Homosexual Americans

http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/homsex.html

This website represents the views if homosexuals over time, as not only does it explain key terms associated with homosexuality, it futhermore gives a brief history of homosexuality in the US;

• In 1990, three states Texas, Kentucky, and Michigan repealed their laws outlawing homosexual practices.
• By 2000 28 states, homosexual practices are legal, six outlawed certain "deviate" practices - (sodomy).
• June 2003: 4 states still criminalized homosexual sodomy
• June 2003: Lawrence v. Texas- Supreme Court overturns 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick: States cannot criminalize homosexual sodomy, specifically
• At the present time 87 cities or countries have passed ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Nine states also extend legal civil rights protection to gays.
• 2003: Canadian Parliment "endorses" gay marriage. USA--evenly split?
• But, some jurisdictions (Cincinnati) specifically prohibit laws from being passed that protect homosexuals from discrimination.
• Nationally, a majority of Americans favor the passage of equal-rights laws protecting homosexuals against job discrimination, by a margin of almost two to one - 62% favor, 32% oppose.
• However, two-thirds (65%) also believe that "too much attention is being paid" to the issue of homosexual rights and less than half say that they would vote for homosexual candidate (48%), allow their child to watch a TV program with a homosexual character in it (46%), attend religious services presided over by gay clergy (42%), allow there child to attend a preschool that had homosexual staff members (42%) and see a homosexual doctor (39%).

SO: Most Americans are against discrimination against gays, but admit they would practice it themselves.

I find the bit at the end of this extract particularly interesing as it shows that even today most americans would show prejudice towards gay. This going against the typical liberal american ideas of freedom, liberty ect as a homosexual person wouldn't feel comfortable admitting they were gay incase they recieved discrimination. Therefore showing equality is still an issue in modern day America.

Throughout the website the issue of homosexuality in different aspects of life is explored such as gay marriage, gays in the military, they even discuss the cause of homosexuality. Therefore this represent the views and deepens our understanding of a minority group - homosexuals