Men on the Down Low and the HIV

It seems like a rising "trend" that many men who claim to be straight and engage in sexual activity with women also engage in sexual activity with men. These men are labeled as being on the "down low", which derives from the slang term "down low", which means to keep a secret. These men do not identify themselves as homosexual or bisexual, but heterosexual, when they really aren't. One thing that can identify themselves as is HIV positive. Many of these men, as well as men that only sleep with other men, are HIV positive as a result of unprotected sex. HIV is very popular among gay men and men on the "down low."

The men that are on the down low, however, often spread the virus to their wives or girlfriends that they are having sex with while having sex with other men. This makes the percentage of women with HIV higher. Women with HIV makes the total percentage of people in the world so much greater than it should be or anyone wants it to be.

HIV is a very huge problem in the world and it's not getting any better. When people are lied to and betrayed, especially by their lovers, it could mean their life, which men on the "down low" prove exact. Anyone who is engaging in sexual activity should be very careful and protect themselves all of the time because they never know what could happen.

http://www.thebody.com/cdc/news_updates_archive/apr25_02/gay_black_aids.html

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2007/02/28/eline/links/20070228elin026.html

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass

First implemented in 1993, because of President Clinton, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass" policy was created. This policy was created to protect gay people in the military. Before the policy was created, every service member had to reveal their sexual orientation and if they were gay, lesbian, or bisexual they could not join or they were dishonorably discharged from the military. Gay people were not allowed to be in the military because "homosexuality is incompatible with military service", which was the previous policy of the military.

Now, the military has a policy that says that members must not speak about their sexual orientation if they happen to be homosexual or bisexual, cannot have any sexual contact with a member of the same sex, and cannot marry a person of the same sex. If the service members violate any of these rules, they can be investigated and discharged. This policy is not only for members, but also for commanders. The commanders are not to ask members if they are homosexual and cannot harass them because of that. With the policy in effect, many discharged members still consist of those discharged due to sexual orientation. The policy has done nothing but increased these statistics.

Within the policy, there isn't supposed to be any asking, harassing, or pursuing of gay people, but that happens all of the time. A Defense Department survey taken in 2000 showed that 80% of service members heard jokes, derogatory names, offensive language, and remarks towards gay people. All of this happens while the commanders do nothing. Sometimes they are even the ones to do it. When members try to report this kind of behavior, they are discouraged by the fact that they could be questioned and even discharged.

I think that the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy would be a good idea if both sides abided by it. What I mean by this, is that if all of the conditions of the policy were followed, which includes not asking, not telling, not pursuing, and not harassing about sexual orientation, then the policy would actually work. I think that gay people should have the right to be in the military and serve their country, just as anyone else. When it comes to defending America all people should be able to do what they feel is right, and that is fighting for their country.

http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/HRC/Get_Informed/Issues/Military2/Fact_Sheets_Dont_Ask_Dont_Tell/Dont_Ask,_Dont_Tell_Fact_Sheet.htm

http://carcino.gen.nz/images/index.php/0b52135f/0b6bb921

A Real Plea? The Gay Panic Defense

A weird and unusual legal defense that can be used in court to justify gay hate crimes is called the "gay panic defense." Similar to the plea of insanity that many people often use to get out of their legal troubles, the gay panic defense can help murderers of gay people never see jail time. The way it works is simple; just say that a gay person came on to you and it made you so angry and humiliated that you had to kill him/her. In a court in West Virginia and Georgia, the gay panic defense may actually work. It has worked in the past. Dean Ludwig Bethoven from Harrisville, West Virginia was acquitted of murder after he killed Dean Pickman, who allegedly gave Bethoven a ride home from a bar and then took him home and licked condiments off of his body while he was sleep. Bethoven told the jury that he "went crazy" and used the gay panic defense and the jury acquitted him of the charges. In Georgia, a man was acquitted for confessing that he beat a man to death who he claimed performed oral sex on him at gunpoint. One of the defendants in the highly publicized Matthew Shepard murder case tried to use the gay panic defense, but did not get away with it and was convicted of first-degree felony murder.

