How America Should React To Ho

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How America should react to homosexuals Many experts agree that homosexuality has existed as long as human beings themselves, although the attitude towards them has undergone dramatic changes in some countries. Accepted by many societies during Greek and Roman era, most of the time homosexuals were considered to be sinners against nature and even criminals. In Medieval and modern periods homosexuals were prosecuted. Enlightenment brought some liberation, substituting death penalty by imprisonment. In Nazi Germany so-called "doctors" tried to "cure" gays by the ways of castration and extreme intimidation. Until 1973 attempts to find a cure against homosexuality, what by majority was viewed as a disease, were continued. Today, when research on twins suggests that sexual orientation is not a choice, but our genetic predisposition, homosexual acts are still considered to be immoral and even illegal in majority of countries and in the eyes of most religious groups homosexuals, probably, always will be the subjects of anathema. As much as the future may look gloomy for many gays and lesbians all over the world, there are remarkable changes in public opinion and officials’ attitudes toward homosexuals in some countries. For example, in 1989 Denmark was the first to allow the same-sex marriage. In the United States the subject of homosexuality remains controversial. For example, In Hawaii three homosexual couples asked the court to recognize their right to get married and the court did. However, the state government refused to legalize this marriage. Consequently, a new amendment was introduced to the state Constitution. At the same time, majority of the states are not even considering this option and homosexuality itself is still illegal there. Still, not only authorities try to determine the position they should take towards homosexuals, many common Americans also have no clear understanding of how to react to homosexuality. Why should we bother to find the answer to the questions: who are the homosexuals and where do they belong in our society? First of all, it is important to realize that homosexuals are an integral part of our society. Your neighbor, your co-worker, your hairdresser, your child and even your spouse can be one of them. According to Richard D. Mohr "[t]wo out of five men one passes on the street have had orgasmic se... ... middle of paper ... ...,1994:246-247. Geraci, Joseph and DonaldH. Mader. "Pedophillia." Encyclopedia of Homosexuality Ed. Wayne R Dynes. Garland Publishing, Inc , New York, 1990: v2, 964-970. Hamill, Pete. "Confessions of a Heterosexual." The Aims of Argument. A Rhetoric and Reader. 2nd Ed. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Chanell: Mayfield Publishing, Mountain View, California,1998: 531-536. Mohr, Richard D. "Gay Basics: Some Questions, Facts, and Values." Taking sides: Clashing Views on controversial Issues. Moral Issues. 4th Ed. Stephen Satris: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc, Guilford,1994:186-194. Nickel, Jeffrey. "Everybody’s Threatened by Homophobia." The Aims of Argument. A Rhetoric and Reader.2nd Ed. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Chanell: Mayfield Publishing, Mountain View, California, 1998:527-530. Schuklenk,Udo and Tony Riley. "Homosexuality, Social Attitudes Toward." Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Editor-in -Chief Ruth Chadwick. Academic Press: San Diego, 1998: v2, 597-603. Ulanowsky, Carole. "The Family." Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Editor-in-Chief Ruth Chadwick. Academic Press: San Diego, 1998: v2, Word Count: 1918

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