...Anh Huynh – Brett Lavigna Afiwa Tapoyo Kay Dishner English 1302.006 1 February 2013 Homosexual marriage Back in the time, homosexuality was viewed as very negative and people did not even talk about that. However, nowadays it has changed and homosexuality has become more socially accepted. Getting to that point people believe that same-sex marriage should be legalized. Because some people have still not accepted this practice, it has created a big controversial issue. People have conflicting opinions about homosexuality in regards of nature, equal rights, and impacts over the population. Being homosexual for most people are not a choice, it comes from genetic characteristics. There is a twin research shows that if one identical twin is gay, the other twin is also likely to be gay. Moreover, if in the family have people are gays or lesbians, it will be high percent for a baby to homosexual characteristics. This means that genes are important in deciding sexual orientation (Greg). However, somebody think it is not normal and different from law of nature. If we are straight, it does not mean we assume everybody like us; because everybody is not the same. Nevertheless, even if homosexuality seems to be genetic for some, the nature has made women and men predisposed to be together. The law of the nature wants for every species to form couples only between male and female. Even the shape of genitals proves that. A woman’s vagina has a hollow shape, in sort that the penis which...
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...Conjugal versus Revisionist Marriage: The ongoing debate in the U.S. over what constitutes marriage. What is Marriage? Are there qualifiers for what relationships can be classified as marriages? This paper will examine the arguments for defining marriage through the lens of Western Moral Tradition. According to the U.S. Government marriage is define as, §7. Definition of “marriage” and “spouse” In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. (Added Pub. L. 104–199, §3(a), Sept. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2419.) Where does the official United States Federal definition stem from? The answer to that question is not a single source but a series of teachings handed down from Western society stemming, arguably going back to ancient Greece and ancient Jerusalem. The legal use of marriage is not just for religious purposes but also for tax, property rights, and child rearing. Recently, a cultural divide has invigorated a debate on redefining marriage to include same sex or non-traditional unions as marriages. The debate is largely two sides each defining the specifics of what marriage entails. The first is referred to as conjugal view and the latter is revisionist view. Conjugal...
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...the most intimate and highest form of love, which is éros, it is a love that is experienced between two people sexually. This type of love is displayed during a couple’s marriage. This love is the love that majorities of couples in America are allowed to express towards each other publically. The expression of marriage is portrayed through American couples, as men and women. Why do only a man and a woman define a marriage? If we all experience this love then why does it matter whom it is shown to? If someone of the same sex happens to love another person of the same sex whom can justify if these basic rights are unlawful? If we want to legalize same-sex marriage we need to see all the positives and understand why being homosexuality shouldn’t be a form of prejudice. What makes a person love somebody of the same sex? Some people believe that those few individuals that have love for the same sex do it by choice. If a person happens to be homosexual, why would he or she not change his or her sexual orientation to fit the norm of today and get married easily and legally? The answer is simple: people are born into homosexuality not chosen. According to A Linkage between DNA Markers on the X Chromosome and Male Sexual Orientation, “The linkage to markers on Xq28, the subtelomeric region of the long arm of the sex chromosome, had a multipoint lod...
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...Georgetown Model United Nations Background Guide on LGBTQ Rights The Human Rights Council: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system and a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly. The Human Rights Council, which replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights, was created by the General Assembly on March 15 2006 by resolution 60/251 and it has as its designated meeting place, the UN Office at Geneva (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) It is made of up of 46 United Nations Member states which are elected by the UN General Assembly. The latter states are assigned with the responsibility of strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. They are elected by the majority of the members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot. The chosen members of the council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) Membership to the Council is based on equitable geographical distribution. The seats are allocated as follows: 12345African States: 13 seats Asian States: 13 seats Latin American and Caribbean States: 8 seats Western European and other States: 7 seats Eastern European States: 6 seats The Council as a whole has its main purpose grounded in addressing human rights violations around...
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...information to create an educated and involved society. Media’s representations impact our society’s perception and shared reality. The way media represents a certain topic creates a public perception. Because of media framing, they can show us certain sides of an issue or shine a light on one perspective while effectively dimming the light on another. Because of this, we create perceptions based off of information that may not be whole. With these perceptions, we begin to construct a social reality. Once this reality is created, it is difficult to change it even if we find contradicting information. Because of these reasons, the way media represents information is crucial. The issue that will be discussed in this paper is that of gay marriage, stereotypes of homosexuals, and the scientific side of homosexuality. The way media has represented this topic over the past 30 years has varied immensely. We’ve come a long way over the past couple decades and homosexuality is now widely discussed in all forms of media including news, television, advertisements, movies, books, magazines and politics. It is important to close the gaps between the perception, the reality, and the representation of the way media portrays homosexuality. Identifying differences between the representations of homosexuality decades ago compared with now will provide necessary information to form an educated and well-rounded opinion on this issue. This issue is important to our...
