Gay Rights

Gay and lesbian

Rights and Benefits

Over the years in America, the existence of Gay men and lesbian women have brought shame to family names and occurrences that anguish towards the gay community. These people have been embarrassed on a public and private scale numerous times and are routinely verbally abused by people in this country. For generations the homosexual life style has been scrutinized and virtually extradited like a criminal instead of treated like a citizen from the worlds most dominate country should be handled. However, as times advanced to the 90's era gays and lesbians across America begin to vocalize their opinions more passionately then ever in their fight for equality.

We cannot accept the view that Amendment two's prohibition on specific legal protections does no more than deprive homosexuals of special rights. To the contrary, the amendment imposes a special disability on those persons alone. Homosexuals are forbidden the safeguards that others enjoy or may seek without constraint." Those are the words of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who expressed his thoughts to the Colorado Supreme Court by writing a letter to overturn the states seconded amendment referendum (bidstrup.com). Amendment two was viewed as a law that was nothing but a cover up to deny equal rights to a politically unpopular group. Fortunately, In 1993 Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment that excluded gays and lesbians from all anti-discrimination laws and policies in the state of Colorado (crf-usa.org).

In the year 2000 the U.S. census bureau recorded 601,209 same-sex unmarried households in the United States(urban.org). That statistic has enormously increased by 314 percent over the past sixteen years, because in 1990 the U.S. Census bureau tallied 145,130 same-sex unmarried household couples (urban.org). Today the U.S. Census bureau has only released the counted amount of gay and lesbian households in the country, but in time when more detailed information is recorded, the U.S. census will understand and know important demographic information about the gay and lesbian community such as, the number of children living in a gay or lesbian household, income per household, racial ethnicity, and other vital statistics surrounding the distinct population.

Unfortunately, for the sake of demographic statistical reasons a small amount of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer cultures have reluctant attitudes towards sexual orientation surveys. However, evidence suggest that the stigmatization of homosexual behavior in the United States is being reduced. The National Health and Social Life Survey(NHSLS) found that 1.4 percent of women and 2.8 percent of men in the U.S. thought of themselves as homosexual or bisexual(glbtq.com). As well as more then four percent of women and more than six percent of men reported they had a sexual attraction to people of the same sex(glbtq.com)

The urban legend myth that gays and lesbians only live on Americas East and West coast are major stereotypes in America. However, U.S. census statistics are steadily proving the urban myth wrong by actual facts. The geographical regions of where same sex couples live are astounding. The choices of residency can range from the big cities to small farming towns. From the deep south to the pacific northwest, gay and lesbian families are part of the Americas landscape. Amongst the fifty states with the highest concentration of same sex couples Vermont, contains the highest population of same sex couples, followed by California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Oregon(glbtq.com). Amongest large metropolitan areas with 500,000 or more people San Francisco, California has highest concentration, followed by Oakland, California, Seattle, Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Austin, Texas. More than a quarter of the same sex couples in the U.S. are African American or have minority backgrounds. States with the highest same sex couple percentage include Mississippi being first, followed by Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland(glbtq.com). States with the highest concentration of Hispanic same sex couples are New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada(glbtq.com).

With the emergence of domestic partnership plans gay and lesbian couples can receive the same services, benefits and opportunities that employers give their married employees. A domestic partner benefit is the same thing as spousal benefit and is broken down into two different categories soft and hard benefits. Soft benefits mostly cover adoption assistance, relocation benefits, child resource and referral services, and lower cost in non health benefits for example. Hard benefits generally include insurance benefits consisting of medical benefits, dental and vision care, accidental death, flexible spending accounts and tuition assistance. The term domestic partners refers to two people in a on going relationship who are sharing a residence, over the age of eight teen, emotionally interdependent, not related, and intend to reside together indefinitely (lgbtcampus.org). The reason domestic partnerships are beneficial and offered are because they make great business sense and also attract and retain the most highly qualified staff, faculty, and students to help create and establish a positive working and learning environment. Currently over 100 universities in the United States offer domestic partnership benefits to faculty which all Ivy League institutions offer domestic partnerships, six big ten institutions, several state dependent universities, and the entire university of California system. Though, employers who agree to domestic partnerships fear domestic partners will in overtly have more expensive health care needs than married heterosexual couples due to the epidemic of HIV/Aids.

On August 2, 2005 businesses that provide discounts, special services or other privileges to married couples must extend the same rights and benefits to same sex couples who are registered as state domestic partners, the California Supreme Court made the decision unanimously(web.lexis-nexis.com). The courts rule will affect a broad range of many different businesses in California such as banks, mortgage lenders, and auto insurers. Mortgage lenders will have to consider the domestic partners joint income in making loans, and insurers will have to offer the same multiple-driver discount they give married couples. Birgit Kobeke, a forty eight year old women who is a sales executive, sued the Bernardo Heights Country Club for refusing her partner golfing and other privileges that are extended to other married spouses. Kobeke called the courts decision "a great victory for California families.",