Lucia L. 1. The social problem presented in this blog is discrimination against individuals in the LGBT community. The reason why discrimination against LGBT individuals is a social problem is because the lives of the LGBT individuals are constantly being damaged and disturbed. They are being fired from their jobs only because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. With housing they are also being discriminated therefore being rejected from living in certain places where the owners will not let them rent only because of their sexual orientation. To have a better understanding of this social problem we can apply the conflict perspective. 2. A Conflict theorist would say that the system has divided society into two sections. One is the favorable section which consists of the heterosexuals who are the “good” ones and the other is the unfavorable one which consists of individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender whom would be the “bad” ones. From the conflict perspective the heterosexual individuals are given the most advantages, rights, and benefits and the LGBT community is the group who is constantly being oppressed. 3. The reason why I chose to respond to this specific topic is because I believe that discrimination against LGBT individuals in the workplace and housing must stop. I believe that we all human beings deserve to live a life without judgments which deny any type of rights and benefits. One solution to stop discrimination against the LGBT community is to educate society at an early age about LGBT individuals while promoting equality for the rest of human beings in the media as well. This will be a great foundation to the mentality of future generations since there needs to be a change in the way we view others.
Dina A. 1. In this article we come to find that the problem against LGBT community is not just legal marriages; yet, it is the discrimination towards them in specific areas of housing, employment, and public accommodation that is displaying to be the huge problem. This issue itself can be looked upon as a social issue due to the psychological, and financial effects that it brings upon the LGBT community. When speaking about employment, a nice description was given by martin in this blog witch explained that even if some states do permit legal marriages for the LGBT community, they are still prohibited from telling others specially in their workforce as a result of getting fired. Additionally, this social problem leads them to having financial crisis and to even further this, it leads them to poverty and homelessness. Homelessness carries a risk that is also involved with criminal activities;thus, the society is also involved in great danger. In terms of housing, this specific community has limited options. Because of their sexual orientation, they may not get a house of their choice, which this act of discrimination again becomes a social issue due to the fact that we see inequality towards the LGBT community that has been given poor living conditions due to the limited options they were offered. Public accommodation is counted as a social problem because as a society it exposes inequality and unfairness and individual isolation witch this problem leads to psychological effects which then it may disturb the society. This blog explains that there are anti-discrimination laws against race, ethnicity, sex, and religion; yet, it does not include sexual orientation, in which the LGBT community has been, and still is trying very hard to make this a legal issue due to the various consequences that it has brought upon them.
2. According to the functionalists, to maintain stability and social institutions in society, some norms need to exist. However, homosexuality violates and breaks theses norms. According to functionalist perspective, the idea of marriage and family are necessary for the society because it serves a certain function to the society. They family reproduces and raises another generation. Homosexuality weakens those orders. Furthermore, if homosexuality were a norm, Procreation and reproducing would extremely be threatened. Therefore, the society tires to exclude this deviant behavior that serves a dysfunction to the society, by discriminating within each institution.
3. I chose this topic because, as a religious person, I believe that God created us all equal and we humans should not interfere with his work and make up all these rules that create inequality within the human race. It is very unfair to treat anyone differently or make them feel any less of a person by discriminating in various areas. If the civil rights provides us with protection and freedom for our race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, then it should not tell us any different in terms of who we are supposed to love or not to love. The LGBT community has as much rights as any other person in terms of their employment, housing, and public accommodation. A solution to this social issue would be to make a federal law that prohibits any discrimination in terms of sexual orientation. I think if we take this as a legal action, then some changes will be made and also the social norm will be broken so that inequality would barely have a chance to exist.
Victoria T. 1. The problem being addressed in this article is the current laws against members of the LGBT community that allow for discrimination in the workplace, housing, and accommodation. Today, in most states it’s legal for businesses to discriminate against members of the LGBT community. This is a social problem because LGBT individuals aren’t given the same rights and protections as heterosexual individuals. Instead, LGBT individuals have to hide their sexual orientation because they risk losing their jobs if their employers find out. Today, LGBT rights are a main topic of discussion in Congress and more people are becoming allies for the LGBT community. However, society hasn’t always had this positive view towards LGBT rights. Instead, society for the most part has labeled LGBT individuals as deviants and assumed that those who were attracted towards the same sex suffered from a mental illness. Today, LGBT individuals are no longer associated as being mentally ill. The percentage of people who support LGBT individuals continues to grow. As the LGBT community is gaining more support, society has recognized the current discriminatory laws as a social problem. The problem has also led to the creation of advocacies and organizations that aim at eliminating these laws. Organizations are mobilizing and sending lobbyists up to Washington to convince Congress to eliminate these laws. What still needs to be done is the implementation of an official plan, as in most states these laws are still legal.
2. An interactionist would say that the current discriminatory laws are another way in which the heterosexual lifestyle is promoted within society. These laws that make it legal to fire a person for being gay, lesbian, or transgender covey the message that being attracted to the same-sex is sinful and inappropriate behavior. These work place laws are socializing us to view LGBT individuals as being deviant. Someone that works in a state that has these laws is socialized to understand that they’re given more rights for simply being heterosexual. This promotes being heterosexual and associates homosexuality with a negative label. In the workplace, someone who is gay, lesbian, or transgender may feel the need to hide their true persona for fear of being fired. While an LGBT individual may not talk or lie to their coworkers about their personal lives, a heterosexual individual can go to work and truly enjoy being around their coworkers and being themselves. An interactionist would say that the current discrimination laws prevent LGBT individuals from “coming out of the closet” successfully. While they may receive support from family they have to remain secretive about their sexual orientation at work to protect their jobs.
3. I think that the current discrimination laws are unfair. How is it possible that someone can be an excellent employee but be fired because they’re gay, lesbian, or transgender? I think it’s unfair that society has for the most part come to accept most types of discrimination as unacceptable but discrimination based on sexual orientation is still legal. I commented on this specific topic because the U.S Supreme Court is currently presiding over a case that may make same sex marriages legal throughout the U.S. I think that if the U.S Supreme Court declares the bans on same sex marriages as unconstitutional then a possible solution to this problem would be to create a law that declares discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal. If there are anti-discrimination laws to protect people based on their religion and race, than there should be one to protect LGBT individuals. Being gay, lesbian, or transgender doesn’t affect their capacity to work. People either have the qualifications to work in an occupation or they don’t. Passing this sort of law would get society as a whole one step closer towards gaining work equality and one step closer to dismantling the thought that heterosexuality is the normal lifestyle.
