Gay and lesbian people face a judgmental and confused world on a daily basis. They are sometimes disliked just for being who they are and many wonder how they deal with it. Despite all the hardships they have faced, the gay and lesbian community has progressed a long way and proved many of the stigmas wrong.
Opponents of gay and lesbian partnerships have formed all sorts of theories as to why being gay is immoral, unnatural, or just plain wrong. May opponents have said that to be gay is unnatural because all animals are straight. Research, however, has shown that many animals have same-sex relationships or sex. Bison, giraffes, and dolphins are just a few examples of animals that couple up with animals of the same sex.
In regardless to having a family, many people claim that children of gay parents will identify themselves as gay. However, studies following children of gay parents have found no significant difference in the percentage of children that become gay when compared to children of heterosexual couples. Not only are children of gay couples not likely to become gay simply because their parents are, studies also found children of gay parents to follow the statistics of children of heterosexual children. Behavior and performance in school has been found to be based more on the type of home the child lives in. Does the child live in an abusive household or are they a child of divorce? Or is the child's home filled with nothing but love and support. Studies show that children are more affected by the stability and support in their household than by the sexual orientation of their parents.
Others argue that gay relationships are flaky and never last, that gay people are sexually driven and incapable of having a serious, monogamous relationship. Studies show that this could not be further from the truth. Gay relationships are very similar to heterosexual relationships. People, whether gay or straight, who want to be in a committed relationship will be in a committed relationship. It is not sexual orientation that drives our needs for sex or relationships. Some mention that gay rights face even bigger challenges then same-sex couples because of all the pressure from society.
The most popular and debated topic surrounding sexual orientation is whether or not being gay is a choice. Those opposed to gay relationships argue that people choose to be gay and are therefore not entitled to the rights of marriage. Supporters of gay rights wonder why someone would choose to be gay in a society so hostile to gay people. In any regard, studies have already proven that sexual orientation is partly genetic and biological. Further studies are being done to try to identify how large a roll genes play in our sexual orientation.
Gay and lesbian relationships face tough opposition, but they are slowly gaining the rights of heterosexual couples. In many states, it is now legal for gay people to get married and gay right supporters are gaining steam. Gay and lesbian relationships are a social struggle that will likely not be resolved anytime very soon. Until then, gay and lesbian couples will likely keep fighting for the rights they feel they deserve.
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