Although used in the past and successfully, the gay panic defense doesn't always work and is being fought against by many lawyers, activists, prosecutors, and police officers to have it removed from court systems and have it removed as an option to be acquitted of charges. Some states, including California, New York, and Wyoming, who already bans using temporary insanity defenses, are trying to eliminate the gay panic defense from being used in courtrooms.

I think that the gay panic defense is really stupid and should never be considered as a way to be acquitted of murder against a gay person. No matter how humiliated, embarrassed or whatever kind of emotion was felt, that is no reason to kill someone. Killing someone is still a crime no matter what and whoever does it should be punished. The gay panic defense is a very asinine way to defend yourself from being convicted of a hate crime, which is really what people who use the gay panic defense do. It is a mere excuse.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2005_April_12/ai_n13606961
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2006/07/07/1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defense
http://gaytwogether.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/handcuffs_hate_crimes_1.jpg

A Gay Gene

For many years, scientists have been debating on whether or not there is a "gay gene." They figure that the only way that people can be homosexual is if it is in their genes. They must have some kind of genetic disorder to not be attracted to the opposite sex. I guess they feel that the only possible way for someone to date someone from the same sex is if something was wrong with their genetic make-up.

Scientists and researchers have used experiments on fruit flies to prove that there is a gene that causes homosexuality. The studies show that male fruit flies injected with a certain kind of gene became attracted to one another as opposed to other fruit flies who were not injected with that gene and were attracted to the opposite sex. This, however, did not prove that genetics influence sexual orientation, especially in humans. Research is still being done to determine whether or not there is a gay gene and if it is innate to be homosexual. It will take a lot of years and many tests to determine whether or not gay people are born gay or it is just a choice that they make in life.

Personally, I don't think that there is a gay gene. I think being gay is just a choice that people have and can choose to be, not something that can't be selected, such as skin color. I think that just the thought of there being a gay gene shows how homophobic people can be because it says that there has to be something inside the mind and body for people to be gay because it's not normal. Yes, being gay is not the "norm" in society, but that doesn't mean that there is something genetically wrong with people who are gay. Maybe this year, or the next year, or even if a few years, scientists and researchers will prove once and for all whether or not there is a gay gene, but for now, there is not and there is no genetic reason that gay people are gay, but a personal reason and preference.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,983027-1,00.html
http://www.liberator.net/articles/TremblayFrancois/icon-genes.jpg

Gays With Children-Is It Right?

There has been a recent frenzy on whether or not gay people should be allowed to adopt children. Several states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia. All of these states want to pass bans and laws that prevent gay couples from adopting children to become a family. In Florida, there is already a ban in place that prevents gay couples from adopting. That ban has been in place since 1977. Mississippi also bans gay couples from adopting children, but it allows gay singles to adopt. Many of the states that want to ban gay adoption, are the same states that fought to ban gay marriage in 2004. They apparently seem to have some kind of phobia of gay people and them having families. Many feel that if gay parents raise a child(ren), then their children will grow up and be gay. That of course, is just a silly stereotype and can not be proven at all. To me, that is just one of the many lame excuses that are made to prevent gay people from building families. Each child has their own mind and knows what kind of lifestyle they want to live, and I don't think that parent's lifestyle has much affect on the child's.

Gay adoption has been a big issue for many years. There have been many gay adoptions, but many of them were done secretly, for the fear that they would not be able to adopt if the adoption agencies knew they were gay or lesbian. This of course is very discouraging to gay couples that want to add an addition to their family because if the person were to be caught lying they could be charged with fraud and be unable to adopt a child. Many gay couples that want to adopt don't adopt as a couple, but adopt as single parents to avoid any discrimination toward them and be refused of adopting a child.

I think that gay couples should be able to have to chance to have a family and be able to adopt children. I don't think that it is fair for anyone to tell them they cannot have the opportunity to raise a child of their own and provide for it, especially since no one else does, being that the child has been put up for adoption. Gay adoption not only benefits the people that want to adopt, but also the children because they can get the chance to have a "real" family. It doesn't matter whether the parents are gay or straight, when it comes to adoption the real concern is the child. The child should be able to have two parents that love and care for them and that love can come from straight parents as well as gay parents.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-20-gay-adoption_x.htm

http://adoption.about.com/od/gaylesbian/a/gayadopt.htm

http://www.blogthecoast.com/halldorson/archives/gayadoption.jpg