Sexual Orientation Stonewall Riots Same-Sex Marriage

INTRODUCTION Sexual orientation refers to the sex of the individuals to whom a person is romantically, emotionally, and sexually attracted Heterosexual: Individuals who are primarily attracted to members of the opposite sex Homosexual, gay, lesbian: Individuals who are primarily attracted to members of their own sex Bisexual refers to people who are attracted to members of both sexes

Introduction Medicine, psychiatry, and religion used to create the laws regarding sexuality The view of homosexuality as pathological was considered “progressive” because a sick person was less blameful than a sinner or criminal Krafft-Ebing described it as a degenerative sickness Ellis (1901) argued that homosexuality was inborn and therefore not immoral, that it was not a disease Freud believed all human beings were innately bisexual, they become heterosexual or homosexual as a result of their experiences with parents and others In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Bisexuality A person may be emotionally, psychologically, and physically attracted to members of either sex Many believe that bisexuals are trying to hide the fact that they are gay or lesbian, or are “on their way” to coming out as gay or lesbian This group has been given little attention in scientific research, and have been brushed aside by both heterosexual and homosexual groups Bisexuals are also subject to prejudice and discrimination They are often pushed to “pick a lane” or “choose a team” Bisexuals are not more highly sexed or promiscuous than any other group of people, nor are they more indiscriminate in sex partners They may define themselves as more attracted to women than to men or vice versa Or they may feel an equal attraction to both sexes

Non-heterosexual Orientations: Issues and Attitudes Your sexual orientation is not simply determined by whom you have sex One of the most common stereotypes heterosexuals have about gays, lesbians, and bisexuals is defining them by their sexual behavior Example - heterosexuals are not straight just because they engage in sexual behaviors with members of the opposite sex Sexual orientation is about who you are, the sex of the people you want to date, fall in love with, have a romantic relationship with, spend the rest of your life with, etc Heterosexual people are rarely, if ever, asked if their sexual orientation was a choice This question seems to be reserved for gays and lesbians, and it is nearly always asked by a heterosexual Most heterosexuals say, “I didn’t choose to be straight, it’s just who I am”

Do the origins of sexual orientation matter? Is sexual orientation genetic? Is it environmental? Many experts question the importance of finding the answer Outside of academia, searching for a “cause” of sexual orientation is primarily and often tied to widespread prejudice and hostile actions targeted at gays and lesbians Negative attitudes regarding homosexuality are based on four basic, erroneous assumptions about homosexuality: 1. It is immoral and inherently sinful 2. It is unnatural – nature is biologically based 3. It is a chosen behavior, so it can be “unchosen” 4. It is potentially “contagious”

The Stonewall Riots In 1969, homosexuality was against the law in the US Prohibitions included a ban on serving alcohol to gays and lesbians The Stonewall Inn in New York City was one of few night clubs where gay people could meet and hang out Once a month the police would raid the club, harass the patrons and make arrests June 27, 1969, the inn was raided but the patrons fought back as well as others citizens who observed the patrons being victimized Huge fight, reinforcement called in (SWAT) - no one was killed The gay rights movement was born as gays and lesbians across the country began to resist and fight prejudice and discrimination

Same Sex Marriage Many gay and lesbian couples want to confirm their commitment and love personally, publicly, and legally through marriage They want the same legal rights and privileges that heterosexual couples have Rights of inheritance if a partner dies Participation in medical decisions Insurance coverage from a partner’s employment Child custody rights Family leave benefits Domestic violence protection Community property rights in cases of divorce Three components to legalization of same-sex marriage: the licensing of same-sex marriages, recognizing the legal validity of those licenses, and the recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions

Legal Overview Prior to 1996, the federal government did not define marriage; any marriage recognized by a state was recognized by the federal government, even if that marriage was not recognized by one or more states (ex. Interracial marriage 1967) The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was enacted in 1996. DOMA's Section 2 says that no state need recognize the legal validity of a same-sex relationship even if recognized as marriage by another state DOMA defined marriage for the purposes of federal law as a union of one man and one woman District Court of Mass. held that the denial of federal rights and benefits to lawfully married Massachusetts same-sex couples is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution

Legal Overview Opponents of same-sex marriage have worked to prevent individual states from recognizing same-sex unions by attempting to amend the United States Constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman In 2006, the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages, was approved by the Senate, but was ultimately defeated in both houses of Congress 2010 DOMA was challenged in the federal courts – Massachusetts On April 2, 2014, the Alabama State House adopted a resolution calling for a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to ban same-sex marriage nationwide US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 28, 2015 Federal Decision: June 26, 2015: Same-sex marriage legal in the US