The LGBTQ community has suffered inhumane treatment in the past, and even

now they are manhandled by society. It raises serious concern over the human
rights of these people who are homosexuals by birth and not by choice.
Governments have repealed same-sex marriages several times, while the general
public is always under the impression that gay sex is a disease of the mind.
Rubbishing these baseless stereotypes, human rights activists are gearing up for a
revolution and urging their social acceptance. In a latest development,
Singapore’s highest court upheld the law that criminalizes gay-sex and rejected
appeals by the homosexuals. Human rights lawyers claim this as a “step backward
for human rights in Singapore” (Reuters). Even though Singapore is one of the
progressive countries in the world, it continues to keep up the norms of a
conservative society. In India, the Supreme Court that decriminalized
homosexuality four years back has once again criminalized it in a recent verdict.
This comes as a major blow to the homosexuals in the country that started living
together in the capital (The Times of India). Russia has been tagged as the
“hardest” country for the gays, by the international gay rights watchdog, Ilga-
Europe. Orthodox Church and Muslims continue to isolate the sexual minorities
(BBC News). Also, Russia’s notorious law on “gay-propaganda” has drawn flak
from the Western countries. Gay rights activists were arrested on the inaugural
day of Sochi Winter Olympics, this year. Ban on gay-propaganda also prevents the
homosexuals from reaching minors (CBCnews).

PEOPLE POWER: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Here, I refer to ‘people power’ organization, Amnesty International that operates

in Africa, Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Middle East and North Africa.
This includes more than 150 countries. According to Amnesty International, the
organization struggles towards human rights irrespective of caste, creed, religion
or sexual orientation. Its London-based research team investigates about several
issues plaguing modern society. Fighting for LGBTQ rights is one of Amnesty
International’s core missions. It strives to decriminalize homosexuality. As per its
vision- everyone should enjoy full human rights regardless of sexual orientation.
But, sexual orientation or gender identity is now becoming a serious concern
owing to “abuse in the form of discrimination, violence, imprisonment, torture, or
even execution.” This discrimination of the LGBTQ community is against the
international human rights law. The law strives towards protecting dignity of the
LGBTQ people. Amnesty’s work culture predominantly includes campaigning. They
promote events celebrating rights of the LGBTQ people. Cultural movements like
Pride festivals works for their protection from hate groups and support from
authorities. They constantly monitor the increasing number of prejudice against
individuals and groups. Their campaigns are an attempt to remind the
government authorities that LGBTQ people have equal human rights under
international law. They hold public campaigns and “behind-the-scenes lobbying”.
It highlights several oppressive acts against LGBTQ across the globe. For instance,
Jean-Claude from Cameroon spent two years in jail for texting another man he
loved. He was stripped naked, beaten up mercilessly and denied medical
treatment (Amnesty International).

Though Amnesty International has a long way to go, but success is coming its way
in some countries. In a landmark victory, the Supreme Court in Brazil passed a
judgment that identifies similar rights for same-sex couples as heterosexuals.
Guadalupe Marengo, Deputy Director for the Americas at Amnesty International
lauded this judgment and tagged this as a historic moment. The Court
acknowledged equal rights of same-sex couples to issues of pension, adoption or
inheritance. The outcome is a result of rigorous campaigning by cultural and
reform movements in Brazil. Amnesty invites LGBTQ people from all over the
world to join their campaign in decriminalizing homosexuality (Amnesty
International).

Amnesty International and other human rights activists are overjoyed with their
recent victory in Uganda as the constitutional court annulled a highly-criticized
anti-gay law in the country. US President Barack Obama condemned the law,
while other Western countries stopped providing aid to Uganda. Even though
homosexuality is a criminal offence under colonial-era law and Prime Minister
Museveni’s diplomatic stance are suspected to be a political motif ahead of 2016
elections; but LGBTQ people are enjoying the temporary victory (Smith).

POLITICAL OPPOSITION

The war for the LGBTQ people have now taken a serious turn with political
parties, governments and courts passing strong anti-gay laws; thus, criminalizing
homosexuality. The globalization of sexuality is a distant dream. In the latest
development, Kyrgyzstan- which is a strong supporter of Russia and its law against
‘gay propaganda’; has decided to form stronger laws. The intended law targets to
implement jail terms for homosexuals; gay-rights activists and even journalists
(Trilling). And, if all these weren’t enough, Russia continues with its heinous bias
against homosexuality. In a latest act, companies in Russia have destroyed a
memorial tribute to late Steve Jobs (Apple founder), after Apple’s current CEO,
Tim Cook declared himself a gay. He publicly said that he is “proud to be gay”
(Selby).

Owing to this constant scuffle, all eyes are now on President Obama. He has
publicly declared his support for the homosexuals, and stated that he believes
that the US constitution wants states to accept and allow same-sex marriages. He
affirmed that the homosexuals should have similar rights to benefits and
opportunities as heterosexual couples. However, the Obama administration has
never come out openly to form “federal constitutional right to same-sex
marriage” (Gerstein). But, how far Obama’s support for same-sex marriages would
yield results is debatable, as there are chances of a Republican victory in the 2016
presidential election. If the Republicans come to power (they have already
defeated the Democrats in the mid-term election), chances of social acceptance of
the LGBTQ people are bleak. The Republicans have persistently shown resistance
to liberal, progressive ideas, and didn’t show any sympathy towards the miserable
state of the LGBTQ people.

