The Health, Social and Human Services Needs for Homosexuals in USA
Liberty University Comment by Margo Farwell: Your name goes under the title and Liberty University goes under your name.
Wil Perez
4/27/2014
I. I
ntroduction Comment by Margo Farwell: Remove all roman numerals and letters from your headings.
First level headings will be centered. Second level headings are left justified. Comment by Margo Farwell: Your title will go at the top of this page, centered above the heading.
Homosexuals have been a special group of interest since earlier years. This group of person has been raising special interest in the society across different religion, local, state and even at national as well as the globe. What can be remembered about homosexuals is that they are people who do not relate upright to normal intimate behaviors (Herek, 2002). There are two views of homosexuals, the old view and the modern view. The old view of homosexual holds that this group of persons is cursed and is not fit in the society (Moeller, 2010). The earlier view, which is roughly known to have existed before 1969, treated homosexuals in a discriminate manner. They were indeed taken to psychiatric hospitals for treatment in addition to being arrested and jailed. Social discrimination was rampant to this group and this was done even in the full knowledge of authorities. However, the modern view about homosexual is not really different from the earlier vies but homosexual can get human services, which were hardly possible in earlier years (Cocks, 2003). Today, homosexual are treated like normal people with no discrimination although they raise concerns in the society about how ethical they behavior is. Comment by Margo Farwell: The modern view isn’t different? It used to be viewed as a sin and many today view it as a lifestyle. This seems like a different view.
History behind homosexuals: Gay and Lesbian in the US
A. Homosexual before 1969
The history of homosexuals in the US is vividly remembered after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. This uprising was an event that scholars use to capture real information about the history of gay and lesbian people in the U.S. While homosexual is said to have been around for long time, it has been having changes and event occurrences. Quality information about homosexual is recorded and reported after the Second World War (Moeller, 2010). After this event, the society settled down and begun self development. This development was key to having successful evaluation of the society and its people. Since the 1950s homosexual has been happening all over the U.S and probably in the whole world. States and local governments had known about the vice and most of them banned homosexuality and labeled it a crime. All states in the U.S. mentions homosexuality in their laws and did not allow (Brett, Wood, and Thomas, 2006). People who were found committing the vice were arrested, charged and enrolled into psychiatric treatment either being given medications or counseling. Additionally, due to discrimination, homosexuals were not allowed to hold public offices and were convicted and retrenched when caught. Comment by Margo Farwell: The rise of homosexuals has been noted all over the U.S.
Source? Comment by Margo Farwell: Base your information on research not assumption. Comment by Margo Farwell: You would want to be careful about using words that could seem like your opinion. Try and stay as factual as possible.
States and local governments have known about homosexuality and banned it labeling it a crime.
This says what you are saying but avoids any potential opinion words.
B. Homosexuals during 1969
Homosexuals in the U.S. have significant information worth exploring. Their history is rich is discrimination until the 1969 during the Stonewall Uprising event when they begun airing their concerns in public (Avery, Linda, Montero, and Wydra, 2007). The history of homosexuals in the U.S. is important in trying to show how health and human services were distributed to this group or perhaps why they never had provisions for health services. The 1969 event marked the end of old view of homosexuals and opened a new view of homosexual. This event was timely as it happened in Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village New York City. The Stonewall Inn was a popular bar known for gay and lesbian. Heterosexual patrons did not go in there because they know the vices that were going on there and shunned the place. This bar was reserved to homosexual both lesbian and gay. During this particular day of 1969, the police went to arrest their usual homosexual culprits with the objective of convicting them with this illegal vice. Police usually succeed in their previous attempts to arrest but they did not succeed in this particular day (Meyer, 2003). The revelers resisted arrests and begun violence rioting for the better part of that night. What puzzled this event in the community around the Greenwich which joined in the riot against the police. The event lasted to three days and was named Stonewall uprising, which opened a new era in homosexuality in the U.S and in the whole world. Today, homosexual celebrates this day each year and come in public to try and inform the society about their status. Comment by Margo Farwell: This is somewhat confusing.
C. Homosexuals After 1969
The 1969 can be thought as a boundary of two eras of homosexuality. The old era (before 1969) shows different activities for homosexuals than the new era, which is the era after 1969. The 1969 event gave homosexuals energy to show up in public and fight for their right because of the morale they got from the community supporters and the fact that they defeated the police during that time. After this event, this group of people started staging mass actions and demonstrating in the public to seek their right. Then states and local governments recognized the group and some state became lenient on their homosexual laws and decriminalized the group and its activities. Victims who were in prison because of this activity were released and psychiatric treatment for this group stopped in around 1972 (Herek, 2002). Comment by Margo Farwell: Is this your support for all of the information in this paragraph? Cite your source as soon as you use their information.
The development of homosexual in the modern society and their treatment is well depicted in the Oprah Winfrey Show, which was aired since the 1986s to 2011. Oprah has been controversial in her show about homosexuals whom are known as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. This show is particularly branded Oprahification because of the public confessions of people in their relationships (Brett et al, 2006). One show that drew great interest and brought new light in homosexuality is the 1988 Oprah’s Valentine show that saw Yolanda Retter Vargas and two other women preach lesbianism in public. This public preaching saw a series of women confess in public about their lesbianism and the reaction from viewers was also interesting because of viewers never liked the lesbian women and were responding with negative criticism of the show and particularly women who came to confess. Although it is not usually, Oprah’s show never saw men coming to confess despite the fact that they are the larger homosexual group as compared to lesbians (Brett et al, 2006). Oprah’s show literally publicized homosexuality to the public and she is also airing programs related to homosexuality in her Oprah Winfrey Network. Comment by Margo Farwell: Reword Comment by Margo Farwell: You need to develop the problem more. What is the current problem (How is discrimination seen currently)? How are homosexuals being affected (What are the effects of discrimination on homosexuals? Academic impacts? How does it impact their work life, social life? Health impacts of discrimination? Financial impact? How are their lives impacted in negative ways?) It is from this that the need for solutions will arise.
