Jesslyn Guenther
Reflection Paper on LGBT Community
Diversity in Counseling
11/3/13
Reflection Paper on LGBT CommunityDiversity in Counseling
11/3/2013
Jesslyn Guenther
Reflection Paper on LGBT Community
LGBT is a term used for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. Lesbian is a woman who is sexually attracted to other women Lesbian Definition), gay is a homosexual person, usually used to describe men but may be used to describe women as well LGBT Terms and Definitions), bisexual means sexually attracted to both men and women (Bisexual Definition), and transgender is of, relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person’s sex at birth (Transgender Definition).
The history of the Gay Rights Movement began in 1924 when the Society for Human Rights in Chicago became the countries earliest known gay rights organization. In 1948, Alfred Kinsey published Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, revealing to the public that homosexuality is far more widespread than was commonly believed. In 1951 the Mattachine Society, the first National Gay Rights Organization, is formed by Harry Hay, considered by many to be the founder of the Gay Rights Movement. In 1955 the first Lesbian Rights Organization in the United States, the Daughters of Bilitis was established in San Francisco. In 1958, Joe Cino, an Italian-American theater producer, opens Café Cino, which is credited with starting the off-off Broadway Theater Movement. Six years after Café Cino opens, it hosts the first gay plays, the Madness of Lady Bright, by Lanford Wilson and the Haunted Host, by Robert Patrick (American Gay Rights Movement).
In 1962, Illinois became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults in private. In 1966, The world’s first transgender organization, the National Transsexual Counseling Unit, was established in San Francisco. In 1969, The Stonewall Riots transform the Gay Rights Movement from one limited to a small number of activists into a widespread protest for equal rights and acceptance. Patrons of a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, The Stonewall Inn, fight back during a police raid on June 27, sparking three days of riots (Timeline, American Gay Rights Movement).
In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its official list of mental disorders. In 1976, Harvey Milk becomes the first openly gay City Commissioner in the United States. In 1979, about 75,000 people participated in the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington D.C. in October. It was the largest political gathering in support of LGBT rights to date (Gay Rights Movement).
At the 1980 Democratic National Convention held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Democrats took a stance supporting gay rights, adding the following to their plank: “All Groups” must be protected from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, language, age, sex or sexual orientation. In 1982, Wisconsin becomes the first state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In 1984, Berkeley, California becomes the first city to offer employees domestic-partnership benefits (American Gay Rights Movement).
In 1993, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy is instituted for the United States Military, permitting gays to serve in the military but banning homosexual activity. On April 25th, 1993, and estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 people participate in the March on Washington for lesbian, gay and bisexual equal rights and liberation (Timeline, Gay Rights Movement).
In 2003, The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Lawrence vs. Texas that sodomy laws in the United States are unconstitutional. On May 17, 2004, same-sex marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts, 2005, civil unions become legal in Connecticut, 2006, civil unions become legal in New Jersey and in 2007, the House of Representatives approves a bill ensuring equal rights in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. In May, 2008, the California Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, but by Nov. 4th of that same year, voters approved Proposition 8, banning same-sex marriage. In 2010, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker rules that Proposition 8, violates the 14th Amendment and on Dec. 18, 2010, President Obama officially repeals the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy. In 2012, Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic Congresswoman from Wisconsin wins the race for U.S. Senate and becomes the first openly gay politician elected to the Senate (American Gay Rights Movement).
I think this country has come a long way since 1924, when the Gay Rights Organization was formed. I give the people responsible and for those involved in these organizations a lot of credit because standing up for gay rights is not an easy thing to do. The people who did do this had to worry about being banished from society, arrested, beaten up and even killed. I can understand why so many LGBT community members remained and still do remain quiet about their sexuality. They don’t want people looking at them and treating them like they aren’t normal.
Increasingly, Americans are realizing that “the homosexuals” aren’t an evil menace threatening family values, but members of their own families, individuals they love and cherish, individuals they believe have the right to marry and start a family of their own (The LGBT Movement has Come Further, Faster than Anyone Imagined).
To this date, 14 states have legalized same-sex marriage: five by court decision; California 2013, Connecticut 2008, Iowa 2009, Massachusetts 2004 and New Jersey 2013, six by state legislation; Delaware 2013, Minnesota 2013, New Hampshire 2010, New York 2011, Rhode Island 2013 and Vermont 2009 and three by popular vote; Maine 2012, Maryland 2013 and Washington 2012. New Mexico is the only state that has no law banning or legalizing same-sex marriage (14 States with Legal Gay Marriage).
