Homosexual prejudices, homosexual targeted hate crimes, and the history of homosexuality.

Essay by nodoubtlvrCollege, Undergraduate March 2002

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Gender issues cause gay men and lesbian women to be discriminated against, treated unfairly, and to be denied the right to engage in the social institution of marriage which is unreasonable due to the fact that homosexuality is something that you are born with, it is not a choice that a person decides upon. Gays and lesbians have been treated unjustly for their sexual orientation or their attraction to the same sex. Being gay or straight is something that I believe that you are born with and can not be changed according to what a certain culture deems appropriate. In 1930 Sigmund Freud signed a statement declaring the punishment of homosexuals was an ? extreme violation of human rights? (1, pp. 395). Ever day hate crimes are committed against gays and lesbians because people fear what they do not understand. They do not understand how someone could be attracted to the same sex or why they do it.

Historical record shows that in ancient Greece people accepted same sex relationships. This was especially true between young boys and their teachers. This was due to the fact that ancient Greeks had no expression in their language for homosexuality. They believed that one could find beauty in either sex. There was no sexual preference or norm of a sexual preference at that time. That is to say that there was no specific set rule by society about which gender should be sexually attracted to a which gender. They believed that if you chose to be with the same sex one day you weren?t exclusively into that sex. In other words you were not bound to stay sexually attracted to that sex. A person in the society was free to find beauty in either sex. Even Greek and Hindu gods such as Zeus...