CONCLUSION

Impact of homosexuality upon younger generation is understandable, but that

doesn’t give right to anyone- either police or governments to torture or
discriminate anyone based on sexual orientation. Government officials, police and
civil societies need to understand that homosexuals are human beings too, and
have the same need or requisites as anyone else. Instead of giving in to official
pressure, large corporations should fervently promote equality across all sexes.
Globalization of sexuality is immediately needed. Amnesty International is doing a
great job as it is promoting equality regardless of gender identity. Their continuing
campaign should now emphasize upon medical causes behind homosexuality.
Despite massive advancement in technology and social networking, the public and
the state authorities are still under the impression of homosexuality being an
acquired Western lifestyle. Nobody seems to address the actual reason, i.e.
homosexuality is formed by chromosomal disorder, which is irreversible. There
are several nations that are considering legalizing prostitution. In fact, some
already have accepted prostitution as a legal norm. Similarly, there are no valid
reasons behind criminalizing gay-sex. Amnesty International works all over the
globe, and it’s time to strictly address discriminations against the LGBTQ people.
Cultural movements should give rise to a worldwide revolution to offer equal
rights to the homosexuals. Last year, UN-Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for
unity on Human Rights Day at the UN. He emphasized that such drive needs to be
implemented on a massive scale, especially for sexual minorities (United Nations).
But, given the way these people are being victimized, the United Nations should
legally impose worldwide acceptance of the sexual minorities.

2. Essay
Every individual is born equal and unique. All humans are born with
different tendencies and each develops new ones in their lifetime. A
person’s individuality depends on these tendencies. Some of them,
especially the acquired ones are in the control of the individuals while the
others are an expression of his or her genetic constitution. Sexuality is one
such tendency and it is indeed a highly personal and subjective affair.
Society is built to accept only the natural form of sexuality that is
heterozygous, meaning a relationship between the two different sexes.
However, there are sexualities that exist in nature and are beyond the
understanding of the average human society. The most interesting fact is
that sexualities are born in the genes of a person and they express
themselves at one point of time in the individual’s life. It is, in fact, the
natural instinct of a person that helps him or her to identify their true
nature. People who possess different sexualities are termed as LGBTQ an
acronym for “Lesbian Gay Bi-sexual Transvestites and Queer”
 (Rimmerman, Wald and Wilcox, 2006). The human body is a fascinating
creation and all people constitute the complete sexuality of human
beings. And since it is in the nature of a human it must be represented as
equal to the conventional in the society. The LGBTQ movement is one the
fastest catching movements in the United States. The US allows people
from all walks of life to live freely and pursue their choices. It is imminent
then that these choices must include the freedom of a person to choose
his or her sexual preferences. The LGBTQ movement is a social ideology
that brings forth the concept of rights for the people with different sexual
preferences. LGBT and LGBTQ movements have been part of the modern
world history and have affected legal procedures all over the world.
Debate on the validity of rights for LGBT individuals is controversial. The
following paper is a discussion of the LGBTQ movement and how it has
grown in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

Discussion

LGBT is a generalized term associated with defining people with homosexual or

bisexual tendencies. The concept of LGBTQ movements boils down to one
important thought, the equality of these people in the society (Rimmerman, Wald
and Wilcox, 2006). In this broad scope, LGBTQ movements have some underlying
goals. These include cultural and political social goals. The cultural goals include
challenging central constructions of homophobia, masculinity and feminism, and
the predominance of the gender based nuclear families with emphasis on
heterosexual relationships. Political goals of these movements include altering
laws and policies so that new rights can be brought upon, new benefits can be
gained, and getting protection from hegemonic harm. LGBTQ activists demand
both of these goals in civil and political scenarios. The modern day society has
brought about awareness amongst the people and they have come to understand
the rights that they must be given. Many doctors who study sexual behavior in
man agree that homosexuality be treated as a neutral sexual condition. They (the
doctors) also argue that homosexual relationships between male-male & female-
female couples could not be characterized as a medical condition or a criminal
offense and that its importance is above the illogical restrictions imposed upon by
the society (Rimmerman, Wald and Wilcox, 2006).

However, it was not so all along. As near in history as the early eighteenth
century, any form of sexuality other than heterosexuality was looked upon as
sodomy and sumptuary under law (Babb, 2001). There is proof though that
homosexuality was recognized and understood as a real phenomenon as was
evident from the content of plays from Shakespearian and other Elizabethan eras
(Babb, 2001). In the year 1791, France legalized homosexuality, the first to ever do
so, after activists protested laws for due representation in the new French
Constitution after the French Revolution brought democracy in the country.
However LGBT rights were not protested for in England before the late 1870s that
too under secrecy (Aragon, 2006). Secret British societies like the "Order of
Chaeronea" protested for legalization of homosexuality, and enlisted influential
people like Oscar Wilde, the famous playwright, amongst the members of this
society.

Such early supporters of LGBT rights were often associated with a larger socio-
political awakening known as the “Free Love” movement, which criticized the
Victorian dogma of sexual morality and patriarchal setup of families and
marriages that seemed to dominate women. (Babb, 2001) Some supporters of the
free love movement in the early twentieth century, like the Russian feminist
Emma Goldman, spoke in defense of homosexual love and challenged legislation
that repressed them (Rimmerman, Wald and Wilcox, 2006)..

