Gay and Lesbian

Land of the free? Now a day we live in the land of the free in which anyone is to freely choose the way they want to live, and who they want to share their lives with. Yet today regardless of our freedom some people choose to discriminate and judge those with a different style of life because they do not see those different groups equally compatible with their same values in life.
One of the many reason that the gay and lesbian group grabbed my attention, is the fact that they are discriminated every day of their lives, which is something that a lot of people identify themselves with, such as myself. Discrimination has been a part of my life because this country is not my nationality and I have lived and experienced the hate and indifference from other people throughout my life. It is very common in life for people to discriminate others because they are taught at a very young age. Whether it is because of race, religion, sexuality, gender, age, personality or way of life, everyone pre-judges. One of the groups that are commonly experiencing uprising discrimination lately is homosexuals. Discrimination degrades people and makes them feel less of a person because they are not accepted as equal in their community, but at the end we are all human and we are all the same regardless of our differences of value and the way we choose to live. Homosexuals are not different from any other group; they have the same values, dreams, goals and want to lead a happy and productive life as anyone else in this world. Many people think that homosexuals are not capable of having a normal life and family as everyone else because they might encounter emotional obstacles on the way due to their sexual orientation. However, despite of the discriminations toward same-sex relationships, research shows that many lesbians and gay men form durable relationships. For example, survey data indicate that between 18% and 28% of gay couples and between 8% and 21% of lesbian couples have lived together 10 or more years. (Sexual orientation and homosexuality) In addition many people are against gay adopting and creating a family because it can affect the child emotionally in life due to the unbalance and the instability of been raised by the same sex. The majority of people consider that a child needs to grow up in life with a male and female role model because their sexual orientation might also be affected. Yet those people do not see the fact that thousands of children around the world grow up without a home and an adult role model because they don’t get adopted due to the laws and prejudice of other people. However, despite of the discrimination as of 2010, National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections reports that 4% of adopted children and 3% of foster children in the United States are living with same-sex parents. (Gay adoption).Every child deserves a chance to be loved and taken care of like everyone else; no matter the differences of the person that is offering that love. Lesbians, gays and bisexuals have different characteristic from other groups, such as the way they dress and act toward the people and environment around them. Patrick, a bisexual friend, which is also part of a gay community group, stated that there are usually two types of homosexuals such as the regular guy, and the extroverted. The regular guy is more layback, looks normal, and everything about him is just like a straight men. The extroverted behaves and acts like a woman in a man’s body, he walks, talks, wear tight clothe, and loves shopping just like a woman. Patrick quoted that “Not all gay men are the same, such as me. Not all gay men act like a woman and know how to cook, wear tight clothes, and love to shop, or sing along with old musicals. Just like every lesbian don’t have short hair and walk around dressed and acting like a man. People all around in the lesbian, gay, bisexual community come in all shapes and sizes. Gay men and lesbians work in a variety of jobs and lead normal lifestyles just like anyone else in this world” . Furthermore in order to qualify for this particular group is by having a different sexual orientation towards the same sex. Usually when an individual has these differences is not by their choice, but by natural causes, such as their genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, but no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. (American psychological association) Overall the research of the particular group of gay and lesbian has showed me how common we all are in despite of our differences and our choices in life. The knowledge that I’ve gained from this group is strength. This particular group showed me how strong a person can be when it comes to standing right beside their needs and believes regardless of the objections of their surroundings. Homosexuals are a strong group because homosexuality contradicts most of our society’s religious beliefs such as the traditional family, and unusual behavior. They come across with major obstacles when it comes to getting married, getting jobs, receiving and giving education, adoption and even so, they still stand strong throughout these obstacles their entire lives. This experience has changed my life a little bit because it has helped me open my eyes more to the reality that we live in. It has helped me see clearly how judgmental is our society. Society now a day cares more about appearances then personality. How are we going to be a better society if we judge the book by its cover, and we are blind to see the good that lie underneath different people? How are we going to trust our society when our society judge the questions instead of the answers of those who are consider different? Who can we trust, if we don’t trust each other? Different or not no one has the right to judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another thing to think that yours is the only path in this world. I have no color prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can't be any worse. ~Mark Twai

Citations "Gay adoption." Gay adoption. Love and Pride, 2011. Web. 27 Jun 2012. <http://www.loveandpride.com/GayAdoption>.
. "Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality." American psychological association. American Psychological Association, 2008. Web. 27 Jun 2012. <http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation.asp&xgt;.

Khols, Patrick. Personal Interview. 6/23/2012.