Issues besides marriage still important to gay community
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In Zack Colman’s report on gay rights (Gay rights not high on candidates’ 2008 agenda, SN 10/27), it is rather queerious that the only thing that seems to be of importance in the struggle for gay rights is marriage. The piece made it seem like marriage, in fact, is the only thing “gays” are concerned about because the “pressing needs (that) lie in the economy, the war in Iraq and the energy crisis” apparently have no impact on the “gay community.”
What is this fascination with “gay marriage” and why is the question never asked as to why the government (at any level) has the ability to legitimate or de-legitimate relationships? Should not every person be given the plethora of benefits that are currently only provided to a certain type of relationship — that of the supposed monogamous heterosexual couple? Simply adding that part of the gay community seeks marriage does not address the problems with marriage and its exclusive nature or any of the other issues of concern to the various parts of the gay community.
But my purpose is not to get into the marriage debate. My purpose is to ask if the candidates do address other issues beyond marriage that impact the gay community. What are the candidates positions on the funding of research, programs and education around issues of HIV/AIDS? What about federal nondiscrimination in employment and housing or the needs of homeless queer youth? How are these issues, beyond marriage, being addressed by the candidate’s agendas and what is lost by occluding them by focusing on the candidate’s agendas on marriage?
Adam Greteman
third-year education doctoral student
Commentary
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Here's A Question...
(10/27/08 7:43pm)Report
“What are the candidates positions on the funding of research, programs and education around issues of HIV/AIDS? What about federal nondiscrimination in employment and housing or the needs of homeless…youth?”
My question: why make these gay rights issues? Aren’t they human rights issue period?
Justin Lippi
(10/28/08 9:54am)Report
THANK YOU!
Matthew
(10/28/08 10:36am)Report
Here’s an answer: he is asking for a discussion of issues that affect the gay community. Issues that are important to the LGBT voters. This doesn’t make them “gay” issues. I’m Catholic and care about potential SCOTUS appointments. That doesn’t make the Supreme Court a Catholic issue.
Here's A Question
(10/28/08 11:30am)Report
Matthew, the point I am trying to making is why break down issue to those concerning LGBTs, Catholics, Muslim, Jewish, Black, White, Left and Right? The issues Adam touched upon should concern all Americans regardless of race, religion and sexual orientation.
Adam Greteman
(10/28/08 4:07pm)Report
They are human rights issues…but the way in which the “gay rights movement” has positioned certain issues is the issue here…mainstream GLBT organizations (i.e. HRC) focus on marriage rather than other issues that disproportionately impact GLBT persons be that HIV/AIDS and the increase in rates, gender identity discrimination, etc. Millions have been spent to gain access to marriage, money that arguably could have made other lives livable…issues are broken because that is what the political environment demands of us, sees as the way to engage politics…and those of us that would not like to do this…are though politically unsavvy because we don’t buy into the categories.
Justin
(10/28/08 5:20pm)Report
“Here’s A Question”: because if you target all your HIV/AIDS prevention at straight white people thinking it will have thi biggest impact there, it wont do anything
additionally, straight people aren’t often victims of hate crimes due to their orientation, so people fail to see it as an ‘everybody’ issue when it so disproportionately affects lgbt people
Question
(10/28/08 5:56pm)Report
““Here’s A Question”: because if you target all your HIV/AIDS prevention at straight white people thinking it will have the biggest impact there, it wont do anything”
Where the hell did you get that idea from? I was implying the AIDS epidemic affects everyone. And I’m curious are you therefore implying that LGBTs propagate the spread AIDS and no one else? I was under the impression that the LGBT community at large doesn’t want this stereotype to continue or is this some sort of special double standard on their part?
“straight people aren’t often victims of hate crimes due to their orientation”
Hate crimes? Oh why, oh why did you have to bring up hate crimes? I mean what makes a crime against a homosexual more heinous then a crime against someone else? Murder is murder, slander is slander, and so on and so forth. The whole concept of hate crimes is pure, unadulterated bullshit. LGBTs and like claim they want to be treated like everyone else but we have to make and uphold special laws pertaining to just them? Bullshit!
Walk in someone else's shoes
(10/28/08 11:11pm)Report
It is funny that everyone has focused on th comment about HIV/AIDS. Get over it. It is one of many examples. It is a disease that plagues many, including african-american men as they are the predominant population of our prison systems. But lets not go there.
As for hate crimes. Wow. You are obviously a W/M. If you try to claim you are anything else, I won’t even believe you. You are completely clueless what all encompasses hate crimes. You have obviously never been a victim of it nor do you know anyone that has been a victim of it. And I am not referring to just name calling. As of right now, the LGBT community is denied the same civil rights as everyone else; although, the FBI just released statistics indicating that anti-homosexual hate crimes are on the rise.
Most people in the LGBT community, including myself, would just like to be afforded the opportunity to live life with the person we love the same as everyone else. I want to be miserable in marriage, LOL, I want to claim my wife and family on my taxes, I want to be able to see my wife an kids in the hospital, I want to be able to claim my wife on my insurance, and join or finances with the same legal protection as married couples. All the simple things most people take for granted. I don’t care if my rights don’t fall under the biblical term of marriage. A civil union or a demostic partnership doctrine, with the same meaning as marraige under the law, would be just as fulfilling. (And YES, I think civil unions should be applicable to hetro couples as well).
Question
(10/29/08 6:26pm)Report
Walk, I’m all for equal treatment. My problem with hate crimes is that instead of address the issue of equal treatment they actually encourage the perpetuation of segregating society. Why should a crime against the LGBT community carry harsher punishment than if the same crime was committed against a straight person?
I think ultimately some of you misjudged what I was originally getting at. That is that issues shouldn’t be made gay, straight, black, white, yellow, purple so on. They’re concerns to all because we’re all in this together. We’re all equals. And in all honesty, the whole gay marriage issue is just stupid. Really all you guys want are all the rights that go along with living with your soul mate. How that is threatening is beyond me.
LBGT concerns
(10/29/08 6:48pm)Report
LBGT community undermine their own argument by setting up this type of tacitly racist dichotomy. African American men are not the ones responsible for anti-gay public policies preventing you from having equal rights. And just to be accurate, African American women between the ages of 18 – 34 are most at-risk for HIV/AIDS. And African American men are at greatest risk of becoming hate crimes victims. People like you in the LBGT community put out lazy, half-ass arguments, targeting other minority groups instead of the real forces responsible for your discrimination. You can be LBGT and still be a bigot.
Walk in someone else's shoes
(10/29/08 9:39pm)Report
LGBT concerns. How dumb is your comment? I was just pointing out another population of people that is susceptible to HIV/AIDS. In no way did I say that African American men are responsible for anti-gay public polices. How did you even derive that from my comment? Pick and choose what you want to fit your agenda/comments I guess. And where do you think African-American woman are contracting HIV from? Hmmm????
I am completely offended that you think I am targeting another minority group. Your an ignorant ass!
walk in someone else's shoes
(10/29/08 9:55pm)Report
As for HIV/AIDS…my “half-ass arguments” come from the CDC: “the prevalence rate for black men (living with HIV) is (2,388 per 100,000)” while “the prevalence rate for black women (living with HIV) is (1,122 per 100,000).” Hmmmmm…I think black men are two times as likely to be living with HIV than black women. I understand that black women are at a great risk but let the stats speak for themselves!