Almost nearly after World War II, some new homosexual rights groups came to
life and some old ones were revived across the civilization of the west, mostly in
European countries like Britain, Germany, France, the Scandinavian countries as
well as in the United States (Aragon, 2006). The preferred term then was
homophiles over homosexuals, as a way of emphasizing emotions of love over
physical sex (Babb, 2001). The Homophile movement began in the late 1940s and
continued to operate throughout the decades of 50s and 60s with groups in
countries like the United States, and France etc. (Babb, 2001)

Homophile movement promoted the

establishment of a noticeable influence in the
political systems of social tolerability. By the
end of the decade of 60s, there were many such
organizations and publications in the United
States alone, and organizations at the national
level were formed, but most of these movements
and organizations were ignored by the media.
The first Gay March took place in the year
1962 in front of the Philadelphia’s
Independence Hall. (Babb, 2001) The Gay
March event marked the beginning of the
modern gay rights movement. At almost the
same time, an LGBT youth organization was
formed by Adrian Ravarour in San Francisco
titled the “Vanguard” with the sole purpose of
demonstrating rights for equality. During the
months from April to July of the year 1966,
members of the Vanguard led protests for equal
rights for all.
The "Don't ask, don't tell" was a law formed in the year 1991, forbidding people
with tendencies from joining the United States military services openly. This act
following protests was repealed in the year 2010. The repealing of this law meant
that homosexuals could now serve willingly in the military without fear of facing
discharge because of their choice of sexual orientation. As of 2014, gay and
lesbian marriages are recognized in countries like Sweden, Spain, Mexico, Brazil,
Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Iceland, Canada, Norway, South Africa, Uruguay,
Denmark, France, New Zealand, and Israel along with twenty-five states in the
United States of America, including Washington D.C. and New York (Ryan, 2014).
LGBTQ individuals are treated at par with other individuals in these provinces
giving them right to live normal healthy lives with all the rights available to any
individual of that state.

A large number of individuals and organizations oppose LGBTQ movements. There

may be several reasons for such opposition, which may include personal, moral,
political or religious objections to homosexual relations, gay rights, or towards gay
people (Rimmerman, Wald and Wilcox, 2006). Opponents to homosexuality and
rights to LGBTQ argue that homosexual relationships cannot be taken as
marriages. Opponents also argue that legalizing homosexual marriages may pave
way for legalization of certain socially unacceptable practices like polygamy. Such
groups also say that such marriages are unnatural and that such practices
encourage people to keep unhealthy behavior in public. Some conservative
believers say that all forms of sexual relationships between individuals other than
partners of opposite sex undermine the traditional structure of families, and that
children must be brought up in homes with a father and a mother only
(Rimmerman, Wald and Wilcox, 2006) (Rimmerman, Wald and Wilcox, 2006).
Some people lay worry to the belief that implementing gay rights may put conflict
with freedom of speech of individuals, freedom of religion in the workplace, as
well as the capacity to run churches, charitable establishments and other such
other religious organizations that hold views opposing social and cultural rights of
the LGBT people. Conservatives are also concerned that religious organizations
may be forced to accept and perform rights for gay and lesbian marriages or they
may risk losing their status of tax-exemption.

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. LGBT, or

LGBTQ+ (a common variant), are used as an umbrella term for
topics pertaining to sexual and gender identity. It is used to refer
to anyone who is non-heterosexual and non-cisgender instead of
exclusively applying to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender, such as those who identify as queer or intersex
individuals. Other variants of LGBT include LGBTQ, LGBTQ+,
LGBTQIA, and LGBTQIA+. Differences in the variants do not
necessarily represent differences in politics within the community
but are rather just preferences among individuals and groups.
LGBT people around the world face inequality, discrimination,
and violence. Rights affecting those who are a part of the LGBTQ+
community vary greatly by country or jurisdiction. LGBTQ+ rights
encompass everything from the death penalty to the legal
recognition of same-sex marriage.

LGBTQ+ Rights in the United States

The U.S. has made great strides in LGBTQ+ rights over the years.
Although the U.S. Supreme Courts have legalized many LGBTQ+
rights, jobs, housing, and service discrimination still exist and
rights continue to vary by jurisdiction. The U.S. has no federal law
outlawing discrimination nationwide. The Equality Act would
amend existing civil rights laws to explicitly state sexual
orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics. By
including this language, the Act would provide explicit non-
discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people nationwide and all
areas of life such as housing, education, employment, public
spaces and services, and federally funded programs among other
things. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been
fighting for LGBTQ+ rights since 1936 and brings more LGBTQ+
cases than any other national organization.

Some of the greatest victories for the LGBTQ+ community in the

United States are the legalization of gay marriage and the
legalization of adoption of children by same-sex couples. Gay
marriage legalization expanded from one state in 2004 to all fifty
states in 2015 through federal court rulings, state court rulings,
state legislation, and direct popular votes. The Supreme Court
struck down all bans on same-sex adoption in 2016, legalizing it in
all 50 states. Despite significant progress, the United States still
has a way to go for LGBTQ+ rights.

LGQBTQ+ Rights Around the World

LGBTQ+ rights vary greatly between countries. In some countries,

homosexuality is illegal, while in others it is legal but
organizations and promotion of “nontraditional sexual relations”
are illegal. In a few countries, homosexuality can receive a death
penalty. Homosexual activity is a capital offense in Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan, and Somalia.

