By Staff Writer
Fernando Navarro

homophobia

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines homosexuality as, “sexual desire or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one’s own sex.” But what did being homosexual mean in the twentieth century compared to today’s twenty first century?

Homosexuality has been widely defined as deviant or sinful behavior in most cultures, attitudes which come from religious and philosophical ideas about what behaviors are in accord with nature.
Homosexuality has become one of the greatest controversies of the twenty-first century. Many conservatives and religious people believe homosexuality as a deviant state and same-sex relations as outside the norm of what should be acceptable behavior. They regard homosexual behavior as a sin and believe society should treat it as a moral issue.

Gay activists and many liberals view homosexuality as an inborn condition, something that cannot be changed. They believe that homosexual behavior should be accepted as one of the many diverse ways human beings express sexual love. They feel that society should protect homosexuals as a civil rights issue.
Today, homosexuals are protected by the law and are able to be more open and expressive about whom they are. People are a lot more tolerant, more so in the Northeast and West Coast of the nation.

Same-sex marriages are currently granted by five of the fifty states and one Native American tribe, and are scheduled to be granted by one federal district. In New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont, marriages for same-sex couples are legal and currently performed. In Washington, D.C., same-sex marriages could begin as early as February, 2010. Other states may not grant same-sex marriages, but do have unions granting rights similar to marriage or legislation granting limited/ enumerated rights. The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon grants same-sex marriage. In New York, same-sex marriages from other states or foreign countries are recognized but they’re not performed. We are in a world where people are becoming more accepting if not more tolerable of people’s differences.

The younger generations now come out of the closet, or say that they are gay as young as eleven and twelve. Whether or not they retain that sexual orientation, or it turns out to be just a phase, is a good question. Some girls today will even say that they are bisexual, or like both genders, for attention. They know that guys think the idea of two girls together is appealing and will even display public displays of affection with girls for the attention they receive. The case is not the same for guys.

Being a gay male is a lot more difficult to deal with than being a lesbian or bisexual female. It is a lot easier than it has been in the past. You do not often see two guys holding hands out in public or in school hallways. It is a rare sight to see caused by social opposition. No one wants to be harassed, insulted, or assaulted, and that is what sometimes occurs upon the discovery of a gay male; though seeing gay males freely express themselves is becoming more common. Christopher was asked on how he felt being a gay youth in today’s society. He responded, “As a youth community organizer for the queer youth and as a queer youth myself, I feel as if this city has no type of acknowledgement for queer community. For those who try to make a difference in that area, as I am trying with Out Now, ( a GLBT youth group in the city of Springfield, MA.), they get shut out or ignored by the system. Either way, we will overcome.”

In the twentieth century, homosexuality was not tolerated at all. It was common for gay activity to occur in bigger cities, like New York. But being gay was usually a secret that one would take to the grave. During the 1930’s, conceptualizations of sexuality changed as a heterosexual/homosexual division emerged. Medical doctors, psychologists, and anti-vice squads stigmatized homosexuals as diseased, mentally ill, and unnatural. In reaction to the professionalized response, society repressed, outlawed, and discriminated against homosexuals. The negative labels placed on homosexuals by society remained through the 20th century and continue even today.

Homosexuality is part of our history. Throughout time; gay men, bisexuals, and lesbians have existed. Some of the most influential and powerful people were homosexual, but yet many people still cannot deal with the idea of homosexuality walking alongside us out in the open sharing the same rights heterosexuals have.