Eric K. 1. The social problem discussed in this article is discrimination towards the LGBT in terms of employment, housing, and public accommodation. This is obviously a social problem because members of the LGBT community are not able to live normal lives as they should be. The article states how in some states same sex marriage is legal, but in the same state you can be fired due to your sexual orientation, etc. This is a huge contradiction. LGBT members have made progress in terms of legalizing same sex marriage only to deal with another obstacle. How can people get married when they cannot guarantee they will keep their jobs, which then leads us to a whole other domino effect of social problems, one being unemployment. The conflict perspective can be applied to dissect this problem. 2. The conflict perspectives is always about two groups in which one is favored and the other isn't. The two groups are in a constant struggle for power or equality. A conflict theorist would state that heterosexuals are superior to LGBT in our society. They are given advantages and just treated with more respect as a whole. A conflict theorist would state that the LGBT are being oppressed on multiple levels; employment being our specific topic from this article. Members of the LGBT community can't even guarantee they will keep a job because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. 3. I chose to write about this topic because it bothers me that something like this is still such a big issue today. Just like the civil rights act, I believe this to be a no-brainer. Why are we as a society allowing ourselves to treat each other with such hatred and disrespect? Unfortunately religion plays a big role in this. As well as the fact that some people have no compassion or respect for others. I believe this shouldn't even be an issue in this day and age. Since we have made so much progress as a society for the LGBT community in terms of marriage, military services, etc. the employment issue should cease to exist. How can we allow people to get married to one another but allow them to be discriminated or fired in the work force? Education on LGBT may also be a good thing for the future citizens and leaders of our society, hopefully that would create more open minded, accepting generations to come.
1. The social problem that is brought to the readers attention in the article is the discrimination against individuals in the LGBT community. The article states although same-sex marriage is legal in most states, it's also legal to discriminate against LGBT members in areas like employment, housing and public accommodation. This is considered a social problem because with discrimination against LGBT members in terms of housing and jobs, it is causing the LGBT community to live in poverty and not have certain things that lets say a heterosexual would normally have. Members of the community are trying to get state legislatures to add LGBT people to anti-discrimination laws that include things like race, age, religion and disability. In the article it provides an example of how although an LGBT individual can now marry their partner they can't however, the next day go to work and freely share their marriage and expect not to get fired. We also see sexual discrimination in housing, where a lordland owner refuses to allow an LGBT individual to rent out their home, which may lead a high percentage of homelessness in the LGBT community. In order to have a better understanding of the social problem, we can apply the functionalist perspective
2. A functionalist would argue that society favorites heterosexuality and the marital union between a man and a woman as a normal behavior. Homosexuality however violates these beliefs. a functionalist would also argue that marriage and family are needed in order for society to function. Due to this the society tries to stop homosexuality in order to avoid dysfunction to the society. This is why we see discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodation. When seeing an LGBT members, heterosexuality tends to disapprove due to the norms they were taught. Due to someone's belief in sexual orientation, they may not want to allow an LGBT person to rent out their property or even have dinner at their restaurant.
3. I chose to write about this topic because of the inequality the LGBT community has to face on daily bases because of who they love or who they want to be. Why should we as a society have a say in what should happen in someone's home or who someone we totally don't know should love. A solution to this problem would be to pass laws that would stop this type of discrimination against the LGBT community. Also to education our generation about the LGBT community, which will hopefully bring us closer to end discrimination against the LGBT community.
1. The problem presented in the NPR-Pennsylvania segment is that individuals who identify as members of the LGBT community (both married and unmarried) are experiencing legal discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. LGBT rights activists claim that the contradictory legal stipulations of a same sex couple’s ability to be legally married; yet individuals can be fired for being LGBT; Activists call for immediate attention from the Supreme Court. Current Anti-Discrimination laws include race, age, religion, and disability, however, there are no laws protecting the rights of LGBT folks against prejudice and discrimination from employers, landlords, and scrutinization from the general public. 2. A Conflict Theorist would presume that there is an established system in place that intentionally separates those who are in power and those who are not. This intentional division between the so called ‘have’ and ‘have not’s only speaks further into the type of system by which the individuals all must adhere to in order to keep those in power – in power, and those who are powerless - powerless. In this case, we see those who are heterosexual as the class in power and those of the LGBT identification as the entities, which threaten, and challenge the powerful class. Conflict theory suggests that men, as the dominant gender, subordinate women in order to maintain power and privilege in society. The current state of LGBT anti-discrimination laws are bleak at best, with only thirty-seven states recognizing same sex marriage as legal, this leaves thirteen states in limbo over hetero-normative culture, which stigmatizes LGBT individuals. 3. I chose to comment on the topic of LGBT anti-discrimination laws because I believe this to be a civil rights issue, a social justice issue, and a primitively discriminatory human rights issue. I see the injustice which the LGBT community faces and am appalled that such an ‘advanced society’ is so far behind concerning the treatment of human beings – no matter their sexual preference. The first step is to, similar to the civil rights movement of 1964; legislative action must be taken as a first step after the grassroots’ action of the LGBT community as being recognized as legitimate. Federally, same sex marriage needs to be recognized and legalized, and at the same time, LGBTQIA community members need legal protection against discrimination with employment, community sensitivity, and housing rights.