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...Same-sex Parenting Shaelyn Leckington Comm/215 July 21, 2014 Julie McCabe Same-sex Parenting Everyone should have the opportunity to parent a child if they wish too. It is an experience unlike many others to have a child. A child to love, nurture, and help mold into an adult. People of all different genders, races, and ethnic backgrounds have been able to adopt children. Even single individuals can adopt a child. However, there is an issue that has made itself known, most of society frowns upon same-sex parenting. This makes it hard for same-sex couples to adopt children. There are those in the community that believe same-sex couples should not be parents. They believe that the children of same-sex parents will struggle with development, psychological, educational and, sexual orientation issues. There have been many studies that show there are no pertinent effects on children of same-sex couples. Certain studies, conducted by William Meezan and Jonathan Rauch, show that there is nothing to support that same-sex parents are unfit to hold parental roles. There is no scientific evidence to prove it. However, research does imply that same-sex couples are just as likely to maintain safe, constructive, healthy and, supportive living environments for their children as opposite- sex parents. There are little to no differences in the development of the children from these couples. When the rare difference is found they sometimes favor the same-sex parented...
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...Same Sex Marriage Recently the discussion of same sex marriage has been a hot topic in both the political and religious arenas. This controversial issue has caused many citizens to take a solid stance on same sex marriages based on his or her morals, beliefs, and viewpoints. Popular reasons that citizens considered when deciding their stance are civil rights, religion, parenting, and financial matters. This paper will break down the pros and cons of each of the reasons listed and attempt to come to a conclusion of should same sex marriages be legalized in the state of Californians. Civil Rights The Constitution of the United States was written in 1776, which during that time there were no gender specifications noted pertaining to the recognition of a legal marriage. Same sex marriage debate is so large that in 1996, President Bill Clinton signed for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which clarified that marriage is between a man and woman. The main reason gay and lesbian couples are fighting hard to legalize same sex marriage is so those couples will be allowed to and benefit from the same government, financial, and legal stances as heterosexuals marriages. Several states allow partnerships or civil union for same sex couples, however, they are denied certain rights given to heterosexual couples (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2013). Because of the growing debate of same sex marriages, President Obama administration said that it would no longer defend...
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...The Rights of Same-Sex Marriage Erin Collier SOC 120 Brianne Larson July 1, 2013 Same-sex couples who commit to one another and choose to share every aspect of their lives should have all have of the same rights and responsibilities as a hetero-sexual couple. Discrimination, no matter what form it takes, is wrong. Surely we have all been on the receiving end of discrimination at some point in our lives and usually for something out of our control like race, gender religion, age, weight, height or even something as silly as hair color. Why is society so quick to judge people for something beyond their control, like who they fall in love with? Being gay is not a choice, a lifestyle, or a phase – it is just what someone is, and to deny someone the right to share their life and everything that entails with the person they love is simply wrong. My own daughter came out to me when she was a freshman in high school. I cannot deny that I was a little bit sad, even as open minded as I am, but I soon got over it and embraced my child for who she is not what she is. I think my sadness came from the thought of what she will have to endure for the rest of her life, the discrimination, the hate, the ignorance of others. She is now 19 and in the Navy and even though being gay in the military is now allowed does not make it always tolerated by everyone she encounters. Is it ethical to deny a same-sex couple that has been together for 20 years the same rights as a heterosexual...
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...Here Same-sex marriage has been an ongoing issue for quite some time in the United States and it has existed throughout all of history; it has gone on a roller coaster of decisions just in the past fifteen years. The United States has not always been in favor of same-sex marriage, however, there are regions within the US, such as Massachusetts, that did get off of the path of the rest of the country and made their own laws about granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. “Since 2001, ten countries and other nation-states have begun to legally formalize same-sex marriages, including Canada, Spain, and some regions within the United States” (Reidel 275). With the support of gay marriage from President Barack Obama, a few other states were in support also. The support of same-sex marriage comes from the belief that it would better our society and that it is an equal right amongst couples. Despite the factual evidence, there are still many people who believe that same-sex marriage would harm our society, but there is always an argument against that. The legalization of gay marriage would better our society and there are many sources and an ample amount of research to prove that. Same-sex marriage should be an equal right. As African-Americans once fought for their freedom, women once fought for their right to vote, now homosexuals are fighting for their right to marry. The constitution says that everyone has a right to liberty and equality; however same-sex couples...
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...deserve the rights that they are granted by the government. An upstanding citizen who pays their taxes, serves their community and abides by the law should be afforded the rights of an American. However, not all citizens are afforded equal rights. Gay and lesbians are consistently denied rights that are typically taken for granted by the average American. Specifically, gay and lesbian couples are denied the right to marry even if they are upstanding citizens and are held at an unfair disadvantage solely because of their sexual orientation. This discrimination must stop because gay and lesbian couples are law-abiding citizens as well, who should be afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples. If same-sex couples are paying taxes to build roads and help public schools like the heterosexual couples, they should be afforded the same rights. One common problem that plagues gay and lesbian couples that are denied the right to marry is their inability to claim their partner’s social security after he or she has died. Currently, there are no programs that give homosexuals survivor benefits like the ones that are provided for heterosexuals who are married or divorced. Gay and lesbian partners are not able to claim benefits of their deceased, regardless of the fact that all working citizens, heterosexual or homosexual, pay into the Social Security system for survivor benefits. Sadly, this leaves many gay and lesbian couples with an unstable retirement. The most disturbing fact is that homosexuals...
