Increasing hate crimes against gays in the USA

ArrowMan

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Hate crimes against gays in the USA have increased by 11% as of 2008 (the most recent data) as just released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

This is a very significant and worrisome statistical rise.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34112491/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

It is still very dangerous to be openly gay in many parts of the USA, even in the major cities.

Many here in the USA deeply hate gays and there still remains much prejudice against gays here in the USA, particularly in the Midwest and South
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That is really bad to hear...

I doubt it will ever change.

Religion plays a big factor in the US.

Many preachers stir up the populace, and they follow like sheep!!

Better come and live here ;)
 
He was so cute too. I hope the killer gets what he deserves.
 
At times things, especially the issue of equality may seem bleak. However let me offer my assessment of the situation. I think I am in a unique position to offer my opinion on this because, one, I'm a member of the largest racial minority in the U.S. , secondly I'm part of generation "Y", and thirdly I serve in a rapidly changing military force that reflects the population of this country. And I will tell you why those 3 factors reflect an optimistic viewpoint on my part.


I think its important to remember that, although religion plays a large part of why Americans are more inclined to oppose gay rights, it is not the prevailing reason why equality is moving at a snail's pace. Yet it is almost universally accepted that religion is THE reason.

My opinion is that generational, not solely religious views are the reason that we still have people oppose to equality. It is also my belief that LEGAL equality will be a reality withing the next 10 to 15 years. The driving force behind this won't just be gay Americans, but young Americans. In fact polling after polling have indicated that people younger than 30 have no problems with same sex marriage, Gays in the military, anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation, etc. If you get a chance to actually speak to a religious fundamentalist christian, they will admit that they do see such a future, even though they are rabidly oppose to it. So why do they continue to block progress? I was told by one of them that it was a matter of trying to slow things down to the point where, they hoped, that the new generation of Americans might be taught or convinced that equality was a bad thing. Yet in the same breath they will usually tell you that the odds of that happening are slim.

Why is that? Well for that you have to do some basic math.

Our country is aging, the majority is turning Grey and retiring. Younger people, and their views are slowly taking their place. Also a large influx of immigrant communities (who tend to be younger and more urban) has increased in the past few years. And although the Great Recession has slowed down their influx, mathematically these groups will be the Majority by 2050. White protestants (the group most opposed to gay rights) is in a shrinking state.

We also have to look at what those in power are doing behind the scenes and without much fanfare to prepare us for a future that will lead to full equality.

For example, we are moving towards having gays in the military serve openly. Something that can happen as soon as the end of the year. We have passed federal legislation this year that made killing someone based on sexual orientation, whether real or perceived, a hate crime. Cities across the country are adopting housing ordinances that prohibits said discrimination for housing. The president last week issued a directive that hospitals cannot deny visitation rights to the partners of gay patients just because they are not married and therefore have no spousal rights.

The U.S. military have stepped up their programs for sexual assault prevention, tolerance and reporting of sexual harassment. By the end of the year the Navy will begin integrating all male submarines with female personnel. (In my belief because once gays can serve openly, the argument of why women shouldn't serve on subs becomes bunked).

There are just many little things that the public at large are unaware or unwilling to admit that are happening to make equality for gay Americans a reality.

Now, does this mean that the hate will go away? No. Of course not. Even after 50 years of the beginning of the modern civil rights movement, we still have people in this country who hate someone solely because of the color of their skin. However is that the majority view? Absolutely not.

Pockets of intolerance and hate will always exist. Our task it to make sure that we make them small enough for it to be irrelevant for the general society.

As someone who is Latino, I sometimes cringe when I hear other people make the most foolish blanket assessments of my particular ethnicity. Yet most times, its really old white people. I have yet to have had a problem with someone of my age group. To me that speaks volumes.

Last night I was at a coffee break with a bunch of Marines. Somehow the topic turned to gay people on base. One of the Marines, who seem to be from a mostly rural background (yes culturally that matters a lot here in the states since views are often shaped by region), said to us " I never knew how many homosexual people are here, there are a lot of homosexuals here" To which a sailor friend of mines responded "Like close to 60% I would say" . The Marine then nodded with a kind of accepting expression in his face. There was no name calling, verbal bashing, hating etc. I must say I felt quite proud. Because the outside perception of people in the military is that we are a bunch of gay hating, testosterone loaded, individuals. But people often forget that the majority of the rank and file in the military are of the demographic I just talked about. People under the age of 30. They can care less. That's why in a recent survey by the military times 76% said they have no objections to gays serving in the military.


So I guess to sum up my long article, I would say that yes, they are people here that will always hate and even kill someone because of who they are. It could be race, gender, or sexual orientation. But we have made great progress and continue to do so. I feel very confident about the direction we are heading to and time will be on our side.
 
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Aguy... I agree, but with some footnotes.

But living in a country (Netherlands) where gay-rights and gay marriage seems to be not only legally in bedded in our system, but also accepted the problem are the conservative minority in our country. And it comes to no surprise, that most conservative people are 'white Christians' like you mentioned...

The other 'opposite' group are young people openly attacking gay men and women on the streets of our major cities, like Amsterdam. The strange thing is that these are actually born Dutch, but originating from ethnic groups, like Marrocs and Turks. Again out of religion - this time not Christianity, but Islam.

So, again religion plays a role here...

The thing which I call strange towards our government on this issieu... On one site they changed the laws to support equality for gay people, on the other site they finance the institutions which are opposing against it: Christian and Islamic schools.

