Cherokee Gonzalez

A Free Country 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness (The Declaration of Independence).  

These were the words written by our founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence. This ideas present in this declaration are derived from John Locke's 'unalienable rights,' which are God-given and cannot be taken away (The Declaration of Independence and Natural Rights). Among these rights are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Unalienable rights state everyone is allowed to do as they please as long as it does not interfere with the rights of others (Natural Rights), however, while the United States of America claims to be based on these ideas, they have taken away the rights of LGBT people across the country. Is this really the foundation of our country, or is it just said to be?

Slavery in the new United States of America would last another 89 years until the end of the Civil War. But even then, the equality promised in the Declaration of Independence was denied not only to African Americans, but also to other minorities and women. Even today, Americans are still not certain what equality means in such areas as affirmative action, sex discrimination, and gay rights (Natural Rights).

Don't ask, don't tell; no same-sex couple can marry; married same-sex couples are simply roommates; LGBT people are unfit to be parents; they cannot buy a home; the list goes on! This country will never be fully free until we allow our 'foundation' to support everyone and not just the 'elect'.

Works Cited

Natural Rights - Constitutional Rights Foundation." Constitutional Rights Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.crf-usa.org/foundations-of-our-constitution/natural-rights.html>.

law, and however. Also consider that notifying the housing authority may anger. "Fair Housing Laws: Renters' Protection from Sexual Orientation Discrimination - FindLaw." Civil Rights - FindLaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://civilrights.findlaw.com/discrimination/fair-housing-laws- renters-protection-from-sexual-orientation.html>.

How difficult is it to work for the government if you're gay?
Is the government gay-friendly? Do they accept or do they shut out those of the LGBT community.
After doing research I found that while yes, you can be a part of the LGBT community and still work in the government, the tolerance is not very high. In fact along with not being very high it has actually declined after Clinton left office. In 1995, "President Clinton issued an executive order forbidding the US government from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation in granting security clearances. Three years later, he banned anti-gay discrimination against all federal civilian employees. " While this is great and I really do believe President Clinton did a fabulous job advocating for the lgbt community within his own personal workplace the sad truth was that when he left office the progress he made with tolerance unfortunately declined. It was harder for the LGBT community to be more accepted after he left office. 


“There is no longer the type or level of harassment that occurred years ago,” Hirsch says. “But when it comes to benefits, government is different than the private sector. In many ways, it has not kept pace.”

This quote which was said by Leonard Hirsch and he also says-- same-sex partners of federal employees are not eligible for health and most retirement benefits. Congressional approval is necessary for change, and Hirsch says that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – passed in 1996 and signed by Clinton – remains an “execrable constraint.”

The biggest blow to me while reading this was the fact that federal employees are not eligible for benefits. To me this is a major punch in the face to all of the hard workers who do belong to this community because no matter their sexual orientation it doesn't take away from how hard of workers or how qualified they are. 

Alexa Stephan

"Is the Government Gay-Friendly?" GovCentral. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://govcentral.monster.com/benefits/articles/416-is-the-government-gay-friendly>.

Gender, Sexuality, and Politics Collaborative Post

Kira: Since this will be our last post for the Gender, Sexuality: Politics blog, we thought it would nice to show how our subtopics affect politics and just give a ending final explanation of our topics.

Throughout the semester, my subtopic has been gender roles in politics. What I want to focus on as a final post was relating our subtopics back directly to politics and the effects it has on it. For my subtopic, which was gender roles in politics. It's related because it's an issue that's growing and pressing. inequalities and discrimination for both men and women but mostly women when it comes to politics. The sexist remarks, the views on how women will run things (if in charge) all cloud society's clear outlook on what a women could actually do. I wanted to get across that women shouldn't be judged solely on the fact that they are women but actually given the chance to show the knowledge they have and how they could actually make change.

Having gender roles in politics definitely made an impact since it's seen everyday in even the simplest situations. Gender roles impact politics because women are not given a fair chance to show full potential because there is already a view on women in a powerful position. It almost seemed like taboo to think such a thing could happen.

Overall, I wanted to convey that gender roles in politics and other groups should not be something to define a person and their ability to perform in a certain position. Individuals should not be generalized with specific groups and that every person should have the right to their individuality and their right to have the same opportunities whether male or female. Equality is the best policy. That's a motto someone could follow.


Cherokee:  Over the course of this project, I have related politics to the LGBT community.  The main objective of my posts was to shine light on both the good and bad aspects of politics in the LGBT community.  For example, one of my posts discusses LGBT marriage laws in the United States which is a clear representation of the government interfering with the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  On the contrary, one of my shorter posts included a link to a website that contained information about the LGBT advocates in politics and what is being done to help LGBT peoples.

Politicians play a vital role in the outcomes of our lives as they determine what we can and cannot do.  That is why it is so important to understand the motives and recognize the actions of each politician in office.  Our future depends on it.

 Cherokee Gonzalez

Same-Sex Adoption

The adoption of children by homosexual couples has been a long debated topic. Some arguments suggest that homosexuals are unfit to be parents due to the high rate of drug abuse and suicide, while others suggest that all children are in need of a home where they can be loved, and that the sexuality of a legal guardian makes little difference in their ability to parent (Patterson 2, Moyes).