There are a couple articles I read that I found very interesting. One is an article I found about Pope Francis admitting there is a Vatican “Gay Lobby”. In the days after Pope Benedict’s surprise abdication the Italian Newspaper La Republica published unsubstantial reports that the departing Pontiff may have opened himself up to blackmail from what was termed the Vatican “Gay Lobby”, fueling speculation that Pope Benedict may be secretly gay. La Republica’s suspicions were raised by the fact Pope Benedict resigned on the same day he received the report he had commissioned on corruption in the Vatican. The report is said to have mentioned several competing factions in the Vatican, including one “united by sexual orientation”, which La Republica assumes refers to “Gay Lobby”. The corruption report, prepared by three hand-picked Cardinals, also specified meeting places for this group of gay clergy in and around Rome. Father Federico Lombardi, the official spokesman made this statement, “Neither the Cardinals Commission nor I will make comments to confirm or deny the things that are said about the matter”. Pope Francis, who replaced Pope Benedict, told a group of Catholic Clergy from Latin America that the Vatican “Gay Lobby” does indeed exist (Pope Francis Admits there is a Vatican Gay Lobby).
The reason I chose this article is because if this is the truth about Pope Benedict’s departure, I find it to be very sad that the Vatican finds it wrong to openly admit to having gay clergy or even maybe a gay Pope and they feel the need to cover it up. I think sometime in the not-so-distant future, everything will come to a head and the Vatican will realize that it is okay to have gay clergy and people will come to accept it. Maybe this is just my hope. I am not Catholic but I think that if the Catholic Church doesn’t resolve this issue, they will never be able to heal.
The second article that I found very interesting is how Russia’s Anti-Gay Law could affect the 2014 Olympics. Article 6.21 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses allows the government to fine people accused of spreading propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations amongst minors, $120 to $30,000. This law passed in 2012 also bans gay-pride events in Moscow for the next 100 years. Russia’s Interior Ministry announced that the country’s anti-gay laws, which allows for fining, detaining gay and pro-gay people would apply during the Olympic Games (How Russia’s Anti-Gay Law Could Affect the 2014 Olympics).
I also found this article to be very sad and I don’t see how the United States will allow their Olympian competitors to participate in these games knowing that their lives could be in danger. I hope this issue is resolved before the games begin.
I have learned a lot about the LGBT Community that I had not known about before. Now realize how easy I have got life being a white, heterosexual female. I don’t have to constantly live with the feeling of being abnormal and afraid to express who I really am. I am happy to see the positive changes that have come about for the LGBT Community, like the states that have past legal same-sex marriage laws, laws that have been passed to not discriminate against gays in the workplace and also states like Wisconsin who voted in an openly-gay U.S. Senator to office.
What I have learned about myself is that I am very happy that I am not gay, not because I think that it is wrong, but because I don’t know if I would be strong enough to deal with the negativity that comes with being gay. A transgender person who I first knew as a female and now considers herself to be a male babysits my grandsons every Friday. He is a great person, in fact, when I knew him as a female, he was very sad and had lots of anxiety issues. Now that he is taking testosterone and had his breasts removed this past September, he is like a changed person, both physically and mentally. He is so happy now and I am happy for him.
I will use what I have learned about the LGBT Community in my work as a Professional Counselor to be very sensitive and understanding to their issues. If I catch myself being biased in any way, I will make sure that I don’t push my biases onto my clients.
I will share what I have learned about the LGBT Community with my family, friends and acquaintances to help them to better understand what gay people have to deal with in their everyday lives.
I think this will always be an ongoing issue and I will make sure that I keep up with the research and all issues pertaining to the LGBT Community so I can use what I have learned to be a better counselor.
References
LGBT Terms and Definitions / International Spectrum, www.internationalspectrum.umich.edu/life/definitions
Lesbian - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian
Bisexual – Definition of Bisexual by the Free Online Dictionary, www.thefreedictionary.com/bisexual
Transgender – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transgender
The American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline / Infoplease.com, www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html
14 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 35 States with same-sex Marriage Bans, www.gaymarriage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004857
Pope Francis Admits there is a Vatican “Gay Lobby” / The New Civil Rights Movement, www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/the-pope-francis1-admits-there-is-a-vatican-gay-lobby
How Russia’s Anti-Gay Law Could Affect the 2014 Olympics, Explained, www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/08/sochi-olympics-putin-anti-gay-law-explained
Gay Rights 2013: The LGBT Movement has Come Farther, Faster than Anyone Imagined, www.policymic.com/articles/42637/gay-rights-2013-the-lgbt-movement-has-come-farther-faster