upbringing of children. Considering this, and for the well growth of children, in environment that nurture them to fit properly in the ever-changing societies, societies should completely ban the idea of homosexuals adopting children (Reckers 1).

Why Homosexuals Should Not Be Allowed To Adopt Children

Primarily, the process of adoption entails taking responsibility and ensuring that children enjoy their fundamental rights; hence, in formulating any adoption laws, one thing that most legislators assume is that, it is the wellbeing of children that is as stake and not the satisfaction of foster parents’ wants. Yes, no one should be denied the rights to adopt children; however, what if the conditions under which such children will thrive are not conducive for their wellbeing?

Children have a right to grow under good parental care, which should be coupled with environments that encourage development of their personality. Although most supporters of homosexuality may argue that, even gays can be good parents, so long as they have all the supportive resources, most of them rarely take into consideration the degree of acceptability and effects of the practice on the wellbeing of children’s future behavioral orientations.

Psychologically, children learn by coping from their next kin and surroundings; therefore, it is of great significance for parents to expose their children to morally acceptable and cherished values; which, same sex marriages rarely provide. It is very illogical to for parents who are homosexuals to encourage their children to be straight and expect their children to follow such an advice, when the nature of their relationship opposes that.

On the other hand, as research studies show, as compared to heterosexuals, homosexuals have high suicidal, depression, and violence tendencies. Therefore, considering the significance of the traditional marriages in providing children with the necessary developmental support, it is important for societies to ban the concept of homosexuals adopting children (Scruton Para. 1-4).

Another reason why homosexuals should not adopt children is that, homosexuality exposes children to numerous developmental problems. Most children reared by homosexuals are never proud of their parents, because most of them fear intimidation from their peers. This can be very detrimental to a child’s development of children’s personality and sociability; hence, the tendency of most of these children being gloomy.

Yes, homosexual parents may provide secure environments for leaning to take place; however, can they provide the nature of lessons children learn from their peers? The answer is no, because parental love only sets the foundation for development of good personality traits, whereas the environment shapes any trait developed.

Chances of most children with homosexual parents being bullied in school or being victims of stress are high, because even children know or have been though by their parents that homosexuality is not a morally acceptable practice. Therefore, to facilitate the development of health relationships between children, fro purposes of insightful learning to take place, the society should encourage the adoption of children by traditional types of families (Saletan 1).

In normal societal environments, the main significance of a family is procreation, for purposes of continuation of the human species. This is a concept, which homosexuality does not embrace, because practically, it is impossible for homosexuals to sire.

Therefore, the idea of allowing homosexuals to adopt children can greatly jeopardizes the wellbeing of the society, because homosexuality limits people’s ability to procreate. Although most proponents of this idea oppose this notion by arguing that, the society has enough numbers of heterosexual to populate the world, encouraging the idea of homosexuals adopting children can greatly erode this significance of a family unit.

In addition, because in most cases most homosexual relationships lack the concept of procreation, most of their relationships are unstable. Hence, by supporting the homosexuals bid to adopt children, it means that that society has accepted to put more children at a higher risk ending up in foster homes, instead of getting them out of foster homes (Rekers Para. 16-19).

Conclusion

In conclusion, although every individual has a right to adopt a child, it is important for children fostering organizations to not only consider the amount of resources that an individual has to support a child, but also the nature of environment this child will be reared in.

This is due to the fact that, the wellbeing and health growth of a child depends on many factors, for example, environmental influences; hence, if a child is denied this, likelihoods of that child developing psychological, social, mental, and emotional disorders are high. Therefore, considering the numerous negative influences associated with homosexuality on child development, it is important for societies to discourage the idea of allowing homosexuals to adopt children, by banning the practice completely.

Works Cited

Reckers, George. Same sex marriage: not in kid’s interest. Zenit-Rome. 2005. Web.

Saletan, William. Adopting premises: the sneaky debate over legalizing adoptions by gay couples. The Washington Post. 2002. Web.

Scruton, Roger. This “right” fro gays is an injustice to children. The Telegraph. 2007. Web.