Truth be told, not enough evidence has been collected to support either of these arguments, and the research that has been conducted is limited to adoptive parents rather than parents in general, along with never distinguishing between children adopted by biological family members and children that are adopted into an entirely new family (Patterson 2). However, while more evidence is needed before an argument can be fully supported, one study suggests that a parent's sexuality has little affect on the development of the child.

 This study investigated child development and parenting in 106 families headed by 27 lesbian, 29 gay, and 50 heterosexual couples (80% White, M¼ 42 years) with young

adopted children (41% White, M¼ 3 years). Parents and teachers reported that, on

average, children were developing in typical ways. Measures of children’s adjustment,

parenting approaches, parenting stress, and couple relationship adjustment were not

significantly associated with parental sexual orientation. However, several family

process variables—parenting stress, parenting approaches, and couple relationship

adjustment—were found to be significantly associated with children’s adjustment,

regardless of parental sexual orientation. Implications for understanding the role of

gender and sexual orientation in parenting, as well as for legal and policy debates,

are discussed (Parenting and Child Developing in Adoptive Families).

Organizations such as the American Physiological and Medical Associations largely support LGBT adoption rights, using the lack of evidence against LGBT parents as their justification (AMA Policies on GLBT Issues, APA Adoption and Co-Parenting of Children by Same-Sex Couples). On the contrary, Britain's Catholic adoption agency has threatened to no longer find homes for children if they were required to allow LGBT peoples to adopt. The Muslim Council of Britain and Catholic Charities of Boston share a similar stance (Wen). Additionally, a poll in 2007 stated that 57% of the United States population supports LGBT adoption, while 43% were against it (McCain Blasted for Gay Adoption Opposition), further expressing the wide disagreement on the issue.

This is a link to a website that explains same-sex adoption laws in the United States.

http://www.lc.org/profamily/samesex_adoption_by_state.pdf

Works cited

"AMA Policy Regarding Sexual Orientation." American Medical Association - Physicians, Medical Students & Patients (AMA). N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/glbt-advisory-committee/ama-policy-regarding-sexual-orientation.page>.

"Co-Parenting of Children by Same-Sex Couples." American Physiological Association . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 April 2012.<http://www.psych.org/Departments/EDU/Library/APAOfficialDocumentsandRelated/PositionStatements/200214.aspx>.

Forssell, Stephen, Rachel Farr, and Charlotte Patterson. "Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families." Applied Developmental Science 1 (2012): 177. Print.

"McCain blasted for gay adoption opposition - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. N.p., 15 July 2008. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-07-15-mccain_N.htm>.

Moyes, Gordon. "GordonMoyes.com » Parliamentary Inquiries – Same Sex Adoption." GordonMoyes.com . N.p., 26 Feb. 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2009/02/26/parliamentary-inquiries-same-sex-adoption/>.

Wen, Petricia. "Catholic Charities stuns state, ends adoptions - The Boston Globe." Boston.com - Boston, MA news, breaking news, sports, video. N.p., 11 Mar. 2006. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar

Research Blog - Gender's Impact on Politics

Kira Myers

The idea that everything is equal and nothing is unfair in the world of politics is absurd and clearly not believable. If a person takes a look at campaign ads and television broadcasting, what they would see is a male dominated field of work. Now, there is of course an inequality for men, but with this specific topic, it is more likely to have unfair treatment and opportunities working against women. Especially since the upcoming election for 2012 is here, there is a lot to actually look at and understand to get a better idea of the gender inequalities that are present.

In the world of politics the social norm is for a man who is strong and a leader to be the face of politics, not a woman. A section from a journal article that I found called The Achilles heel of women in politics by Gillian Tett discussed how herself and other women were ecstatic about have a female finally representing in the politics world. Seeing Sarah Palin stepping up and getting a women into that field was something inspirational to Tett, yet after seeing her not knowing much about what was going on in the world and important things. In my opinion, that right there possibly could have fueled others to say that’s why women shouldn’t be in the politics field. 

As stated in the article, “A female face was considered a potential ‘game-changer’”.  I agree, but to what extent would a face be able to compete with such a male dominated world and field of work? There has to be more and even if there was, a woman having the knowledge, the credibility, and all the qualifications still wouldn’t be enough simply because she is a woman. There is a bias and men will always seem to have the upper hand. Female power is greatly limited. 

From the article Gender and Politics over Time, it’s clear that things for women in the politics world has changed and progressed. Although that may be, things haven’t progressed enough. Things will be better when a woman can make a strong appearance and give a strong opinion in a male dominated world without being label a “bitch” or “emotional”. That is truly only when there will be another step forward into change for women’s roles in politics. That is only when a new era can begin.

Works Cited

   Gillian Tett.  (2012, March). The Achilles heel of women in politics.  Retrieved April 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2618058861). 

 Gretchen Ritter (2007). Gender and Politics over Time. Politics &amp; Gender, 3 , pp 386-397 doi:10.1017/S1743923X07000268

Back in time

Hey everyone! Since our topic is politics I decided to do some searching for articles that showed how sexuality and gender played a role in the early years of the government. I ran across a book review of the british imperialism and how gender and sexuality affected their beginnings. If you are interested in more this is just a review, but I am sure you can find the whole thing. I think it is interesting you never think about Gender and Sexuality playing a role in the past like that but we can't be naive and think it doesn't happen.

Here is a link to the review Here!

I hope everyone enjoys!

Alexa Stephan