Transgender individuals can join the military in only 19

countries: Canada, Bolivia, French Guiana, Spain, France,
the United Kingdom,
the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Cze
ch Republic, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Israel, Australia, and New
Zealand. Thailand allows transgender individuals to join only in
administrative positions. Only Ecuador, Brazil, and Malta have
outlawed conversion therapies nationwide. Conversion therapy is
not outlawed in the United States nationwide;
however, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, C
olorado, New Mexico, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New
York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Maine have statewide bans.

Only 5% of the United Nations member states have written into

their constitutions that sexual orientation-based discrimination is
prohibited. These states include Ecuador, Mexico, Portugal,
Bolivia, South Africa, Sweden, and Nepal. Most
of Europe and South America have taken steps to tackle sexual
orientation-based discrimination in the workplace, as well as
some other countries around the world. In general, same-sex
couples are not allowed to adopt outside the Americas, Europe,
and Australia and New Zealand.

The Netherlands was the first country to allow same-sex marriage

in 2001 and Ecuador is the most recent country to legalize it.
Same-sex marriage is not legalized in the majority of Eastern
Europe, Africa, and Asia. Only 13% of UN member states have
legalized gay marriage and a handful recognize civil unions,
including Peru, Greece, and Italy.

Safest Countries for LGBTQ+ People

According to the LGBTQ+ Danger Index, below are the ten best

and safest countries in the world for LGBTQ+ people. The index is
based on each country’s LGBT rights for its citizens.
Sweden is the most gay-friendly country in the world. Sweden has
legalized same-sex marriage, worker protections for both gender
identity and sexual orientation, constitutional protections against
discrimination, and criminalization of violence against LGBTQ+
people. Additionally, same-sex couples are allowed to adopt in
Sweden. Canada ranks second as the most LGBTQ+-friendly
nation in the world. Unlike Sweden, Canada has worker
protections for sexual orientation only, not including gender
identity. Canada was the first country outside of Europe and the
fourth country in the world to legalized gay marriage on July 20,
2005. Additionally, same-sex couples can adopt and there are
constitutional protections against discrimination of LGBTQ+
people.

Norway is the third-most LGBTQ+-friendly nation. Norway has

legalized gay marriage and has worker protections for both
sexual orientation and gender identity. Norway has broad
protections for discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community,
rather than constitutional protections, and has criminalized hate
crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. Like Sweden and Canada,
Norway allows for joint and second-parent adoption for same-sex
couples. Portugal ranks fourth on the list. Portugal became the
sixth European country and the eighth country in the world to
legalize gay marriage on May 17, 2010. In 2016, same-sex couples
became eligible to adopt. Additionally, gays, lesbians, and
bisexuals are all allowed to join the Portuguese military. The
LGBTQ+ has constitutional protections against discrimination as
well as worker protections for both sexual orientation and gender
identity.

Ranking fifth on the list is Belgium. Belgium was the second

country in the world to legalize gay marriage behind the
Netherlands. Same-sex couples have equal adoption rights as
opposite-sex couples and LGBT people are not banned from the
military. Belgium offers broad protections for LGBTQ+ people
against discrimination and has worker protections for sexual
orientation and gender identity. The United Kingdom is the sixth-
most LGBTQ+-friendly country in the world. On March 29, 2014,
the UK legalized same-sex marriage. Laws to allow same-sex
couples to adopt passed in England and Wales in 2005 and
Scotland in 2009. Since 2000, LGBT people have been allowed to
openly serve in the military and discrimination based on sexual
orientation has been prohibited since 2010. The British military
also grants same-sex couples the same rights to housing and
allowances as it does to opposite-sex couples.

Finland, the third Nordic country on the list, the seventh-most

LGTBQ+-friendly country in the world. Same-sex marriage and
same-sex adoption have been legal since March 1, 2017. Finland
has worker protections for both sexual orientation and gender
identity and has broad protections against discrimination. France
was the 13th country to legalize gay marriage on May 18, 2013.
Same-sex couples have also been legally able to adopt since the
same-sex marriage law took effect. France offers worker
protections for both sexual orientation and gender identity and
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are allowed to
serve openly in the military. In 2004, the National Assembly
approved an amendment to existing anti-discrimination laws to
include homophobic comments as illegal.

Iceland ranks ninth for LGBTQ+ friendliness. Same-sex marriage

was legalized in Iceland in 2010 by a unanimous vote to define
marriage as between two individuals. Since 2006, same-sex
couples have had equal access to adoption and IVF (in vitro
fertilization) as opposite-sex couples. In 2018, Iceland passed a
law banning employment discrimination based on sexual
orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex
characteristics. Finishing the top ten list of the most LGBTQ+-
friendly countries is Spain. In 2005, Spain legalized both same-sex
marriage and same-sex adoption. Spain has nationwide worker
protections for sexual orientation only; however, some
autonomous communities in Spain have banned discrimination
based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.
Additionally, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to
serve openly in the Spanish Armed Forces.

The ten worst countries for LGBT rights are:

1. Nigeria
2. Qatar
3. Yemen
4. Saudi Arabia
5. Tanzania
6. Iran
 7. Sudan
8. Barbados
9. Malaysia
10.Malawi
These countries have no LGBTQ+ protections. Homosexuality in
these countries is subject to imprisonment, stoning, flogging, and,
in some countries, can result in the death penalty.

https://getgoldenvisa.com/lgbtq-friendly-countries

History of LGBTQ Persecution

The LGBTQ community has been persecuted for quite some time.
They were viewed as bad and mentally ill throughout history. The
police, the people that keep the neighborhoods safe from crime, use
to harass all LGBTQ identifying individuals. However, with time, the
LGBTQ community grew more resilient and eventually stood their
ground. They learned that in order for them to be recognized and not
attacked was to stand together, so they created small organizations.
These organizations helped LGBTQ individuals discuss matters that
are important to the community.