Narineh D. In Response to Victoria T. 1. I agree with my peer that there should be a law that can protect all people regardless of their sexual orientation. People shouldn’t be fired or judged because of their sexual orientation. As we can see in the NPR article, our society see LGBT people as deviant and based on their thinking, they allow themselves to discriminate against them. We can see this discrimination takes place in workplace, housing and other social institutions. In the past, more people were against LGBT group, because it was not normal and it was against the norm of the society and LGBT people were hiding their sexual orientation. Nowadays, according to the statistics, more than 50 percent of American thinks that same sex marriage should be legal. People changed their view because of more knowledge and recognition about the LGBT people and the media plays important role to normalize this topic for the people. However, still this is a very controversial topic and the government can’t easily make a decision about legalizing this type of relationship. I choose to comment on this entry because I think it is very difficult for government to legalize same sex marriage and give certain rights to them. On one hand, based on our constitution, all citizens have the freedom for expressing themselves and the government doesn’t have the right to control people’s lives and beliefs. Therefore, if people can have religious and other freedom why they shouldn’t have the right to choose their sexual orientation and become of victim of their sexual identity. On the other hand, if the government allows same sex marriage, then they also should legalize polygamy, marriage between family members, and all other kind of marriage that it is not “normal” today in our society. For example, I read an article in “dailymail.com” that an 18 years old daughter and her father have sexual relationship and they want to marry. Even they planned their weeding. The girl said that: “We plan to move to New Jersey where we can be safe under the law, since adult incest isn’t illegal there, and once I’m there I’ll tell everyone.” This post is from January 2015. For me this is not normal and I think most of the people think like me because it is against our norms and beliefs. However, if the government legalizes same sex marriage, those kinds of people also will demand that they have the same right. Therefore, our next generation will live in the society where there is no morality and no one can question others behavior. Thus, this is a big social problem, and as I said it is very controversial. On one hand, it is social problem because there is lots of discrimination against LGBT people, and on the other hand, it is difficult to make laws in order to give certain right to them.
Narineh D. In Response to Victoria T. 2. According to the conflict perspective, there are two groups of people in the society which one is more acceptable, good and ideal and the other is bad, deviant and sinful. The dominant group which is heterosexual people has the power to make laws and difference in the society. Heterosexism controlled every concept in the society even the laws made in our society is based on heterosexism. They give certain privilege to the heterosexual in most of our social institution such as workplace, education, and housing. In this article the main focus is on workplace and housing. Between 16 to 46 percent of LGBT have faced discrimination based on sexual orientation. Although Title VII prohibits any kind of discrimination against race, ethnicity, sex, religion, there is no law to protect people based on their sexual orientation. Therefore, LGBT people don’t want to talk about their sexual identity because they know that it may cause lots of trouble in their workplace. If the employer knows about their sexual orientation, they may risk their job. A study shows that one quarter and two thirds of LGBT people losing their jobs and missing promotions because of their sexual identity. Moreover, they earn less than their heterosexual coworkers. Therefore, the conflict theorist, focus on economic inequality that LGBT people face in our society. 3. I agree with Victoria’s solution that there should be anti-discrimination laws against LGBT people in workplace but in micro level. I mean every company has to create laws and policies to protect people based on their sexual orientation because the focus should be on the qualification of the person not his or her sexual identity. In the Macro level, as I mentioned above it is very hard for government to make a federal law in order to give certain right to LGBT people. By making this kind of law the door will be open for other people to claim their rights about everything they want to do. Therefore, I think Victoria’s solution is going to be possible only in micro level inside the social institution and it can reduce inequality and discrimination against LGBT people. The other solution that I suggest is education. People should be educated and trained in workplace to know about what LGBT is and how they should make difference between the work responsibilities and their beliefs and views. People need to make separation between their jobs and life style when they enter to their workplace. They have to go with the job place protocol and do only their responsibilities. This will be helpful because people can gain knowledge about LGBT people’s lives and the stigma of being homosexual will be reduced in the workplace. Therefore, by educating people, companies can eliminate the discrimination of LGBT people.
I am in complete agreeance with Eric’s analysis of this NPR article regarding LGBT discrimination. Members of the LGBT community deserve their rights just the same as any other human being in our country. I like how Eric touched on the point of how certain states allow same sex marriage only to turn around and chastise that party in the realm of employment, housing, and public accommodation. Living in the year 2015, you’d think that there would be a more rational system for the treatment of members in our society, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.
A functionalist perspective would argue that heterosexuality is the societal norm and anything straying from that identification is seen as a dysfunction of society. Furthermore, the functionalist views homosexuality and non-marital heterosexual relations as devious. Our society “suffers” from institutionalized heterosexuality which is the favoring of heterosexual relationships over homosexual relationships. Homosexuality is seen as a dysfunction due to a functionalist viewing relationships as a way to reproduce and continue in production, reproduction, and consumption.
Eric’s point of view in regards to increased education and awareness surrounding the LGBT community is spot on. I believe that would be a huge step forward in bettering our society to become more accepting of different lifestyles. Furthermore, and without trying to sound discriminatory towards another branch of society, I believe that the large majority of citizens ages 40-50 and over have a belief system instilled in them from birth of what is normal and what is abnormal. Luckily as the years have gone by, society has grown more open to accepting this lifestyle but I believe we are still 30-50 years away from equality for members of the LGBT community. The same can be said about many racial inequalities within our society today.
Elisa J. In response to Victoria T. 1. I do agree with my peer because currently the laws against LGBT are one of the bigger social problems we have today. Even though laws that are made to protect those of the LGBT community, it seems that our society goes and makes a law to limit the ones that have already passed. What stood out about the entry was that as much as society tries to bring them down, more and more people seem to switch sides, and more and more people seem to accept something that has been seen as an illness for a long time. We really do need a real plan on how we will make these laws work not only for the LGBT communities but for our society as a whole, so we can move on to other issues that are going through the same thing. This is a social problem, more for those who are still brought up to see LGBT communities as a deviant culture, a sin, something that should not be accepted. It seems as though with society man people have a problem with change. 2. What a functionalist would say about this is that this is a dysfunction to society. They are all about what is normal. This deviant behavior that they are showing by not conforming to the norm is causing society to split. They want everything to be structured. LGBT communities do not go along with the rules and laws that have already been made. Change is not easy for a functionalist because they are already set in their ways. 3. I think the proposed solution is a good one; there should be a law protecting people that have a different sexual orientation. They are still people, and they cannot choose to be who they are. I think another solution to the problem would be to include everyone into the laws that are made to protect. I don’t think that sexual orientation should be something that stops these people from being protected. As a society we should try to bring each other together instead of tearing society into sections. If we as a society spent more time trying to bring people together then there would be less havoc.
