Gay or Lesbian Families - Essay Example

Introduction

Gay or lesbian families are families that are based on same-sex marriage or union. Both the parents are of the same gender, either between two men or women. The children they have, in most cases, are adopted, or from artificial means of fertilization. Therefore, they are a unique type of family in most societies because of their composition. They can be formal, recognized by the relevant institutions. However, in some cases, they are not recognized because of the rules and regulations that govern people's conduct. Therefore, they may not be identified because of the values and beliefs that the people hold on to society that the family lives. There has been an increase in this type of marriage of late, making it a great subject of study. Furthermore, the rights and recognition of the individuals in this type of marriage have been debated in the recent past. Therefore, there is a need for their recognition and analysis of the factors that affect them.

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Moreover, there is a need to highlight the perception the society has about them and how they affect the community. It is essential to establish a relevant fact that affects their welfare so that it can be used for policy formulation. With a better understanding of this type of family, there will be adequate help directed to the families to have a better life. Recognition of the available community resources is also necessary, which will help understand the convenience created for the families as they live. Understanding the communities' attitudes towards families is also an essential aspect, whereby their acceptability is judged. There will be better help directed to the families when communal attitudes are established, which is necessary to ensure the families enjoy a better life in their unique setting. Based on the family's better understanding, there can be recommendations on how to help the families live a better experience in any communal setting.

Influences

The gay or lesbian family is unique because of the contradiction it has with most communal beliefs. Therefore, there are various ways the family unit influences the community. The first influence is based on a religious perspective. Most people in the city are affiliated t different religious groups. According to religions, marriage is meant to be based on people of another gender coming together. Therefore, the gay or lesbian family has a contradictory influence on the family unit in this case. Furthermore, the marriage puts pressure on the community to accept their freedom to practice the marriage (Tankard & Paluck, 2017). That is because most communities contradict with gay or lesbian marriage; because of their cultural perspectives. The marriage also affects the community in terms of its regulations. Earlier, some laws termed marriage as illegal. However, based on their rights and freedoms as human beings, they have championed their acceptance in the community. Therefore, it is evident that marriage has various influences on the community. To foster inclusion and respect for their rights and freedom, the influences have worked, because most communities have accepted them. However, their impact is less because of their culture and regulations against marriage in other communities.

Community Organizations

There are various influences the community has over the family, just like the family influences the society in multiple ways. First, there is a stigma by some sections of the conservative society. The family is not accepted as a conventional family in the community. Therefore, they face stigma because of their unique attributes in society (Siegel, 2017). However, there is an opposite influence by some members of the community too. Some members of the culture that prefer diversity accept the family and enhance convenience in their union. That is through respecting their choice and accepting the members amongst them. Therefore, the influence that the community has on the family is mixed. Some parties acknowledge and facilitate convenience for the marriage, while some are against it.

Various organizations are currently providing support to same-sex marriages in different communal settings. They provide support, legislation, and championing their rights. The support activities enhance the better treatment of the individuals in the marriages because of the stigma they are exposed to in various ways. First, there is Freedom to Marry; established in 2001, which champions for the marriage between same sex partners. It offers representation in court and is involved in supporting individuals' rights in various ways (Colker, 2015). Furthermore, there is Heartland ALLiance International, which is engaged in inclusion efforts for transgender individuals. When people are discriminated against in their societies, the organization offers the necessary support to enhance their comfort and acceptability. There are other organizations like Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, and all of which engage in communal activities to support same sex marriages.

Positive Interactions

There is a wide variety of resources that individuals in same-sex marriages can use for help. However, they are faced with a challenge in getting the help they need. Therefore, there are various ways individuals can be comfortable in accessing the service they need. First, individuals should be educated bout how to get the help they need. The education should be based on the assurance that once they seek help, they will receive it, therefore enhancing better outcomes in the long run. Moreover, there can be the sensitization of the community to avoid stigma and discriminatory tendencies. When the community has a positive attitude towards the resources, individuals will have the freedom to seek their help. In communities where there are regulations against same-sex marriage, there can be an assurance of confidentiality. The individuals should be assured that the authorities will not get their identity and take steps against them. The organizations that offer help to the families should also show evidence of real support to the families. There should be a highlight of their successful attempts to champion the individuals' rights, which will encourage more parties to seek their help.

Recommendations

There exists a difference in the support that individuals in same-sex marriages receive. In some communities, the individuals receive adequate help, while in some cases; the people do not receive the help they deserve. Therefore, to bridge the gap, some options can be considered. First, there can be the local communities' sensitization about the need to support the organization championing for the individuals' rights (Verma, 2019). Furthermore, there should be funding of the organizations to enable them to undertake the activities of championing for the families' rights. Moreover, there is the option of dialogue with the governments and local administration to have favorable rules for the families. The efforts will build towards reducing the gaps for support in the community. That will be through an increase in the organizations' activities, therefore safeguarding the welfare of the individuals in same sex marriages.

Conclusion

Gay and lesbian families have been a subject of controversy for a long time because of various reasons. Culture is the central issue that has caused complications to the acceptance of the family in most societies. Furthermore, the culture has influenced the legislation that affects the freedom of people to practice the marriage. There have been regulations against the freedom of people to practice the marriage. Through a highlight of various details about the gay or lesbian family type, there has been the realization of the struggles they face. However, there is also the appreciation of the help that has been offered to the family that has made it better over time. Therefore, that can act as a basis for better interventions in the future for the family type.

References

Colker, R. (2015). The Freedom to Choose to Marry. Colum. J. Gender & L., 30, 383. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/coljgl30&div=15&id=&page=

Siegel, R. B. (2017). Community in conflict: Same-sex marriage and backlash. UCLA L. Rev., 64, 1728. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/uclalr64&div=44&id=&page=

Tankard, M. E., & Paluck, E. L. (2017). The effect of a Supreme Court decision regarding gay marriage on social norms and personal attitudes. Psychological science, 28(9), 1334-1344. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797617709594

Verma, O. S. (2019). LGBTQIA+ Community Same Sex Relationship: A Bliss or Curse. Journal of Extension Systems, 35(1), 61-66.
http://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:jes2&volume=35&issue=1&article=009.