Gay Rights Across Cultures

Gay Rights across Cultures

ETH/316

April 20, 2015

University of Phoenix

Gay Rights across Cultures

It seems that while America has become more accepting every day, in the Middle East it is still in the infancy of understanding basic human rights. Here we will examine America and Middle East’s perspective on Gay rights.

An American Perspective

Gay rights and same-sex matrimony are dominant conflicts in America's culture. What is growing in our culture is a considerably profounder tolerance of gays and lesbians, and the public and commercial sovereignty for gays and lesbians to come out of the closet that has imprisoned them for numerous centuries. However, rights to various national and government assistances, permissions and privileges like medical decisions, social security, and countless other programs still remain inaccessible to same-sex couples.

A Middle East Perspective

In the Middle East, the public largely rejects and even demonizes homosexuality (Lynch, 2014). Homosexuality is more than just frowned upon in Eastern culture, it is illegal. Simmons (2009) explains that “problems accepting same-sex relationships or attraction negate recorded history where homosexuality was an established component of Middle Eastern culture” (p. 160).

Culture Identification

One of the biggest pieces of American culture is television, for it shapes the minds of the young and can even reshape the opinions and perspectives of adults. Smith (2013) explains that according to a new survey held by Ipsos Media CT, nearly one in five (18%) of Americans credit television with shifting their opinion for redefining marriage to accommodate same-sex couples (para. 3).

A Common Perspective

One similarity between the American and Middle Eastern views is the lack of ethical and moral rights not seen as equal by many people. Many think this is unnatural what happens between two people of the same sex based largely on religious convictions. A recent Pew Research Center study titled “The Global Divide on Homosexuality” showed that Muslim-majority countries have the least tolerance for gays and lesbians (Beck, 2013).

How Cultures Clash

Whereas one culture is growing and more accepting - to where homosexuality is a brick in its wall of culture, the other is the complete opposite. In America, daily more people become accepting of the differences in others, while in the Middle East it is not. They have laws established to keep the aged tradition in place. They do not seem to adapt to the ever changing world.