In the 1920s
In the 1920s the first gay rights organization, the Society for Human
Rights, was created but after a countless amounts of police raids they
closed down after only operating for one year.
In the 1930s and 1940s
In the 1930s and the 1940s, gay rights were no longer in the
spotlight. World War II was everyone’s focus. LGBTQ individuals all
around the world stood quietly while they saw their community
overseas get murdered. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi agenda also
persecuted homosexual men in their prison camps. The Jewish
people were branded with the Star of David, while gay men were
branded with the pink triangle. Not only were gay men given the pink
triangle, but sexual predators were also given the pink triangle.

In the 1950s
In the 1950s, the nation’s first gay rights group, Mattachine
Foundation, was founded by Harry Hay. At the time, the word
homosexual was very clinical so this foundation created a term less
clinical, homophile. This foundation created programs that allowed
room for discussion and education. After an arrest was made of one
of the founding members and was let go due to a deadlocked jury,
another organization, One, Inc., was created which extended its arm
to include women as well. They published the first openly gay
magazine in the country. This was all still at the time where
homosexuality was looked at as a mental disorder. President Dwight
D. Eisenhower, the president of the United States, in 1956 signed an
executive order that banned all gay people guilty of perversion from
federal-based jobs. This ban lasted for twenty years. The United
States was not okay with this, “in 1958, One, Inc. won a lawsuit
against the U.S. Post Office, which in 1954 declared the magazine
‘obscene’ and refused to actually deliver it” (History.com Editors,
2017).

In the 1960s
The 1960s were the progressive years for the gay rights movement.
Homosexuality was recognized and put into pop culture, and the
term transgender was created. Even with such progress comes the
harsh retaliation of not wanting to accept something that is different.
People of the LGBTQ community were always getting harassed in
bars and public places. In New York City LGBTQ individuals “could not
be served alcohol in public due to liquor laws that considered the
gathering of homosexuals to be ‘disorderly’” (History.com Editors,
2017). This was harsh for business owners, but this was the way of the
1960’s in New York City. They feared that the authorities would come
into their business and shut them down. This type of intimidation led
their employees to deny services to LGBTQ individuals, even if they
suspected them to be identifying. This resulted in the members of the
Mattachine Society in New York City to “staged a “sip-in”—a twist on
the “sit-in” protests of the 1960s—in which they visited taverns,
declared themselves gay, and waited to be turned away so they could
sue” (History.com Editors, 2017). The anti-gay liquor law was later
overturned because of the publicity of the events, and sympathizers
supporting the cause. However, even though LGBTQ individuals
could now buy liquor in public they still faced intimidation and
harassment from authority figures.

Stonewall Riot
The Stonewall Riot is a milestone in LGBTQ history. It all began on
June 28, 1969, when police decided to raid the Stonewall Inn for
alcohol violations, as well as humiliate those that appeared as women
by having them reveal gender identifying body parts. During this
time there were also a lot of closeted upscale LGBTQ scene
participants that did not want to disclose their identity. Police,
heterosexual men, would threaten to “out” the individual if they do
not pay them off. To out an individual means to disclose their sexual
orientation without permission. In general, all the patrons resisted the
police constantly harassing them. A very well-known figure merged
from the scene, by the name of Marsha P. Johnson who stood up the
harassment and constant use of intimidation to scare away the
LGBTQ patrons. Sylvia Rivera also emerged from the crowd and took
a more physical approach by throwing a glass bottle at the police.
This led to other patrons to throw more solid coins, bottles, and
other items that they can get a hold off. However, on that day things
escalated even more when Storme DeLarverie, a lesbian, was
assaulted by the police after telling the officer her handcuffs were too
tight. This led to everyone, patrons and sympathizers, to get involve
in the resistance and riot. A full on riot that was a result of police
harassment. Every LGBTQ person got involved that night, anger and
violence filled the streets. Anger and violence also united the front
for the LGBTQ community to stand up to police brutality and their
rights. As news of the fracas spread across the city, the group of
angry demonstrators swelled until the police were forced to take
refuge in the empty bar (Jackman and Smith, 2017). Their barricades
were no match for the angry patrons that kept breaking through.
Eventually, the bar was set on fire from the riot. Reinforcements came
to extinguish the fire and aide the other officers that were trapped
inside the bar. It was a significant win for the LGBTQ community in
fighting against police misusing their power. It also did not start the
gay rights movement, but it definitely unified the LGBTQ community
in becoming more active in politics, in which will domino into
creating gay rights organizations.

Current Implications for the LGBTQ

Community
A lot has changed since the Stonewall Riot, as far as life and politics.
The Stonewall Riot was based on police harassment, which has
decreased due to the legality and Acts that are now in place to
protect the United States’ LGBTQ population. So much has changed
for the LGTQ community from when the Stonewall Riot took place. In
the past ten years, we had one of the first LGBTQ historical sites in
the United States of America be named, Acts that acknowledge the
mistreatment of LGBTQ individuals, and same sex marriage was
legalized a long with receiving federal benefits.