1) In response to Victoria, I do agree in the fact that many LGBT members are constantly being harassed due to their sexual orientation, and I do see this as a social problem. I do believe that more and more people are starting to become allies towards the LGBT community especially in the younger generation. The fact that people in the LGBT community are not given the same rights as any other human being and could face the consequence of losing their job is ridiculous. Nobody should be judged for sexual orientation, race, or religion. Victoria goes on to say that the LGBT community has not always been looked as a social norm, but rather as deviants to society. It’s a work in progress for people to accept the fact that were not all the same. One of the hardest things to do in a society as a whole is to change instantly, but it will take its time, for people to accept that It’s okay to like the same sex. The laws that are enforced in some of these states are completely ridiculous and discriminatory toward those individuals. 2) A conflict theorist would go on to say that the government is discriminating towards the LGBT community and is granting more rights to those who happen to be heterosexual. They would say that the government sees the LGBT community as deviants to society instead of regular law abiding citizens that deserve the same rights. 3) I agree with the solution that Victoria states, which is banning of classifying same sex marriage unconstitutional, and making a law that states that discriminating towards sexual orientation illegal. I believe it would be very possible and feasible if we made the government listen to us. There is never a wrong moment to make a change. If you see something wrong in society and you have a solution to make it better, go for it and don’t stop till you make that change. I have the same solution as Victoria in banning the law of how same sex marriage is unconstitutional. We are all humans and deserve to live a life of comfort and of no discrimination, we should not be afraid of not getting hired or losing a job due to sexual orientation, race, or religion. We are all equally significant in this world and should be able to practice whatever we wish to.
Siranush M. In Response to Gabby H. I agree with her peer as it is absolutely wrong to discriminate LGBT group based on their sexual orientation. They remain a part of the human beings and to act so is unhuman. This topic is still being discussed by the governors yet it is still in process. According to her she thinks that it is a big issue and it remain to be part of injustice. It seems that the society is divided into two part some of them think it is very normal, the other part think that they are not normal people. In fact, they are all the same human being no one has a right to limit ones’ rights. She also thinks that the injustice which the LGBT community faces and am appalled that such an ‘advanced society’ is so far behind concerning the treatment of human beings – no matter their sexual preference. Although there are no federal laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace or at school, there are some state and local laws and many company policies that can provide help to those who are being mistreated. 2. Theorists in this perspective examine how society maintains our social order. Emile Durkheim argued that our social order depended on how well society could control individual behavior. Our most basic human behavior—our sexuality—is controlled by society’s norms and values. Functionalists identify how society upholds heterosexuality and a marital union between a man and a woman as ideal normative behavior. This is also referred to as institutionalized heterosexuality, the set of ideas, institutions, and relationships that define the heterosexual family as the societal norm. However, during the past decades, the gay rights movement has effectively influenced family rights, employment, and discrimination policies throughout the world. The movement has been successful largely because of its ability to affect institutional (macro) level Changes the focus of the functionalist perspective. 3. According to her solution she pointed that same sex marriage needs to be recognized and legalized, and at the same time, LGBTQIA community members need legal protection against discrimination with employment, community sensitivity, and housing rights. I totally agree with this statement as only after recognizing the act of sexual orientation LGBT group of individuals will feel free to act and live as normal human without being decriminalized. When the US Supreme Court recognize this problem many people will stop judging and discriminating these LGBT group of people. I think after accepting the act where it says that no one can discriminate LGBT group of people that way society will be more conscious and will stop acting the same way as it was before.
1) I agree with Arpine that discrimination in housing, workplace, and other social institutions against LGBT individuals poses a social problem because it can lead to issues of unemployment, poverty, and large civil right discrepancies between heterosexuals and those that identify openly as LGBT. If those that marry a same sex partner, it essentially outs them and places them in jeopardy of being fired, since there is not federal anti- discrimination acts for gay people. It is similar to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy, but instead of losing military benefits people may lose workplace or housing rights, which are currently viewed as privileges in some states. Arpine takes a functionalist perspective which does work, but I feel the social problem of the new discrimination against LGBT is part of what is known as the backlash effect, where in a social movement there is progress, there is always two steps backward in the same direction.
2) I see this problem from the conflict perspective, where religious and conservative states which have predominately white, old, heterosexual, religious, males in power create laws, or attempt to create laws to oppress those that do not fit to their personal standard. If they do not create laws like DOMA, they ignore the lack of anti-discrimination laws for homosexual couples, even though they cannot discriminate based on race. However, there used to be black literacy tests in the South that prohibited African Americans from voting, and the same rights are being taken away from those that are LGBT. Those that hold the power oppress those that do not fit into the model of the mythical norm, because they have the authority and leverage to make the rules. LGBT issues often intersect with feminist issues, seeing the common conflict of power is between wealthy white males who have for a long time been the main holders of law, land, wealth, and have had ownership of major industries and corporations. Lawmaking in the U.S. usually comes down to whoever makes the money makes the rules, despite the fact that those that makes the rules may not make fair and equal decisions.
3) I agree with Arpine’s solution that it would help to end discrimination to pass laws that add it is not legal to discriminate against someone for workplace or housing benefits based on their sexual orientation. However, it is still not federally mandated, and while it would be ideal to have a federal anti-discrimination law passed, it may not be feasible yet because of the chokehold the political right has on congress and decision making. Due to the backlash effect, the right and those that oppose homosexual marriage are doing everything they can to detract people from being openly gay and adding obstacles to a more tolerant society. Therefore, it is more plausible to provide a safety net for the time being, or programs in human resources that help LGBT people find workplaces that do not discriminate. If anything, there needs to be some class action lawsuit that gains wide media attention, to end the employer’s right to discriminate, such as in the cases of the sodomy laws. Eventually, it does have to go to the Supreme Court, but for the time being the cases need to be built, media attention needs to be gathered, and those that identify as LGBT need safe places where they know they will not be discriminated against.
13 comments:
Lucia L.