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...Pre-marital sex is sexual intercourse engaged in by persons who are not married to each other (Thomson, 1938). It is generally used in reference to individuals who are presumed not yet of marriageable age, or between adults who will presumably marry eventually, but who are engaging in sexual activity prior to marriage (Lucas, 2000; Ramesh, 2008 and Barbra et al,2001). In many cultures in Asia, pre-marital sex is banned to prevent unwanted pregnancy in women while in India pre-marital sex is culturally wrong, but recently it was legalized by the Supreme Court due to the influence of the western culture (Perkins et al, 1998). Pre-marital sex is sex before marriage and it is generally found among the adolescent. It involves fornication, rape, defilement and incest. The causes behind it have been established including curiosity among the adolescent, proof of manhood, lust, pornography and its adverse effects, insanity and sex promiscuity as well as moral decadence among the student youths (Choe et al, 2004). Worldwide, rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among the school students are soaring: one-third of the 340 million new STDs each year occur in people under 25 years of age (Fernández et al,2010). Each year, more than one in every 20 school youth contracts a curable STDs. More than half of all new HIV infections occur in people between the ages of 15 to 24 years. The sexual health needs for the student girls who are generally overlooked, Stigma and vulnerability affects...
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...Sample Final Exam Essay: Legalize Gay Marriage English—Mr. Fichter (This sample essay is based upon a student-written essay from last year. The student author is anonymous.) Homosexuality is everywhere. You can see it in books, on television, in the media; it is rapidly becoming a social norm. Given this trend of greater acceptance of gay marriage, the issue of whether to legalize same-sex marriage naturally arises. Massachusetts has led the way by legalizing gay marriage. Responding to this example, some states have taken steps towards accepting gay marriage while others are considering laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage within state borders. President George Bush has recently proposed a ban on gay marriage in the U.S. Constitution (Hulse). If Americans carefully examine the situation, however, they should all be able to understand the importance of making same-sex marriage legal in the United States. Those opposing same-sex marriage claim that by allowing this act, marriages everywhere will lose their honor and validity (Kurtz). Marriages between a man and a woman would lose their special importance, these opponents argue, if the definition of marriage is expanded to include same-sex couples as well. The test of time has proven this fear pointless. For several years, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands have allowed gay marriage without any signs of damage to heterosexual couples. Social life in these countries continues unchanged, and...
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...CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION Marriage is one of the deepest and most complex involvements of human relationships. It is a corner stone of society and a very necessary part of the social system. It is a crucial and sacred bond between two personalities merging into one for ideas, attitudes, habits and likes and dislikes. In Philippines marriage is considered a lifelong partnership. It is the foundation stone on which the family is built. Basically marriage is a social and legal contract. People marry great number of reasons- personal or social. Usually they have a certain preconceived notions about the kind of person they would like to marry. The large percentage of separation each year, non-marital pregnancies and premarital cohabitation have all dramatically changed the traditional family structure (Amato et.al, 2003). Millions of children are no longer being raised in nuclear families. The institution of marriage, the backbone of society, appears to be under threat. Marriage has, despite demographic and political shifts, significant value for the individual, families and the society (Nock, 2005). When looking at marriage as an institution, as opposed to a free-standing concept, marriage represents socially sanctioned behavior. Marriage embraces traditionally virtuous, legal and predictable assumptions concerning what is moral and what is proper (Nock, 2005). Through marriage an individual is transformed; they are perceived and treated differently...
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...attitudes when individuals are older and enter romantic relationships. Anxious avoidant individuals typically hold the view that sex without love is pleasurable, attachment styles can influence the way someone behaves in a...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 Background Facts 4 Business, Government and Society &/Legal Issues Identified 5 Presentation of Analysis and/or Literature Review 7 Literature Review 7 Judicial Review and Ultra Vires 8 Abuse of Discretion 9 Improper Purposes 9 Unreasonableness 9 Irrelevant/Immaterial Considerations 9 Natural Justice 10 Legitimate Expectation 11 Discussion of Findings 12 Recommendations/Solutions 16 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 19 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Using case law, this research paper will provide a critical analysis on the legal issues raised in the case of David vs. The Empowerment Board of Antigua. Several issues of administrative law were identified in this case, and the researchers have sought to examine their respective implications to David and the Empowerment Board. The findings of this case focus less on the final decision of the Empowerment Board, but concentrates on the prevailing factors involved in the decision. The principles of Substantives Ultra Vires, Natural Justice and Legitimate Expectations form a major part of this study and consequently the researchers have recommended options to be considered by both David and the Empowerment Board. BACKGROUND FACTS Across the globe there is growing pressure by homosexual couples to get their “unions” officially recognized by governments. This would enable them to be legally...
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