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Are gay rights issues parallel or different from race-related civil rights in the US?
Results so far:
| Different | 59% | 480 votes | Total: 808 votes | |
| Parallel | 41% | 328 votes |
Different
by Elizabeth M Young
Created on: May 17, 2010
Gay issues of civil rights both parallel and differ vastly, if not completely, from racial civil rights in any society. This is because gay people can come from any racial group and thus represent all of the racial groups as well as their experiences in society. Gays can be oppressors, the oppressed and everything in between because the issue is of their sexual preference which is not always physically obvious as is their physical appearance or ethnicity.
In fact, many gays come from communities, racial and ethnic groups where they prefer not to identify their sexual orientation or to require any more rights than they already have. In this respect, gay civil rights can mirror the past movements where many did not want to stir up trouble and would have been happy to leave things alone.
The core civil rights of right to jobs, to vote and to marry, protections against all forms of discrimination and hate crimes, and ability to serve in the military must be fought for and provided for gays as they are provided for any other citizen. In that respect, gay rights are just like racial civil rights movements.
But there are gays in the military as well as all aspects of society, who have discriminated against women and other races, and who have done so from positions of great authority because of biases and prejudices that are unrelated to their sexual orientation. In turn, others from all other social groups have discriminated against gays and lesbians. This is clearly solely based on sexual orientation.
Others can and will deny civil rights to lesbians and gays of color without even knowing about their sexual orientation. This means that race and gender are points of discrimination and denial of civil rights based on beliefs that are independent of beliefs about sexual orientation. Race and gender are simply far more obvious and readily perceivable identifying factors that lead far more readily to much broader discrimination and oppression.
In fact, if all discrimination based on sexual orientation is to be equated with race and gender, then sexual orientation will have to be as immediately obvious as is race and gender. This is not likely to happen, so no, there are no equalities in all issues of discrimination and injustice that cross the boundaries of race, gender and sexual orientation.
In addition, the amount and virulence of the mistreatment toward women and people of different races can far exceed the amount and virulence of mistreatment toward people based on their sexual orientation.
There are other points of discrimination and allocation of rights. All people have the capacity to be inclined toward misandry, mysogony, homophobic behavior and racism, but the members of each category can also be inclined to class distinction, ethnic distinction, educational distinction, economic distinction and a host of other factors where race, gender and sexual orientation are not even involved.
As a result, the great civil rights movements, including rights for African Americans, the American Indian Rights movements, women's rights, voting rights, migrant worker rights, labor rights, the rights of active duty military, patients, and a host of other rights were gained through the sacrifice of many who helped, regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation.
Today, gay rights is becoming much like the other civil rights movements in that a vast movement is supported by many from all races, both genders and many ethnic groups. But gay rights do not automatically equate to the other great civil rights movements of the past because all of the past movements have involved a specific denial of specific rights to specific and easily identified people, based on specific rationales for discrimination and oppression.
Gay rights, when gained, will benefit society as a whole, yet will raise the anger of opponents who cross all boundaries of race, economics, class, sexual orientation, gender and many other categories, as did all of the previously gained rights for others that have been gained. In that sense, gay rights is much like racial equity.
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Parallel
by Tara Sharelle Watson
Created on: February 23, 2011
As a passionate advocate for both gay and race-related civil rights, it is believed that the two issues are most definitely parallel. To begin with, it needs to be asserted that being gay is not a ‘lifestyle’ as many of this sides opponents will be employing as their argument. Homosexuality isn’t a choice, faze or alternative. It is how someone is born, just like being born African-American. The parallels between the two struggles for equality are endless. For the purpose of this debate the four deemed most clearly to demonstrate this hypothesis shall be highlighted as follows:
EMOTIONAL ABUSE
During the racial oppression of African-Americans, frequent derogatory terms used to fuel the oppression included n*gger or boy. Similiarly, gay slurs are commonly targeted against homosexuals such as f*ggot, queer or poofter. These labels are used not only to emotionally offend the victims, but also reinforced their presumed inferiority.
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
Lynchings of African-Americans was commonplace in the south up until the 1960s, along with incessant beatings, rapings and general violence as a consequence of prejudice. Like that of their African-American counterparts, physical abuse of homosexuals is immense. Whilst not as public and bloody as the lynchings of the Civil Rights era, this abuse is the lesser known violence occurring in institutions such as high school and college. When discussing the extreme violence of the African-American struggle, the horrendous story of Emmett Till is often relayed. This story of the 14 year old that was brutally murdered is heartbreaking. Incidentally, when thinking of oppression due to same-sex relations, a similiar tragic figure comes to mind. Brandon Teena. Brandon was transgender and subsequently raped and murdered for it. Both acts of senseless destruction due to hate and intolerance.
MARRIAGE RESTRICTIONS
As it is widely known, same-sex marriage is severely restrained in the US. Marriage between the same gender is not recognised as a legitimate marital union. To be wed you must be a man and women. African-Americans also suffered similar limitations, with interracial marriage prohibited in some areas of the south in the past. The aim of this was to prevent miscegenation, as it was becoming common thought that it was wrong and degrading to mix races. Hence, this demonstrates another parallel in the two issues: the struggle for the right to be structurally acknowledged as a marital union. Illustrating their shared greivance of being refused the simple right of choosing who to love.
DISCRIMINATION ROOTED IN RELIGION
In each instance of bigotry, the oppression has been justified through religion. The Ku Klux Klan for example, believed they were (and are) a Christian organization. Using the Bible to endorse their racism as it refers to black people as slaves. This testimony was one of the key tools the white perpetrator exercised as approval for African-Americans suffering. The same can also be said for gay oppression. The main advocates against homosexuality use religion as a template for what is morally right. 'Its Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve'- is an expression that immediately springs to mind. This promotes the idea that man and woman is the norm and any other combination is seen as blasphemous. Therefore religion is a consistent theme throughout the two issues.
CONCLUSION
The aim of this argument is not to attempt to overshadow the terrible wrongs inflicted upon African-Americans to gain civil rights. It is to bring to light the gay rights struggles that are still occurring today by using this widely deemed injustice as a parallel. It is believed that in years to come, society will look back at their past treatment of homosexuals with shame, just like it is currently accepted opinion that previous racist ideals of early generations were unethical. Which, it must be noted in the civil-rights era was arguably paralleled to the previous generation’s sexist treatment of women. It is the main contention of this argument that any kind of intolerance-based discrimination is wrong. Hopefully, society is quick to reach this realisation and acts for gay rights accordingly.
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