The LGBT community as a whole faces many struggles including violence and harassment. The group of the LGBT community that is often reacted to most harshly is the transgender group.
Check out this link to a Storify article I put together on the topic by clicking the picture below.
There are a lot of pressures and judgments placed upon members of the LGBT community. It is hard enough identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in a society that doesn’t fully accept or understand what that means. What happens when parenthood is thrown into that mix? Single mother and registered nurse, Dulce Ramirez, shares her struggles and experiences associated with her identifying as a lesbian. From her realizing she was different to explaining her sexual orientation to her daughter, Dulce shares it all.
Our country as it stands
According to the Freedom to Marry website, 38 states in the U.S. have anti-marriage laws for same-sex couples. Twenty states go a step further by also having their state constitution amended to prohibit any recognition of same-sex relationships. That information leads me to question our government’s established standards.
Scenario
As a lesbian, one day I hope to get married and have children. If you have read my previous blogs, you know that there are a lot of complications when it comes to our government’s treatment of my future family. With all the other travesties aside, I would like you to follow this scenario I am about to present to you.
If I decide to have a child, I would use a sperm donor and go through the process of artificial insemination. So, my future child would be biologically mine. Now, if my wife was the bread-winner and I decided to take a break from my career and be a stay-at-home mom I would, in the government’s eyes, be a single mother. I would not have anyone to claim child support from since I did not decide to raise a child with a man. I wouldn’t have any kind of income.
Now in this situation, in my state of Texas and the additional states that do not recognize same-sex relationships at all, it would be up to the company my wife worked for, or the insurance company they went through, to decide whether or not my child and I could be covered. If anything happened to me I could very likely be forced to pay out-of-pocket or be denied care for lack of insurance coverage. Besides that, with pregnancy comes a multitude of check-ups and sonograms; none of which would be covered by my wife’s insurance. In this position, being unemployed and therefore going without insurance, how would I handle the expenses and exams?
What this means for you
In order to get reasonable coverage, I would have to seek Medicaid for myself and my unborn child. I would theoretically be able to receive Medicaid as I would be able to show financial need, and lack of available, affordable coverage. Instead of having my wife support me and cover my needs for the child that we decided to bring into this world together, I’d be unnecessarily using state funds to do so. There you have it America! The state of Texas would rather have me live off of the taxpayer’s dollars, than to put laws in place to provide insurance coverage for same-sex couples.
Here’s my point; I don’t want to take your money and use it to provide healthcare for myself and the child my wife and I wanted. I simply want people to open their eyes and see that there is something seriously wrong with a government, state or federal, that would rather put unnecessary strain on the taxpayer than to allow same-sex couples equal rights.
Am I the only one who sees that?
Check out this article from the Dallas Morning News on a similar issue.
Growing Up
As a child, I was not much different from other girls my age. I was a daddy’s girl; always attached at his hip. I liked to play with my cousins and friends. I loved to sit in the kitchen and watch my grandma carefully put together each meal. I had an older sister who I’m sure I annoyed at times, and a younger sister who returned the favor. I dreamed about what I’d be when I grew up. In my innocence I claimed I wanted to be a doctor or an astronaut. Then I grew up and realized science was a large part of those career choices. Next, I wanted to be a lawyer, then a journalist. I guess that last one stuck.
I always assumed that one day, when I met someone who treated me well and loved me unconditionally, I would get married. I knew I wanted a big wedding. I wanted all my friends and family to celebrate my joy and happiness. I wanted a big party with dancing, flowers adorning every inch of a grand ballroom, and a towering cake. I wanted to have a baby of my own to love, care for, dress up, and protect.
Reality
We often want a lot of things as children that we aren’t necessarily going to get. Once we are old enough, we realize that perhaps some of those things are out of reach. Maybe wanting to be an astronaut is something we can look back on and laugh at. We can see that we had the new, fresh eyes of a child yet to be tarnished by the real world. We laugh at our innocence and our sincere belief that anything was possible.
Difference
The difference between you and me is, not only do I have those moments when I realize I was silly to ever think I would go to space, I have to deal with the reality that I can’t get married either. I can’t have a baby as easily as I had thought. If I did have a wedding, regardless of the fact that in my state it would not be recognized and we would not have the same rights as other married couples, chances are a large number of family members wouldn’t attend because I’m a lesbian. If I were to decide to have a child with my future wife, one of us wouldn’t be recognized as a “legitimate” parent of the child we decided to bring into the world and raise together. If we did have a child, we would have to figure out what to tell our child the first time their peers make fun of them or cast them out because they have two mommies. How do we console our child when the world tells them that they are a product of something unnatural? How do you explain the blatant stares and slurs cast on us on a daily basis?
As I transcribe my realities into this post, I am at the verge of tears. My tears are shed because all of these realities shouldn’t exist. I shouldn’t have to base my desire to have a child on worries of the world punishing them for something they could not help. I shouldn’t have to give up my dream of a wedding with all my loved ones in attendance. I shouldn’t be discriminated against because I love someone the government says I shouldn’t.
My tears are just as real as yours. My future family is just as valid as yours. My love is just as strong as yours. Don’t I deserve to have the same rights as yours?
The majority of the United States still prohibits same-sex marriage; including my state of Texas. See where your state falls in the equality department on the HRC website.