Today, the Stonewall Inn, the very place where the riots occurred has
become a historical monument. Every June the Gay Pride Parade
kicks off at the Stonewall Inn in memory of all of those that fought
courageously against authorities. They said enough is enough, and to
leave my people alone. Many LGBTQ individuals were violated and
humiliated during those police raidings at the Stonewall Inn and
every other gay bar left during that time. Now they commemorate
their efforts by making New York City a rainbow and to paint the
neighborhood with color everywhere. However, the LGBTQ
community are still subjected to cruelty by religious groups that have
signs that basically condemn them.

There are still other forms of assault on LGBTQ individuals still going
on in the United States, but they created some Acts that aim to
reduce such attacks, such as Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act. While President Obama was in office, he
signed a law that makes it a federal crime to assault someone based
on their sexual orientation. “The expanded federal hate crimes law,
hailed by supporters as the first major federal gay rights legislation.
The hate crimes measure was named for Matthew Shepard, a gay
Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped and severely
beaten in 1998, and James Byrd Jr, an African-American man dragged
to death in Texas the same year” (“Obama Signs,” 2009). Not only was
this a huge milestone for the LGBTQ community to have this type of
protection, but for the United States of America to acknowledge that
this is actually happening and taking steps to prevent it. However,
with the current presidency there is much to worry about due to the
stance with the LGBTQ population, especially with a very anti-LGBTQ
vice president.

Last but certainly not least, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. In the Unites
States v. Windsor case, the supreme court had a 5-4 vote that
removed DOMA as it was against the fifth amendment. “‘Because of
today’s Supreme Court ruling, the federal government can no longer
discriminate against the marriages of gay and lesbian Americans.
Children born today will grow up in a world without DOMA, and
those same children who happen to be gay will be free to love and
get married as I did, but with the same federal benefits, protections
and dignity as everyone else’, Windsor said” (Mears, 2013). This was
the biggest win for the LGBTQ community thus far. This was huge
step not only for the United States of America, but the world. Looking
back at the time where it was illegal to be who you are as a LGBTQ
identifying person to now being free to represent and free to marry is
truly amazing and inspirational. Now it’s the time for American’s
come together and accept people for who they are, that will be the
largest milestone for all people not just LGBTQ identifying.

Social Work Responses

Social workers did not get involved after the Stonewall Riot. Most of
the organizations that came out of the event or even prior to the
event were all led by lesbian women and gay men being activist for
their community. The Stonewall did not start the movement for gay
rights, but it led to groups being formed such as, Human Rights
Campaign, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD),
Gay Liberation Front, and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians
and Gays (PFLAG) (History.com Editors, 2017). They created these
groups to represent them as a community and to provide support to
one another. For those who struggled to accept and understand their
sexual attractions, the availability of supportive resources in
mainstream society remained scarce, given that many members of
the medical and mental health establishments still adhered to the
premise that homosexuality was a mental illness (“Gays to Try,” 1971).
They became the only resource for LGBTQ identifying individuals
during this time who were able to express their own feelings and
daily hardships. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
did not get involved until 1976 where they finally created a Task
Force on Gay Issues, but were not an authorized committee until
1979, ten years after the Stonewall Riot. All of these organizations,
including the NASW Task Force, were built to fight and defend
LGBTQ rights as well as fight oppression and social injustices.
According to Berger (1977), high incidence and prevalence of
homosexuality and the difficulties engendered by homosexual
behavior in a predominantly heterosexual society, social workers have
devoted little attention to this phenomenon. (p.280). This article was
published a year after the NASW created the Task Force on Gay
Issues, there was little involvement with the situation besides the
LGBTQ activist standing up for their own rights and supporting each
other.

Social media is a growing phenomenon in our present information

age. For many persons, particularly the youth, social media and other
newmedia tools provide the platform to create, disseminate and
share information among groups and in other cases consolidate
existing connections (Lind &Zmud, 1995; cited in Haythornthwaite,
2002). The power and influences of the social media phenomenon in
shaping our world today cannot be overlooked. Its impact is
witnessed as a coordinating tool for a significant number of the
world’s political movements. The angry protests that pushed the
removal of Philippine President Joseph Estrada (Shirky, 2011;
Safranek, 2012) and the political revolutions that took place in the
Middle East commonly referred to as the Arab Spring are but some
examples of the potency of the social media in empowering citizens
and projecting their will. Again in political campaigning, social media
is credited to have contributed significantly to the electoral success of
then candidate Barak Obama as his adoption of the technology
facilitated his reach to and garnering support from many young
voters, and also support his fundraising during the 2008 American
presidential elections (“YouTube and the 2008 Election Cycle in the
United States”, 2009; Haley, 2011/12). In Ghana, a number of the
presidential and parliamentary candidates for the 2012 elections have
created presence on the various social media platforms targeting
their campaign messages at the different social groups found on
these platforms. Advertisers, marketers as well as other businesses
and brands in Ghana are gradually adopting social media to facilitate
interactions between themselves and the audiences they seek to
reach. The trend in this means of communication is not much
different from what is happening globally.
The social media fad is believed to have enhanced cultural exchanges
(Grincheva, 2012), created, maintained and deepened social ties in a
significant number of social settings (Haythornthwaite, 2002). For
quite a number of people, it is almost impossible to exist in our
present world and not be affected by the social media phenomenon.
It has become part of our new world which is driven extensively by
information and communication.