To my humble opinion there is only one thing possible to start a change: Quit 'religion based' education to kids till they reach the age of 18, an age on which young adults can base their own, objective opinion on the World without the influence of their parents 'traditions' or what the preacher or Iman dictates them. That's brainwashing which should be illegal!
 
In the UK most things are very hopeful too. We have an election going on - we have openly gay MPs from several parties, and openlygay government ministers (Labour party) and shadow ministers (Conservative or 'Tory' party). Conservatives used to be pretty anti-gay, a lot has changed (and a lot of us are arguing how much of that change is for real!). What's really impressed me lately is that the Tory home affairs spokesman made some mildly homophobic comments (that private guest-house owners should be allowed to exclude gay couples if it's against their religion) - and he's been plloried for it by everyone including his own party. And although the Tory party has allied itself in europe with some right-wing homophobic parties, that is being widely used to attack them - and far from defending it, they say that they are helping those parties to change their homophobia. Tbings really have changed!
Religion isn't as influential here as in the US - most of our churches (not all by any means) are still homophobic to some extent, but rarely at the hate level.
But yes, we too have problems with hate-crime attacks in the street by young people. Mostly that's alienated kids (white or black, probably less often Asian) of no active religion,and I'd guess mainmly Christian rather than Islamic background.
So things aren't all rosy here, but a lot more is going right than wrong!
 
A very thoughtful and insightful commentary, "a guy." You are a really deep thinker, and I applaud that.

One observation I make is that NOT ALL Protestant mainline Christian denominations in the USA are anti-gay. Particularly, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Evangecal Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the United Methodist Church (UMC) are becoming more accepting of gays and even ordaning gays into the clergy.

Of particular significance is the United Church of Christ (UCC) which ordained the first gay into the clergy in 1972!!

Here is more about the UCC (in first link), and their special emphasis on acceptance of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender persons (in the second link , a vid, and third link, more about the UCC emphasis on LGBT persons ... last link is the home page of the UCC).


http://www.ucc.org/
(watch this vid here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8NQGKDszq8

http://www.ucccoalition.org/

http://www.ucc.org/index2.html

By the way, the UCC is not a new American Christian denomination, it has its roots in the Pilgrims and the Puritans back in the 1600s in the USA and the founding of our country (they called themselves "The Congregational Church" back then).

Also, it has always been very dedicated to learning, its forefathers founding HARVARD UNIVERSITY in 1636, the OLDEST university/school of higher learning in the USA to this day.


Take a look at this commercial for the UCC...it is a real HOOT !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXCzzNoMeNs

By the way, when the UCC went to BUY time to run this ad on most major USA television and cable networks, it was REFUSED (banned in other words!!)


The UCC has membership of over 1.1 million members in mostly the USA with missions around the world, and has over 5,320 congregrations.

Two very prominent UCC members are Barack and Michelle Obama, the President and the First Lady of the United States of America.


***********************************************************

POST SCRIPT: Having said all of the above, be mindful that NONE of the above progressive Protestant Christian denominations in the USA would endorse what is on this website.

How come????

The reason is that at the core of any Christian Church (Catholic or Protestant) is the affirmation of life, the sanctity of life and the hope of new life, now and to forever be, with God through acceptance and a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

What is on this website would be condemned but the sinner would not be condemned. Rather, what happens here would be seen as what happens with fallen mankind in all other kinds of ways, too.

It is called SIN, and the way to a "new life" is to move beyond sin into a relationship that affirms LIFE, not DEATH, through the Creator of this world and all that IS.

Now it all becomes very theological yet also very practical really fast, and while this certainly will not be popular to say HERE in this venue....there certainly IS more to LIFE than war, misery, torture, killing and death.

I think the key to a happier and more fulfilled life is REALLY to focus on AFFIRMING LIFE rather than AFFIRMING DEATH.

Further, I think that AT THE CORE few of us would disgaree with this assertion....and the need to reach OUT to that which is beyond us, whether you call it "a creative force"... a "life force".... you are in fact reaching out to GOD.

Begin the struggle, begin to REALLY LOOK where you go when times become very DIFFICULT for you .... like the extreme illness of a loved one or a very serious illness YOU yourself may suffer.

Do you seek out more suffering and pain? Or do you rather seek out HEALING and HOPE, even using terms like "I will pray for you" or "OH GOD, how can this be?"

What is that all about?? Think about it. I must admit, I certainly am.
 
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Arrow, thanks for your postscript. I'd see it as 'reaching out to Good' rather than to God butr basically i agree with everything you say. And I too struggle sometimes about whether belonging on this site really fits with my beliefs and the way i want to live my life.
 
Anyone that uses their imaginary friend to justify their own narrow minded agenda sickens me.
All religion, without exception, is responsible for nearly every war, nearly every hate crime and
most of the morons being elected in the USA. The sooner the planet is cleansed of this pestilence,
the sooner we will live in peace in the USA and the rest of the planet.
 
i think it depends on where you are at in the country, I currently live in the San Francisco area which is extremely gay friendly after recently relocating from the Boston area, also very progressive. I have not really had any issues in either California or New England. In general I think those of us in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are very fortunate and things have gotten MUCH better. There is still a long way to go but cultural norms take a while to change.

That said things seem to be going the other way in the Middle East, Russia, and Africa... sad.
 
I hope that those killers get what they deserve , this is not any kind of reason to kill.
 
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