Making History
For the first time in U.S. history, a sitting president has endorsed marriage equality. President Obama has not only stated his personal support for marriage equality, but has established it as one of the main points of the Democratic party’s platform this election year.
Immediate Outcome
The President’s actions have had, and will hopefully continue to have, a tremendous impact on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) American citizens. The fact that this statement and gesture has been made is a triumph in itself. It is important that those in leadership roles use their positions in the public eye to create social change. President Obama’s actions will hopefully encourage others to use their platforms to speak up and support marriage equality and LGBTQ rights.
Locally (Austin, Texas) we have already seen what I consider to be a result of the President’s progression. The Austin City Council has become the first in the state to endorse and support marriage equality. While this statement may not result in immediate change in legislation, the significance of this step is valid nonetheless. Considering that Texas has a reputation for being a majority “conservative” state, the fact that this has been accomplished in the capitol city is impressive.
Future Hope
From the President’s endorsement of marriage equality, to LGBTQ characters not only being incorporated in mainstream media but stars of primetime television shows, LGBTQ citizens are witnessing important changes every day. These changes will contribute to shaping an open-minded society and do wonders to terminate the taboo nature of the topic. However, the fact that the President’s endorsement comes during an election year means that the chance of him putting his words into action is dependent on his victory. Therefore, the biggest stride towards equality of all American citizens is in the hands of the voters.
This election year is one of immense value for the LGBTQ community and its supporters. What happens on November 6th will change the course of American history in the making either way. Our votes can move us forward, or possibly halt progression towards equality. Make your voices heard. It is our duty to help mold the direction that America is going. America is beautiful because we embrace diversity and strive for equality. Let’s make the decision that will represent what America stands for.
Notoriety
Many people outside of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Questioning) community tend to see pride as something silly and extravagant. A gathering of the brightly dressed, lustful creatures that prance around half-clothed, if clothed at all. With this assumption it is easy to dismiss the importance of pride events.
True Meaning
Gay pride is not just a big, fabulous party. Rather, It is about the celebration of accepting oneself as is, even when society deems homosexuality as taboo at best, and an abomination at worst. Pride is about acknowledging the struggle of the people who were the first to take a stance and fight for rights of the LGBTQ community.
History
Society has yet to fully accept the LGBTQ community. While this is still a tremendous struggle today, we have come a long way. In the 1950s and 1960s being openly gay was damn near unheard of. With good reason, there was a definite lack of visibility of the LGBTQ community. During this time, people who were openly gay could be arrested and put in jail.
Police raids of establishments that were suspected of being gay bars was not uncommon. With this knowledge, it may not have been a surprise to the community when the New York City Police Department raided the Stonewall Inn located in Greenwich Village. The Stonewall Inn was known to be a hangout for many of society’s outcasts of the time, which of course included the LGBTQ community.
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, members of the LGBTQ community rioted against the NYPD after the raid on the Stonewall Inn. The initial riot led to more protests from the LGBTQ community. The newfound fight in the community quickly resulted in the organization of activist groups that worked for the fair treatment of the LGBTQ community.
The Stonewall Riots are credited by many as the most prominent event that helped launch the modern-day gay rights movement. It was the first LGBTQ group, of a notable size, to stand together and resist arrest. The modern-day gay pride parade and events were organized to commemorate and acknowledge this huge step towards visibility and equal rights.
Continued Struggle
Austin Pride: Protestors shout slurs and condemn festival-goers to hell on September 22, 2012.
Today the LGBTQ community is more visible and, for the most part, more tolerated in today’s society. Even with this being so, there is still a tremendous amount of discrimination towards the community.
People who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning continuously struggle with judgement, oppression and violence against them.
While we may not ever be able to change someone’s personal views on homosexuality, we should always have equal rights as American citizens. Part of what we are entitled to as American citizens is the ability to pursue happiness as we see fit and to be protected equally from unjust attacks. We should be able to be who we are, love who we love, marry who we choose and be proud of all of the above.
We all know that the United States of America has had its fair share of bumps along the road in the equality department. From the Women’s Suffrage Movement to the Civil Rights Movement, American’s have struggled to establish equality. Many Americans would rather think of these occurrences as a thing of the past and not look back. As they say, history has a way of repeating itself.
Today there is another serious issue of equality at hand.
The issue
I understand that some of you reading this have no personal investment in human rights. Maybe you don’t even know what I mean when I use the term “human rights.” The injustice that I am referring to is the fact that same-gender couples are denied a legally recognized marriage by the federal government.
I believe in the ideals that this country was founded on, but feel that because of this injustice, America does not treat all of its citizens equally. The constitution of this country was created with the understanding that diversity is not only acceptable, but natural. It was established to ensure that our country, and its government, couldn’t deny or withdraw the rights of its people, and that our country would allow its citizens to live as they saw fit.
The point and the ambitious goal
In this blog I will document some of the strides towards an equal America and bring a personal and human perspective to a subject that has been portrayed as solely a political issue by the media. I will include usage of Youtube videos, and social media to inform and link readers to additional sources. By doing so, I can only hope that one person’s indifference or opposition to marriage equality be transformed into understanding and eagerness to establish an equal America.
Pride in Equality
Strides Towards An Equal America 