1. The social problem presented in this blog is discrimination against individuals in the LGBT community. The reason why discrimination against LGBT individuals is a social problem is because the lives of the LGBT individuals are constantly being damaged and disturbed. They are being fired from their jobs only because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. With housing they are also being discriminated therefore being rejected from living in certain places where the owners will not let them rent only because of their sexual orientation. To have a better understanding of this social problem we can apply the conflict perspective.
2. A Conflict theorist would say that the system has divided society into two sections. One is the favorable section which consists of the heterosexuals who are the “good” ones and the other is the unfavorable one which consists of individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender whom would be the “bad” ones. From the conflict perspective the heterosexual individuals are given the most advantages, rights, and benefits and the LGBT community is the group who is constantly being oppressed.
3. The reason why I chose to respond to this specific topic is because I believe that discrimination against LGBT individuals in the workplace and housing must stop. I believe that we all human beings deserve to live a life without judgments which deny any type of rights and benefits. One solution to stop discrimination against the LGBT community is to educate society at an early age about LGBT individuals while promoting equality for the rest of human beings in the media as well. This will be a great foundation to the mentality of future generations since there needs to be a change in the way we view others.
Dina A.
1. In this article we come to find that the problem against LGBT community is not just legal marriages; yet, it is the discrimination towards them in specific areas of housing, employment, and public accommodation that is displaying to be the huge problem. This issue itself can be looked upon as a social issue due to the psychological, and financial effects that it brings upon the LGBT community. When speaking about employment, a nice description was given by martin in this blog witch explained that even if some states do permit legal marriages for the LGBT community, they are still prohibited from telling others specially in their workforce as a result of getting fired. Additionally, this social problem leads them to having financial crisis and to even further this, it leads them to poverty and homelessness. Homelessness carries a risk that is also involved with criminal activities;thus, the society is also involved in great danger. In terms of housing, this specific community has limited options. Because of their sexual orientation, they may not get a house of their choice, which this act of discrimination again becomes a social issue due to the fact that we see inequality towards the LGBT community that has been given poor living conditions due to the limited options they were offered. Public accommodation is counted as a social problem because as a society it exposes inequality and unfairness and individual isolation witch this problem leads to psychological effects which then it may disturb the society. This blog explains that there are anti-discrimination laws against race, ethnicity, sex, and religion; yet, it does not include sexual orientation, in which the LGBT community has been, and still is trying very hard to make this a legal issue due to the various consequences that it has brought upon them.
2. According to the functionalists, to maintain stability and social institutions in society, some norms need to exist. However, homosexuality violates and breaks theses norms. According to functionalist perspective, the idea of marriage and family are necessary for the society because it serves a certain function to the society. They family reproduces and raises another generation. Homosexuality weakens those orders. Furthermore, if homosexuality were a norm, Procreation and reproducing would extremely be threatened. Therefore, the society tires to exclude this deviant behavior that serves a dysfunction to the society, by discriminating within each institution.
3. I chose this topic because, as a religious person, I believe that God created us all equal and we humans should not interfere with his work and make up all these rules that create inequality within the human race. It is very unfair to treat anyone differently or make them feel any less of a person by discriminating in various areas. If the civil rights provides us with protection and freedom for our race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, then it should not tell us any different in terms of who we are supposed to love or not to love. The LGBT community has as much rights as any other person in terms of their employment, housing, and public accommodation. A solution to this social issue would be to make a federal law that prohibits any discrimination in terms of sexual orientation. I think if we take this as a legal action, then some changes will be made and also the social norm will be broken so that inequality would barely have a chance to exist.
Victoria T.
1. The problem being addressed in this article is the current laws against members of the LGBT community that allow for discrimination in the workplace, housing, and accommodation. Today, in most states it’s legal for businesses to discriminate against members of the LGBT community. This is a social problem because LGBT individuals aren’t given the same rights and protections as heterosexual individuals. Instead, LGBT individuals have to hide their sexual orientation because they risk losing their jobs if their employers find out. Today, LGBT rights are a main topic of discussion in Congress and more people are becoming allies for the LGBT community. However, society hasn’t always had this positive view towards LGBT rights. Instead, society for the most part has labeled LGBT individuals as deviants and assumed that those who were attracted towards the same sex suffered from a mental illness. Today, LGBT individuals are no longer associated as being mentally ill. The percentage of people who support LGBT individuals continues to grow. As the LGBT community is gaining more support, society has recognized the current discriminatory laws as a social problem. The problem has also led to the creation of advocacies and organizations that aim at eliminating these laws. Organizations are mobilizing and sending lobbyists up to Washington to convince Congress to eliminate these laws. What still needs to be done is the implementation of an official plan, as in most states these laws are still legal.
2. An interactionist would say that the current discriminatory laws are another way in which the heterosexual lifestyle is promoted within society. These laws that make it legal to fire a person for being gay, lesbian, or transgender covey the message that being attracted to the same-sex is sinful and inappropriate behavior. These work place laws are socializing us to view LGBT individuals as being deviant. Someone that works in a state that has these laws is socialized to understand that they’re given more rights for simply being heterosexual. This promotes being heterosexual and associates homosexuality with a negative label. In the workplace, someone who is gay, lesbian, or transgender may feel the need to hide their true persona for fear of being fired. While an LGBT individual may not talk or lie to their coworkers about their personal lives, a heterosexual individual can go to work and truly enjoy being around their coworkers and being themselves. An interactionist would say that the current discrimination laws prevent LGBT individuals from “coming out of the closet” successfully. While they may receive support from family they have to remain secretive about their sexual orientation at work to protect their jobs.
3. I think that the current discrimination laws are unfair. How is it possible that someone can be an excellent employee but be fired because they’re gay, lesbian, or transgender? I think it’s unfair that society has for the most part come to accept most types of discrimination as unacceptable but discrimination based on sexual orientation is still legal. I commented on this specific topic because the U.S Supreme Court is currently presiding over a case that may make same sex marriages legal throughout the U.S. I think that if the U.S Supreme Court declares the bans on same sex marriages as unconstitutional then a possible solution to this problem would be to create a law that declares discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal. If there are anti-discrimination laws to protect people based on their religion and race, than there should be one to protect LGBT individuals. Being gay, lesbian, or transgender doesn’t affect their capacity to work. People either have the qualifications to work in an occupation or they don’t. Passing this sort of law would get society as a whole one step closer towards gaining work equality and one step closer to dismantling the thought that heterosexuality is the normal lifestyle.
