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Alejandra Martinez

ENGL 1302-101

Dr. Sharity Nelson

31 October 2022

Seeking Equality from the Gay Rights Movement

In regards to the legal rights of homosexuals and those affiliated with the LGBTQ

community, the rise of social movements and trends around the nation has recently reached a

peak. Although many of those affiliated with the LGBTQ community usually feel that they are

treated differently than others, there has recently been progressively more acceptance and a

broader understanding of what these people are feeling as well as what they experience in

everyday settings. In considering the influence that the contemporary gay rights movement has

made in the United States, there are two things to consider: whether the different discrimination

in various social settings people experience on a day-to-day basis affects other members of

society who are not LGBTQ, and whether queer people feel as though they are equal with their

peers. This paper argues that the gay rights movement has had an influence on how social

standards have changed and evolved. Moreover, the concept has provided justification for the

civil rights and liberties of equality for all citizens of the United States. The gay rights

movement has made positive attributions to the United States social standards because citizens

are becoming more accepting of others and the meaning of equality has drastically changed since

getting more national recognition.

***working body

In the United States, the “normal” social standards are constantly changing depending on

the generation and their overall morals. Geographic location, religious beliefs, gender, and race
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also contribute to the different everyday tasks and the way people interact with others. For

example, in the state of Utah, many of the natives practice Mormonism, which is a church that

tries to keep up with the social norms of that specific time, but sometimes gets backlash for not

being inclusive to all people and for its racist views (insert reference). It has been noted that

people who refer to themselves as “non-religious” or those who do not associate with a certain

religious practice, are more open and accepting of those who identify as homosexual. College

students around the entire nation tend to also be more understanding and open to the idea of

homosexuality rather than those of older generations. According to Gayle Kaufman, “younger

adults are less likely to identify as republicans or religious, and an increasing number of

Americans have family members or close friends who are LGBT.” The author also continues to

argue that contact with someone who is LGBT is associated with support for same-sex marriage

(Kaufman, 1601). These younger generations that are growing up in a more “woke” and open

social environment are soon going to be the people who make political laws and essentially run

our country. By adopting these more open social practices, it will be easier to understand and

interact with others in social settings.

The change in social acceptance of homosexuality has also made a positive impact in

politics. Many studies and experts predict that more and more numbers of LGBTQ candidates

will appear on ballots across the country. Many more politicians who identify as part of the

democratic party with more liberal views, moreover seem to be more accepting of the LGBTQ

Community. Although there is many politicians and supporters of the growing LGBTQ

community, there is still many people who oppose the idea of giving these people more equal

rights. Majority of the people who are inclined to be opposed to the idea of granting more rights
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to homosexuals, tend to be those who relate with the republican political party, display

conservative morals, and are more likely to be older white men from the south.

Families and friends are slowly starting to embrace the idea of homosexuality and people

are becoming more accepting of others even if their beliefs differ. The idea that gay people have

to have a “coming-out talk” with their closest friends and family can be extremely overwhelming

for most. Many of these individuals do not have a supportive family to accept them and their

sexual views. When gay people are more open to the idea about coming out to third parties, they

feel a greater internal satisfaction and their relationships with family and partners seem to be

better. According to Li, the experiment conducted proved that coming out will also help people

be more in touch with their emotions and are able to have better communication skills with their

partners throughout the rest of the relationship. ***add more to this paragraph

As people start to become more accepting of homosexuality, more and more people feel

more comfortable coming out to not only to the people they love and care about, but also to the

public as a whole. This practice has become so big that the LGBTQ community adopted

“National Coming Out Day” which is celebrated every year on October 11 to help encourage

people to embrace who they are. Many young people, such as college students, also try to

encourage their peers who are gay to accept who they are. For example, earlier this year for

National Coming Out Day, The University of Texas at San Antonio held an event which

encouraged people to “step out of the closet” by decorating a door with the pride flag and telling

students and staff to walk through it if they chose to.

As people become more educated on what and who the LGBTQ are, the meaning of

“equality for all” has drastically changed in the United States over the years. The idea of
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equality has stemmed out from racist views to views that are more accepting of individuality.

***evaluate more

Conclusion

Works Cited

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