Although, one country in the region has taken giant steps to promote gay rights. Israel has become the most liberal and progressive Middle Eastern state towards gay rights, hence 1988 legalization of same-sex relations and has outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation (Whitaker). Regardless, many gay Palestinians feel they have not received the same benefits from gay rights compared to gay Israeli’s, and actually feel they have become easier targets of homophobic violence. For example, in Tel-Aviv two people were killed and fifteen were injured in a LGBT community center. Furthermore, in 2005 a religious extremist ‘in the name of God’ attacked a gay pride march in Jerusalem (Whitaker). Gay Palestinian’s seek asylum in Israel due to fear of prosecution in their territory, although most feel they are welcomed in Israel with hostility and limited rights. Stated before Israel is the leading state in the region regarding gay rights. Nevertheless, there is continued criticism of Israel’s pro-gay policies and practices towards the homosexual community. In other words, critics believe that Israel pro-gay campaign is to shield their internal conflict, especially amongst the Palestinian LGBT community.
Israel has created a marketing plan to ‘Brand Israel’ in which the Israeli government sought to establish a global image of Israel being “modern and relevant” (Schulman). One strategy of this marketing plan was to harness the gay community in Israel. For example, Tel-Aviv was marketed as “an international gay vacation destination” during a $90 million branding campaign (Schulman). Ultimately, the brand Israel campaign is to promote Israel as a progressive nation in “a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are ...
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... a new image of homosexuality as not only part of the religious context but as an expression of politics, cultural and especially as part of social identity. Civil society of every country should push their governmental institutions to allow personal choice; understanding that decisions regarding sexual orientation must be left to each individual. Basically, governments of free societies should not prescribe a sexual identity for their citizens.
Works Cited
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Schulman, Sarah. "Israel and 'Pinkwashing'" The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 04 June 2014.
Whitaker, Brian. "The Paradox Of Visibility: Gay In The Middle East." Current History 109.731 (2010): 401-402. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 June 2014.
"Who We Are." Aswat. Aswat Group, 2005. Web. 02 June 2014.
Cleveland, William L., and Martin Bunton. A History of the Modern Middle East. 4th ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2009.
Currently, only 13 countries offer rights for members of the LGBT community. Within those countries, few offer equal rights such as health care, marriage rights, and adoption to LGBT members. Many people around the globe would agree that these rights, along with all other rights granted to heterosexuals, should not be granted to these members of the LGBT community. One prevalent notion is that being gay, or being included in the LGBT community, is unnatural. This notion is simply incorrect; everyone, no matter their gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation does, in fact, deserve the same liberties as their heterosexual counterparts. Being a member of the LGBT community has no negative effect on the lives of others unless those people view heterosexuality in a negative light, allowing it to bedevil them, and ultimately change the way they live their life. Being gay is completely natural. Though some would argue that homosexuality is unnatural, others would disagree, being that research has been conducted. The conclusion was that the way people think and feel towards others is s...
Shaheen, Jack. “The Media’s Image of Arabs.” Writing on the River. 3rd ed. Boston: McGraw,
Oren, Michael B. "An End to Israel's Invisibility." New York Times 14 Oct. 2010: 39. Vocational and Career Collection. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
It may seem absurd that gays and lesbians who represent about four per cent of the population should attempt to transform society. Of these only a minority is promoting these goals. But these activists have used specious guilt tactics to capture the moral high ground. With the complicity of the media and politicians, they wield power way out of proportion to their numbers.