Eric K.
1. The social problem discussed in this article is discrimination towards the LGBT in terms of employment, housing, and public accommodation. This is obviously a social problem because members of the LGBT community are not able to live normal lives as they should be. The article states how in some states same sex marriage is legal, but in the same state you can be fired due to your sexual orientation, etc. This is a huge contradiction. LGBT members have made progress in terms of legalizing same sex marriage only to deal with another obstacle. How can people get married when they cannot guarantee they will keep their jobs, which then leads us to a whole other domino effect of social problems, one being unemployment. The conflict perspective can be applied to dissect this problem.
2. The conflict perspectives is always about two groups in which one is favored and the other isn't. The two groups are in a constant struggle for power or equality. A conflict theorist would state that heterosexuals are superior to LGBT in our society. They are given advantages and just treated with more respect as a whole. A conflict theorist would state that the LGBT are being oppressed on multiple levels; employment being our specific topic from this article. Members of the LGBT community can't even guarantee they will keep a job because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.
3. I chose to write about this topic because it bothers me that something like this is still such a big issue today. Just like the civil rights act, I believe this to be a no-brainer. Why are we as a society allowing ourselves to treat each other with such hatred and disrespect? Unfortunately religion plays a big role in this. As well as the fact that some people have no compassion or respect for others. I believe this shouldn't even be an issue in this day and age. Since we have made so much progress as a society for the LGBT community in terms of marriage, military services, etc. the employment issue should cease to exist. How can we allow people to get married to one another but allow them to be discriminated or fired in the work force? Education on LGBT may also be a good thing for the future citizens and leaders of our society, hopefully that would create more open minded, accepting generations to come.
Arpine M.
1. The social problem that is brought to the readers attention in the article is the discrimination against individuals in the LGBT community. The article states although same-sex marriage is legal in most states, it's also legal to discriminate against LGBT members in areas like employment, housing and public accommodation. This is considered a social problem because with discrimination against LGBT members in terms of housing and jobs, it is causing the LGBT community to live in poverty and not have certain things that lets say a heterosexual would normally have. Members of the community are trying to get state legislatures to add LGBT people to anti-discrimination laws that include things like race, age, religion and disability. In the article it provides an example of how although an LGBT individual can now marry their partner they can't however, the next day go to work and freely share their marriage and expect not to get fired. We also see sexual discrimination in housing, where a lordland owner refuses to allow an LGBT individual to rent out their home, which may lead a high percentage of homelessness in the LGBT community. In order to have a better understanding of the social problem, we can apply the functionalist perspective
2. A functionalist would argue that society favorites heterosexuality and the marital union between a man and a woman as a normal behavior. Homosexuality however violates these beliefs. a functionalist would also argue that marriage and family are needed in order for society to function. Due to this the society tries to stop homosexuality in order to avoid dysfunction to the society. This is why we see discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodation. When seeing an LGBT members, heterosexuality tends to disapprove due to the norms they were taught. Due to someone's belief in sexual orientation, they may not want to allow an LGBT person to rent out their property or even have dinner at their restaurant.
3. I chose to write about this topic because of the inequality the LGBT community has to face on daily bases because of who they love or who they want to be. Why should we as a society have a say in what should happen in someone's home or who someone we totally don't know should love. A solution to this problem would be to pass laws that would stop this type of discrimination against the LGBT community. Also to education our generation about the LGBT community, which will hopefully bring us closer to end discrimination against the LGBT community.
Gabby H.
1. The problem presented in the NPR-Pennsylvania segment is that individuals who identify as members of the LGBT community (both married and unmarried) are experiencing legal discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. LGBT rights activists claim that the contradictory legal stipulations of a same sex couple’s ability to be legally married; yet individuals can be fired for being LGBT; Activists call for immediate attention from the Supreme Court. Current Anti-Discrimination laws include race, age, religion, and disability, however, there are no laws protecting the rights of LGBT folks against prejudice and discrimination from employers, landlords, and scrutinization from the general public.
2. A Conflict Theorist would presume that there is an established system in place that intentionally separates those who are in power and those who are not. This intentional division between the so called ‘have’ and ‘have not’s only speaks further into the type of system by which the individuals all must adhere to in order to keep those in power – in power, and those who are powerless - powerless. In this case, we see those who are heterosexual as the class in power and those of the LGBT identification as the entities, which threaten, and challenge the powerful class. Conflict theory suggests that men, as the dominant gender, subordinate women in order to maintain power and privilege in society. The current state of LGBT anti-discrimination laws are bleak at best, with only thirty-seven states recognizing same sex marriage as legal, this leaves thirteen states in limbo over hetero-normative culture, which stigmatizes LGBT individuals.
3. I chose to comment on the topic of LGBT anti-discrimination laws because I believe this to be a civil rights issue, a social justice issue, and a primitively discriminatory human rights issue. I see the injustice which the LGBT community faces and am appalled that such an ‘advanced society’ is so far behind concerning the treatment of human beings – no matter their sexual preference. The first step is to, similar to the civil rights movement of 1964; legislative action must be taken as a first step after the grassroots’ action of the LGBT community as being recognized as legitimate. Federally, same sex marriage needs to be recognized and legalized, and at the same time, LGBTQIA community members need legal protection against discrimination with employment, community sensitivity, and housing rights.
Narineh D.
In Response to Victoria T.
