In many (although not all) areas of the country, efforts are being made, both socially and politically, to keep homosexuals and homosexuality out of the public spotlight and to stigmatize the practice. These efforts take many forms and result in very real limitations on the ability of homosexuals to express themselves, plan for the future, feel secure in their employment, and otherwise lead "normal" lives. The most chilling effect is on young people, many of whom feel so stigmatized by their families and their peers that they have to lie for years about what they feel, or worse, take their own lives.
No, gays are not being rounded up, imprisoned, executed, or experimented on. But I don't think those are the sole hallmarks of oppression.
Oh, and haha, real funny to whoever spammed the poll.
Actual vote is 22 to 11.
Permit me to give my response, even though you did not ask for it.
If humans sexually reproduced with male pairs or female pairs, then I would completely agree that it made no sense for government to sanction opposite sex marriage. Were I heterosexual in such a society I wouldn't demand that the mainstream of society change itself for my decidedly minority proclivities.
I would, however, push for civil unions, or something like it, so that I could have the rights you refer to when it came to my spouse.
Alright...let's move on from this "oppression" crap,(1) since it seems to me like almost all of Wake's threads turn into substanceless semantic debates over words rather than real issues.
(2) Most of us agree on the following things that homosexuals experience in this country:
1) Most of them cannot marry the person they love, except in a select few states
2) Some of them are barred from adopting children.
3) Many, if not most of them experience family problems due to their struggles with their orientation, and social alienation and ostracization in wider society.
4) Going off of the above, they also experience housing and employment discrimination.
5) They are denied the legal and fiduciary benefits of marriage that many straights take for granted.
The list goes on. Whether or not this actually consists of oppression, can we all at least agree that this is wrong, and an injustice?
(1) I disagree with the baseless hyperbole.
(2) I neither support or oppose gay marriage. Negating the redefinition of marriage isn't oppression.
I'll agree that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt. Housing and employment discrimination isn't good imo. However, families do have the right to voice their opinions regarding their belief. If my child were living in my house, over the age of 18, and refused to work/go to school and planned to be a prostitute... well, I don't know what I'd do tbh.
The whole marriage issue is still being debated, so it's not like we can broadly declare/assume one side victorious/right.
Let the people decide on the gay marriage issue. Just don't misuse words to elicit emotional appeal.
Absolutely not. I don't how many times this has to be repeated: The rights of a minority should never be voted upon by the majority.Let the people decide on the gay marriage issue.
(1) I disagree with the baseless hyperbole.
(2) I neither support or oppose gay marriage. Negating the redefinition of marriage isn't oppression.
I'll agree that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt. Housing and employment discrimination isn't good imo. However, families do have the right to voice their opinions regarding their belief. If my child were living in my house, over the age of 18, and refused to work/go to school and planned to be a prostitute... well, I don't know what I'd do tbh.
The whole marriage issue is still being debated, so it's not like we can broadly declare/assume one side victorious/right.
Let the people decide on the gay marriage issue. Just don't misuse words to elicit emotional appeal.
oppressed
Verb:
1.Keep (someone) in subservience and hardship, esp. by the unjust exercise of authority.
2.Cause (someone) to feel distressed, anxious, or uncomfortable: "he was oppressed by worry".
Absolutely not. I don't how many times this has to be repeated: The rights of a minority should never be voted upon by the majority.
Also, gays still suffer oppression according to the definitions in your OP.
I wish this made sense.I love it when society deems and decides except when society shouldn't...
1) The rights of the minority should not be subject to the whims of the majority.
Why not... it worked for the Jews living in Germany in the 30's and 40's.
Wake;1060284621Let the people decide on the gay marriage issue. [/QUOTE said:Bad idea... letting a majority of emotionally and sexually insecure people vote on an issue like this is a terrible idea.
Sweet Godwin right there... I guess Congress works like Germany and the Jews too since the majority vote wins huh?
I am not even sure what you are trying to say here...
You know what a Godwin is ... so I'll skip that.
The U.S. Congress passes laws which affect millions of people by majority rule. According to your prior statement, that's the same way Germany worked things with the Jews. Do you agree?
Socially homosexuals may be oppressed. People may be disgusted or not approve of homosexual affection or whatnot, but any group of people can receive this kind of treatment.
I've been cursed out, judged, threatened with violence, and lost friends over my Christian beliefs and social stances.
People in this world are intolerant of many views and lifestyles,
and it may be "oppression" to a certain level, but I don't think it's fair to call homosexuals oppressed as a distinct minority group.
Do you live there? Is that the nation we are discussing? OH how were gays treated in Nazi Germany by the way?Why not... it worked for the Jews living in Germany in the 30's and 40's.
Persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...upon the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay men and, to a lesser extent, lesbians, were two of the numerous groups targeted by the Nazi Party and were ultimately among Holocaust victims. Beginning in 1933, gay organizations were banned, scholarly books about homosexuality, and sexuality in general, were burned, and homosexuals within the Nazi Party itself were murdered. The Gestapo compiled lists of homosexuals, who were compelled to sexually conform to the "German norm."
Between 1933–45, an estimated 100,000 men were arrested as homosexuals, of whom some 50,000 were officially sentenced.[1] Most of these men served time in regular prisons, and an estimated 5,000 to 15,000 of those sentenced were incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps.[1] It is unclear how many of the 5,000 to 15,000 eventually perished in the camps, but leading scholar Ruediger Lautman believes that the death rate of homosexuals in concentration camps may have been as high as 60%. Homosexuals in the camps were treated in an unusually cruel manner by their captors.
After the war, the treatment of homosexuals in concentration camps went unacknowledged by most countries, and some men were even re-arrested and imprisoned based on evidence found during the Nazi years. It was not until the 1980s that governments began to acknowledge this episode, and not until 2002 that the German government apologized to the gay community.[2] This period still provokes controversy, however. In 2005, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Holocaust which included the persecution of homosexuals.