It is widely known that homosexuality in the Arab world is one of the most tabooed subjects to talk about, not only because it is viewed as a form of “westoxication” , but also because it stands against one of the most important Arabic family values which is procreation. As a result, Arab countries, with no exclusion, have very prejudiced and severe laws and norms that condemn the acts of same-sex and punish those who commit these acts with imprisonment and sometimes even with death. Additionally, due the negative and dangerous perspective of the LGTBQ+ community in Arab countries, which suffers from sexual repression, they are more vulnerable to rape, sexual harassment, blackmail, and torture . The treatment of the LGBTQ+ community is arguably
basic civil rights protections for GLBT people.” (Currah, Minter p.9) Many of the LGBT population feel like their personal freedoms and liberties have been violated as lawmakers in some states and countries infringe on their personal rights. Passings of legislature that marginalizes the LGBT population is not only unjust and inhumane but it causes sociological and societal implications that question that persons beliefs about themselves leading to the dangerous climate facing the group from within themselves and the population around
Society is created with both homosexual and heterosexual individuals. Previously when certain laws discriminated against others, such as law for women's rights to vote, these laws were changed. Changing the traditions of the country does not mean that it will lead to the legalization of other extreme issues. Each ...
It has been said that “Society has always defined for us what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman, what a man should be like and what a woman should be like, and these traditional definitions of gender roles have limited and even harmed individuals”. The theme of sexual politics comes to mind for this quote. One can define sexual politics as the relationship of the sexes, male and female regarding power. Society’s definition of this can limit an individual in their gender role and restrain a person to not be themselves.
Homosexual activity has been around since the dawn of time. As far back as 9660-5000 BCE there has been evidence of homosexual encounters. Throughout history there have been numerous recordings of homosexual activity, from Roman art depicting homosexual acts during the 1st century, to Leonardo da Vinci who was charged with sodomy on multiple occasions in 1476, the acts of same sex encounters have been no stranger in the past (LGBT social movements, 2014). The LGBT movement however, is a more recent escapade. The LGBT movement is the attempt to change social and political attitudes towards homosexuality for the better. There have been multiple movements in the LGBT community as to date, along with the emergence of numerous LGBT organizations. There are well over fifty different LGBT organizations all over the world. Some are international, such as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), and some are country or region based, such as Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) in Uganda. Each organization has its own mission and goals which it wishes to accomplish in order to make the world a better and more equal place for LGBT communities. Two specific LGBT organizations are: the Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation (GLAAD) in the United States, and the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL) in Sweden.
An issue that has, in recent years, begun to increase in arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seems that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the closet has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception.
Kuehnle, K., & Sullivan, A. (2001). Patterns of Anti-Gay Violence: An Analysis of Incident Characteristics and Victim Reporting. Journal of Intrapersonal Violence .
...i-Homosexual Act in 2014 greatly stigmatizes homosexual behaviour and in the instance of David Kato, this stigmatization has led to his persecution as a perceived deviant. This blatant discrimination of homosexuals in Uganda results in their dehumanisation, self-hatred and violence towards homosexuals. As this cycle continues the promotion status quo is upheld by major institutions in Uganda and individuals will eventually become socialized to the point where they homosexuals are regarded as pariahs. The negative stereotypes towards homosexuals in Uganda are primarily, a result of homophobia in the country, which can be compared to prejudices such as sexism and racism. This negative socialization of homosexuals in Uganda can only be changed if societies are exposed to alternatives to the current prejudicial attitudes toward homosexuality and LGBT rights in Uganda.
Gender and sexuality can be comprehended through social science. Social science is “the study of human society and of individual relationships in and to society” (free dictionary, 2009). The study of social science deals with different aspects of society such as politics, economics, and the social aspects of society. Gender identity is closely interlinked with social science as it is based on an identity of an individual in the society. Sexuality is “the condition of being characterized and distinguished by sex” (free dictionary, 2009). There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exists all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of a male regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and a traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much changes has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed. In general a traditional society is more conservative where as a modern society is fundamentally liberal. This is to say that a traditional society lists certain roles depending on the gender and there are stereotypes that are connected with the genders. One must obey the one that is dominant and make decisions. On the other hand, a modern society is lenient, It accepts the individual’s identity and sexuality. There is no inequality and everyone in the society is to be seen as individuals not a part of a family unit...
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the 1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.