The importance of civic engagements in democratic dispensations

cannot be over emphasised. Various works suggest less civic
engagements in many western nations (Banaji & Buckingham, 2010).
These works imply decreases, especially among America’s young
generation, in social and political happenings such as volunteering
for community activities and voting to elect political officials. They
conclude that such apathy towards civic engagements poses a threat
to the country’s democracy. Civic conversation or discourse is a
useful measure of civic engagements. “Good civic
discourse,…enriches the set of ideals and choices by which citizens
govern themselves (Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy,
2006).”

Thus in a time where Information and Communication Technology

tools are facilitating efficient communication and have become an
attraction for many, noticeably the youth, understanding its adoption
for the promotion of civic discourses in Ghana cannot be overlooked.

Background
The social media application runs on the foot of the internet
technology. The internet in our world today directs the manner in
which efficient means of communication is carried from place to
place, person to person and culture to culture. There are expectations
that the internet will become ubiquitous (Rao, 2012). Researchers and
scholars have divergent opinions of the impacts of the internet and
new media technology on our world today. Their opinions are
expressed broadly in utopian and dystopian perspectives and cover
all aspects of life of which the technology is experienced. The
utopians appreciate the Internet as a potentially enormous tool for
good. The positive possibilities from the Internet include supporting
the practice of democracy, human interactions, concerted political
action, education, etc. On the other hand the dystopians, the
cyberpunks and the alarmists, see danger in every digital project to
the extent of its cause to an ultimate loss of our humanity. The many
texts messages, Facebook comments or tweets that pour into radio
and television programmes each day according to Utopians
proponents are indicative of the internet empowering ordinary
citizens to participate and have their voices heard in the discourses
on issues that affect their lives in the communities they live in.
However, when stories such as the murder of a 25 year old girl by
friends she had met on Facebook make the news (Adeboye &
Ayodeji , 2012),dystopian proponents have cause to warn of the
dangers of the internet technology.

(Bell, 2001) Understanding the internet and all its associated

technology and applications requires an understanding of the
dimensions under which the internet can be studied. Bell explains
three ways to understanding the internet or its synonym cyberspace:
the material, symbolic and experiential. Bell cites Stanley Aronowitz
(1996) as providing the terms ontology, phenomenology and
pragmatics as other synonyms to discuss ways of thinking about the
internet technology.

Material stories of the internet technology provide a historical

understanding of how the technology came to exist and the
transformations it has undergone. Thus the advent of the ARPAnet-a
network of geographically separated computers that could exchange
information between military installations (Bellis, 2012) is an example
material understanding of the internet technology. Symbolic stories
of the internet or cyberspace give “literary and generic accounts most
notably in cyberpunk but also in science fiction and other speculative
fiction (Whittaker, 2004).” Bell, citing Jordan (1999), provides an
explanation to symbolic stories of cyberspace as the ways in which
the realm of cyberspace is depicted in films and fiction, e.g. Robocop,
Matrix. Robocop treats symbolic representations of the bad cop and
the good cop (Newitz, 1997), scenarios which are on-going debates
in our material world.

Experiential stories, according to Bell, relate to the intersections of

the material and symbolic stories of cyberspace in our everyday life.
Our daily interactions with the internet technology provide
foundations for understanding the internet and its associated new
media technologies. Experiential examples of the new media are
evident in its ability to allow people: to more easily work from their
homes, to form and sustain friendships and romantic attachments, to
bank from their homes, to vote and engage in political and social-
issue-based discussions and civic discourse, may empower shy
people who find it difficult to participate in communication to share
their views on issues. A dystopian view sees the advent of theft of
personal information, considerable reduction in physical contact and
face-to-face communication, virus threats to data and information
storage as well as a lack of productivity in work.

Broadly, the discussions on the study will be situated more in

experiential understandings of cyberspace.

New media and social media

New media tools, internet based technologies and applications,
provide platforms for social media tools to be used for all manner of
conversations including civic discourses (Simon, 2007, pp. 258-259).
The new media technology is quickly changing the communication
and media industry with its study detailing how digital (computer)
technology is applied to mass communications (Hoggatt, 1999).
Pointedly the new media technology has not completely dislocated
the significance of traditional media channels but thus created a
convergence making its impact on society, commerce, and
governance phenomenal. The Internet, satellite and cable data
transmission, computer assisted mediations and research, multimedia
publishing, mobile and phone interactions, and word processing are
but examples of new media technology.

New media technology has become revolutionary in its ability to

handle “behind the scenes work” and become the finished product
(Hoggatt, 1999). Its ability to break down the obstructions of time
and space, change the balance of power in equitable opportunities to
communicate in the mass media are recorded contributions to the
operations of contemporary societies (Nag, 2011; Hoggatt, 1999). A
component of the new media technology is social media which is
often erroneously used synonymously to represent new media.

Social media refers to online technologies and practices that are used
to share opinions and information, promote discussion and build
relationships (Crown Copyright, 2009). The application shares the
features of Participation, Openness, Conversation, Community, and
Connectedness (iCrossing, 2008). According to iCrossing, social
media can presently be found in the following basic forms:
Social Networks:sites which allow people to build personal web
pages and then connect with friends to share content and
communication. Facebook, Myspace, bebo and Academia.edu are
examples of social networks.