1. I agree with my peer that there should be a law that can protect all people regardless of their sexual orientation. People shouldn’t be fired or judged because of their sexual orientation. As we can see in the NPR article, our society see LGBT people as deviant and based on their thinking, they allow themselves to discriminate against them. We can see this discrimination takes place in workplace, housing and other social institutions. In the past, more people were against LGBT group, because it was not normal and it was against the norm of the society and LGBT people were hiding their sexual orientation. Nowadays, according to the statistics, more than 50 percent of American thinks that same sex marriage should be legal. People changed their view because of more knowledge and recognition about the LGBT people and the media plays important role to normalize this topic for the people. However, still this is a very controversial topic and the government can’t easily make a decision about legalizing this type of relationship. I choose to comment on this entry because I think it is very difficult for government to legalize same sex marriage and give certain rights to them. On one hand, based on our constitution, all citizens have the freedom for expressing themselves and the government doesn’t have the right to control people’s lives and beliefs. Therefore, if people can have religious and other freedom why they shouldn’t have the right to choose their sexual orientation and become of victim of their sexual identity. On the other hand, if the government allows same sex marriage, then they also should legalize polygamy, marriage between family members, and all other kind of marriage that it is not “normal” today in our society. For example, I read an article in “dailymail.com” that an 18 years old daughter and her father have sexual relationship and they want to marry. Even they planned their weeding. The girl said that: “We plan to move to New Jersey where we can be safe under the law, since adult incest isn’t illegal there, and once I’m there I’ll tell everyone.” This post is from January 2015. For me this is not normal and I think most of the people think like me because it is against our norms and beliefs. However, if the government legalizes same sex marriage, those kinds of people also will demand that they have the same right. Therefore, our next generation will live in the society where there is no morality and no one can question others behavior. Thus, this is a big social problem, and as I said it is very controversial. On one hand, it is social problem because there is lots of discrimination against LGBT people, and on the other hand, it is difficult to make laws in order to give certain right to them.
Narineh D.
In Response to Victoria T.
2. According to the conflict perspective, there are two groups of people in the society which one is more acceptable, good and ideal and the other is bad, deviant and sinful. The dominant group which is heterosexual people has the power to make laws and difference in the society. Heterosexism controlled every concept in the society even the laws made in our society is based on heterosexism. They give certain privilege to the heterosexual in most of our social institution such as workplace, education, and housing. In this article the main focus is on workplace and housing. Between 16 to 46 percent of LGBT have faced discrimination based on sexual orientation. Although Title VII prohibits any kind of discrimination against race, ethnicity, sex, religion, there is no law to protect people based on their sexual orientation. Therefore, LGBT people don’t want to talk about their sexual identity because they know that it may cause lots of trouble in their workplace. If the employer knows about their sexual orientation, they may risk their job. A study shows that one quarter and two thirds of LGBT people losing their jobs and missing promotions because of their sexual identity. Moreover, they earn less than their heterosexual coworkers. Therefore, the conflict theorist, focus on economic inequality that LGBT people face in our society.
3. I agree with Victoria’s solution that there should be anti-discrimination laws against LGBT people in workplace but in micro level. I mean every company has to create laws and policies to protect people based on their sexual orientation because the focus should be on the qualification of the person not his or her sexual identity. In the Macro level, as I mentioned above it is very hard for government to make a federal law in order to give certain right to LGBT people. By making this kind of law the door will be open for other people to claim their rights about everything they want to do. Therefore, I think Victoria’s solution is going to be possible only in micro level inside the social institution and it can reduce inequality and discrimination against LGBT people. The other solution that I suggest is education. People should be educated and trained in workplace to know about what LGBT is and how they should make difference between the work responsibilities and their beliefs and views. People need to make separation between their jobs and life style when they enter to their workplace. They have to go with the job place protocol and do only their responsibilities. This will be helpful because people can gain knowledge about LGBT people’s lives and the stigma of being homosexual will be reduced in the workplace. Therefore, by educating people, companies can eliminate the discrimination of LGBT people.
Connor Sobczak
In response to Eric K.
I am in complete agreeance with Eric’s analysis of this NPR article regarding LGBT discrimination. Members of the LGBT community deserve their rights just the same as any other human being in our country. I like how Eric touched on the point of how certain states allow same sex marriage only to turn around and chastise that party in the realm of employment, housing, and public accommodation. Living in the year 2015, you’d think that there would be a more rational system for the treatment of members in our society, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.
A functionalist perspective would argue that heterosexuality is the societal norm and anything straying from that identification is seen as a dysfunction of society. Furthermore, the functionalist views homosexuality and non-marital heterosexual relations as devious. Our society “suffers” from institutionalized heterosexuality which is the favoring of heterosexual relationships over homosexual relationships. Homosexuality is seen as a dysfunction due to a functionalist viewing relationships as a way to reproduce and continue in production, reproduction, and consumption.
Eric’s point of view in regards to increased education and awareness surrounding the LGBT community is spot on. I believe that would be a huge step forward in bettering our society to become more accepting of different lifestyles. Furthermore, and without trying to sound discriminatory towards another branch of society, I believe that the large majority of citizens ages 40-50 and over have a belief system instilled in them from birth of what is normal and what is abnormal. Luckily as the years have gone by, society has grown more open to accepting this lifestyle but I believe we are still 30-50 years away from equality for members of the LGBT community. The same can be said about many racial inequalities within our society today.
Elisa J.
In response to Victoria T.
1. I do agree with my peer because currently the laws against LGBT are one of the bigger social problems we have today. Even though laws that are made to protect those of the LGBT community, it seems that our society goes and makes a law to limit the ones that have already passed. What stood out about the entry was that as much as society tries to bring them down, more and more people seem to switch sides, and more and more people seem to accept something that has been seen as an illness for a long time. We really do need a real plan on how we will make these laws work not only for the LGBT communities but for our society as a whole, so we can move on to other issues that are going through the same thing. This is a social problem, more for those who are still brought up to see LGBT communities as a deviant culture, a sin, something that should not be accepted. It seems as though with society man people have a problem with change.
2. What a functionalist would say about this is that this is a dysfunction to society. They are all about what is normal. This deviant behavior that they are showing by not conforming to the norm is causing society to split. They want everything to be structured. LGBT communities do not go along with the rules and laws that have already been made. Change is not easy for a functionalist because they are already set in their ways.
3. I think the proposed solution is a good one; there should be a law protecting people that have a different sexual orientation. They are still people, and they cannot choose to be who they are. I think another solution to the problem would be to include everyone into the laws that are made to protect. I don’t think that sexual orientation should be something that stops these people from being protected. As a society we should try to bring each other together instead of tearing society into sections. If we as a society spent more time trying to bring people together then there would be less havoc.
