The Danger of Homophobia in American Culture

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Homophobia has been a problem for a very long time, all across the world. For example, during the Holocaust, in which homosexuals were forced to wear the “Pink Triangle”, a pink, upside down triangle, on his or her coat for identification. Of course, the pattern of homophobia is not only shown throughout world history, but American history as well. For example, sodomy laws, laws that rule certain sexual acts as crimes, were established as early as 1963. The penalty for these laws varied from state to state. Some of the punishments include: two to ten year imprisonments or two thousand dollar fines. The cruelty of these homophobic actions should not be accepted any longer. It encourages bullying, denies human beings their civil rights, and continues to foster a mentality of indifference and intolerance towards our fellow man. According to a study done by National Youth Association in 2010, 9 out of 10 students in the LGBT community have experienced harassment in school, and over ⅓ of LGBT youth have attempted suicide. More recently, statistics by the Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org) claim that 4 in 10 LGBT youth say that their community is not accepting of LGBT people. In 1998 the Westboro Baptist Church was brought into America’s spotlight when they picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man in the LGBT community who had been beaten to death because of his sexuality. Since then, the cruelty of WBC hasn’t ceased to leave many in sickening shock. Bullying, throughout time, has evolved. It’s not just Little Timmy being beaten up for his lunch money anymore. Now, parents are involved. Many religious households raise their children on the beliefs that bullying is A-OK if Little Timmy is a homosexual. Parents ar... ... middle of paper ... ...oot of bullying in the LGBT community. It keeps same-sex couples from sharing the benefits of marriage, and causes a mentality of indifference and intolerance towards our fellow man. Works Cited "Crimes Against Homosexuals Tracked by Government, 1988-April, 1990." DISCovering U.S. History. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. "GAY/LESBIAN/BISEXUALITY/TRANSGENDER ISSUES." African American Almanac. Ed. Brigham Narins. 10th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. Grossman, Andrew. "Gay Studies." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline Horowitz. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 866-870. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. ProCon.org. "16 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 33 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans." ProCon.org. 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.

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