Blogs: online journals with entries appearing with the most recent
first.

Wikis: websites which allow people to add content to or edit the

information on them, acting as a communal document or database.
The best-known wiki is wikipedia

Podcasts: audio and video files that are available by subscription,

through services like apple itunes.

Forums: areas for online discussion, often around specific topics and
interests. Forums came about before the term “social media” and are
a powerful and popular element of online communities.

Content Communities: organise and share particular kinds of content.

The most popular content communities tend to form around photos
(flickr), bookmarked links (del.icio.us) and videos (YouTube).

Micro blogging: social networking combined with bite-sized

blogging, where small amounts of content (‘updates’) are distributed
online and through the mobile phone network. Twitter the clear
leader in this field. [1] 

Social media and New media in Ghana

With about a 10% gain from 5% in internet penetration (Daily
Graphic, 2012)Ghana is not likely to be isolated or insulated from
global trends in internet and new media use, especially those
associated with the social media. Universally, Facebook is noted as
the most popular social media platform (eBizMBA, 2012), and is most
recognized in Ghana as well. Currently, there are nearly 2 million
Facebook users in Ghana ranking the country at number 69in global
ranking of Facebook statistics (Socialbakers, 2012). Socialbakers
statistics for October 2012 illustrates that Facebook penetration in
Ghanais6.77%compared to the country’s population and 126.98%in
relation to number of Internet users. The total number of Facebook
users in Ghana is reaching 1,646,920 and grew by more than 435,160
in the last 6 months. About 41% of Ghana’s Facebook user
population is between 18 and 24 years, an age group that can be
found typically beginning university education or exiting into the
professional world.

Chart

(Socialbakers, Ghana Facebook Statistics, 2012)

Figure : Ghana’s Facebook user age distributions as at July 2012

http://api.socialbakers.com/charts/countries/users.html?
country=ghana&interval=last-month&state=0

(Socialbakers, Users & Demography for the Ghana, 2012)

Figure : Growth pattern of Facebook users in Ghana as at October

2012

YouTube, twitter and LinkedIn are also popular among Ghanaians.

Though their popularity is high among the youth and IT savvy
persons, statistics on these social media applications are rather low or
unavailable. Statistics for twitter presented by Socialbakers present
individual followership rather than an assessment on national. No
Ghanaian profile or account is listed in the top 200 global accounts.
The same applies with YouTube and LinkedIn.

Ghana was one of the first African countries to get connected to the
Internet between 1989 and 1990. However, the extent of use of the
new media technology generally among Ghanaians is limited (Sey,
2011). This is a result of the underdevelopment of existing
telecommunications infrastructure, though in recent times significant
investments have been in developing them. The investments have
been supported by a national communications policy which
highlights the Government of Ghana’s commitment to accelerating
the socio-economic development process of the country through ICT
(Republic of Ghana, 2003, p. 14; cited in Sey 2011). In the wake of this
policy, there has been considerable improvements in internet
connectivity which begun in the early 1990s with the slow bandwidth
dial up access to the now high speed broadband connectivity.

Mobile phone telephony is not only big on the African Continent but
equally the predominate mode of telecommunications in Ghana. This
is attributable to the generally poor development of the fixed line
infrastructure in the country. As at the year 2007 just over one fixed
line existed per 100 inhabitants (Sey, 2011). Ghana’s National
Communications Authority announced a mobile telephony
penetration rate of about 88.6% as at January 2012 with the leading
service provider recording over 10 million subscriptions (Myjoyonline,
2012 ).

New media uses of in Ghana

Several accounts have been given for the varied uses of the new
media technology in Ghana. The technology is appropriated to
businesses and community development. For some Ghanaians the
Internet serves as an “escape” mechanism to “connect with the
Western world as a poverty reduction strategy (Sey, 2011 citing Slater
& Kwami, 2005)”. The Internet provides a means to connect with
people in developed countries who are seen as prospective sources
of financial aid for their migration out of Ghana. Those with no intent
to physically leave the country enjoy Western life, indirectly, through
foreign content online available via new media tools. Other uses of
the new media include sending e-mails, finding and communicating
with pen pals, applying to schools abroad, watching movies, listening
to music, and playing games (Alhassan, 2004; Burrell, 2009; Daily
Graphic, 2003; Slater & Kwami, 2005; Cited in Sey 2011). Political
parties have also embraced the new media technology and are using
social media particularly to grasp the attention of young people. A
Communication official of the New Patriotic Party says the party
adopts a writing style suitable for the social media in its messaging as
the technology creates a better communication channel between the
party and voters. The National Democratic Congress says the
interactive nature of social media facilitates incorporating feedback
from voters into the party’s decision making processes (Boakyewaa &
Pokua, 2011). Amongst Students of the University of Ghana, the most
popular social media tool is Facebook (Oduro, 2011). Oduro says
Facebook uses are varied; including meeting new friends, sharing
information on academic work, and updating family and friends with
what is happening in one’s life.

With mobile telephony, Ghanaians surf the internet, store music,

receive SMS alerts on international and sports news, send funds, chat
via instant messaging services like What’s App or BBM, and even
watch mobile TV. Some political parties are raising funds for their
political activities through the use of SMS systems (Amega-Selorm,
n.d). As the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections draw close,
civil election monitoring is being promoted via mobile telephony. The
African Elections Project is enabling mobile phone users to be part of
the election reporting and monitoring (GNA, 2012).