Antonio Camarillo
In response to Victoria T.
1) In response to Victoria, I do agree in the fact that many LGBT members are constantly being harassed due to their sexual orientation, and I do see this as a social problem. I do believe that more and more people are starting to become allies towards the LGBT community especially in the younger generation. The fact that people in the LGBT community are not given the same rights as any other human being and could face the consequence of losing their job is ridiculous. Nobody should be judged for sexual orientation, race, or religion. Victoria goes on to say that the LGBT community has not always been looked as a social norm, but rather as deviants to society. It’s a work in progress for people to accept the fact that were not all the same. One of the hardest things to do in a society as a whole is to change instantly, but it will take its time, for people to accept that It’s okay to like the same sex. The laws that are enforced in some of these states are completely ridiculous and discriminatory toward those individuals.
2) A conflict theorist would go on to say that the government is discriminating towards the LGBT community and is granting more rights to those who happen to be heterosexual. They would say that the government sees the LGBT community as deviants to society instead of regular law abiding citizens that deserve the same rights.
3) I agree with the solution that Victoria states, which is banning of classifying same sex marriage unconstitutional, and making a law that states that discriminating towards sexual orientation illegal. I believe it would be very possible and feasible if we made the government listen to us. There is never a wrong moment to make a change. If you see something wrong in society and you have a solution to make it better, go for it and don’t stop till you make that change. I have the same solution as Victoria in banning the law of how same sex marriage is unconstitutional. We are all humans and deserve to live a life of comfort and of no discrimination, we should not be afraid of not getting hired or losing a job due to sexual orientation, race, or religion. We are all equally significant in this world and should be able to practice whatever we wish to.
Siranush M.
In Response to Gabby H.
I agree with her peer as it is absolutely wrong to discriminate LGBT group based on their sexual orientation. They remain a part of the human beings and to act so is unhuman. This topic is still being discussed by the governors yet it is still in process. According to her she thinks that it is a big issue and it remain to be part of injustice. It seems that the society is divided into two part some of them think it is very normal, the other part think that they are not normal people. In fact, they are all the same human being no one has a right to limit ones’ rights. She also thinks that the injustice which the LGBT community faces and am appalled that such an ‘advanced society’ is so far behind concerning the treatment of human beings – no matter their sexual preference. Although there are no federal laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace or at school, there are some state and local laws and many company policies that can provide help to those who are being mistreated.
2. Theorists in this perspective examine how society maintains our social order. Emile Durkheim argued that our social order depended on how well society could control individual behavior. Our most basic human behavior—our sexuality—is controlled by society’s norms and values. Functionalists identify how society upholds heterosexuality and a marital union between a man and a woman as ideal normative behavior. This is also referred to as institutionalized heterosexuality, the set of ideas, institutions, and relationships that define the heterosexual family as the societal norm. However, during the past decades, the gay rights movement has effectively influenced family rights, employment, and discrimination policies throughout the world. The movement has been successful largely because of its ability to affect institutional (macro) level Changes the focus of the functionalist perspective.
3. According to her solution she pointed that same sex marriage needs to be recognized and legalized, and at the same time, LGBTQIA community members need legal protection against discrimination with employment, community sensitivity, and housing rights. I totally agree with this statement as only after recognizing the act of sexual orientation LGBT group of individuals will feel free to act and live as normal human without being decriminalized. When the US Supreme Court recognize this problem many people will stop judging and discriminating these LGBT group of people. I think after accepting the act where it says that no one can discriminate LGBT group of people that way society will be more conscious and will stop acting the same way as it was before.
Ellen T.
1) I agree with Arpine that discrimination in housing, workplace, and other social institutions against LGBT individuals poses a social problem because it can lead to issues of unemployment, poverty, and large civil right discrepancies between heterosexuals and those that identify openly as LGBT. If those that marry a same sex partner, it essentially outs them and places them in jeopardy of being fired, since there is not federal anti- discrimination acts for gay people. It is similar to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy, but instead of losing military benefits people may lose workplace or housing rights, which are currently viewed as privileges in some states. Arpine takes a functionalist perspective which does work, but I feel the social problem of the new discrimination against LGBT is part of what is known as the backlash effect, where in a social movement there is progress, there is always two steps backward in the same direction.
2) I see this problem from the conflict perspective, where religious and conservative states which have predominately white, old, heterosexual, religious, males in power create laws, or attempt to create laws to oppress those that do not fit to their personal standard. If they do not create laws like DOMA, they ignore the lack of anti-discrimination laws for homosexual couples, even though they cannot discriminate based on race. However, there used to be black literacy tests in the South that prohibited African Americans from voting, and the same rights are being taken away from those that are LGBT. Those that hold the power oppress those that do not fit into the model of the mythical norm, because they have the authority and leverage to make the rules. LGBT issues often intersect with feminist issues, seeing the common conflict of power is between wealthy white males who have for a long time been the main holders of law, land, wealth, and have had ownership of major industries and corporations. Lawmaking in the U.S. usually comes down to whoever makes the money makes the rules, despite the fact that those that makes the rules may not make fair and equal decisions.
3) I agree with Arpine’s solution that it would help to end discrimination to pass laws that add it is not legal to discriminate against someone for workplace or housing benefits based on their sexual orientation. However, it is still not federally mandated, and while it would be ideal to have a federal anti-discrimination law passed, it may not be feasible yet because of the chokehold the political right has on congress and decision making. Due to the backlash effect, the right and those that oppose homosexual marriage are doing everything they can to detract people from being openly gay and adding obstacles to a more tolerant society. Therefore, it is more plausible to provide a safety net for the time being, or programs in human resources that help LGBT people find workplaces that do not discriminate. If anything, there needs to be some class action lawsuit that gains wide media attention, to end the employer’s right to discriminate, such as in the cases of the sodomy laws. Eventually, it does have to go to the Supreme Court, but for the time being the cases need to be built, media attention needs to be gathered, and those that identify as LGBT need safe places where they know they will not be discriminated against.
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