II. Homosexual and public health services provision
Homosexuals have had their fair share of life everywhere in the world. It seems the earlier group sacrificed for the later group, which is now being treated like normal people in the society. Their lives were difficult especially when their statuses never had protection of the law. Homosexuals have rights to health services, jobs, property, and marriage and even have rights to own children through adoption although this parent child relationship is often controversial (Abelove, Barale, and Halperin, 2003). Comment by Margo Farwell: What does this mean?
A. Public health services provision
Homosexuals have had difficult times in terms of accessing health and human services needs. Unavailability of public health services to this population was due to discriminations and the fact that they were seen as deviant people. In fact, the healthcare provided for this group was that of psychiatric treatment in earlier years, probably before 1969 (Herek, 2002). Their health services provision was contrary to what they needed because this is the group of people who required attention in healthcare provision as any other vulnerable population in the society. Comment by Margo Farwell: This is a wonderful discussion on the impact of the problem of discrimination.
The 1969 Stonewall uprising opened ears to the government and authorities in the U.S. to provide equality for all human, which is a policy America as society holds. Today and with this development, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services proudly recommend to improve the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Provisions of this nature were never heard in the earlier 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s from any authority. The U.S. authority admits that LGBT have been denied companionate live through lack of health services provisions, which are entitled to everybody (Abelove et al, 2003). However, times have changed and now this group is entitled services like any other group courtesy of the Presidential Memorandum on Hospital Visitation, which was aimed at strengthening the rights of patients to designate visitors regardless of gender or sexual identity. America now proudly provides health and human services to all Americans and each person in the US is entitled to quality health care and services. American authority recognizes the sensitive matter of some communities and strives to safeguard their wellbeing through commitment to respect their differences.
B. Special human and health services
Do homosexuals have special health provisions or special human services provision now that they are a special group in the society? Homosexuals or LGTB as they are commonly called requires special treatment than they have been known as people who a curse in the society. Since 2011, the U.S. authority has prepared special programs and actions for this group so as to keep promise on their well-being and development. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following twelve special actions in addition to health services for the LGTB (HHS, 2014).
a) Equal employment Opportunities: The HHS strictly observe and require employers to observe equal employment opportunity policy, which roughly begun to take effect in earlier 2011. This policy has ensured elimination of factors that discriminate sexual orientation during employment and has explicitly warned against unfair treatment of employees and applicant based on gender as well as genetic identity. For lesbians, the employment sectors are already cleared and they can pursue their careers and apply any job of their choice. Comment by Margo Farwell: Summarize all of this information. Using this much of another sources work makes your paper simply a review of their work rather than a research paper.
b) Non-discrimination policy: This policy was developed by Secretary Sebelius. The policy asks the human the HHS to serve all people regardless of their personal identifying features such race, sexual orientation, nation of origin, color, sex, religion, gender disability, age, marital status and genetic information. The development of this policy is a response to the fact that there are enough discrimination in the U.S., which seems to never end.
c) Hospital Visitation: Hospital visitation policy was developed through direction from the President. The HHS was asked to develop and man a rule requiring the right of hospital visitation of visitors to patient with Medicaid and Medicare programs. This rule eliminated gender and personal feature identification for the patient as well as the patient during hospital visitations.
d) Advanced Directives: This refers to inspections of hospital compliances with already outlined rules and regulations, which allow patients to choose who can make their treatment choices. This law seems to protect patient’s rights in terms of choosing the medical treatment procedure after information. The significance of this law can be seen contravene with the earlier choices that homosexual never had because they were forced to take psychiatric treatment and they actually never had mental problems.
e) Internal LGBT Coordinating Committee: The HHS should be the first institution to form a committee that will care for homosexuals concerns and activities. This committee, which is equally represented in the HHS is responsible to submitting an annual report on LGBT activities, development and achievement throughout the year.
f) Institute of Medicine Study on LGBT Health: This institute is housed by the National Institute of Health (NIH). The research concerns in LGBT include those of finding the research gaps and opportunities that this group needs or requires for short term and long term needs. The research is sure of opening LGBT to the academic community including medical, social and psychological disciplines.
g) Health people 2020: Since the HHS do develop national science-based objectives of promoting health, monitoring and preventing diseases. The decade beginning 2000-2010 included LGBT health provision. The next decade to reach 2020 will even have greater opportunities for the health outcome of LGBT because they are included in scientific investigation for health related research agendas and outcomes.
h) National HIV/AIDS Strategy: The National HIV/AIDS strategy announcement of July 13, 2010 assured increased efforts on every individual of the U.S. to be safe from HIV and those already sick to have the highest patient care. This strategy announced the U.S. concerns on reducing this pandemic of which it was to focus on high risk populations of which the homosexual’s especially Gay people were strategically an interest group.
i) The Affordable Care Act: Now the LGBT are known as community even though living among normal society. This care act is tailored towards offering all Americans access to quality medical care. The LGBT who sometimes need additional services are taken care in this act. The HHS admits that there have been unequal health provisions to some groups especially the LGBT who insurances do not want to offer policy to because of their statuses and because insurances are not used to such couples are always disadvantages from insurances. The U.S now recognizes LGBT as special groups and as a group, which require special insurance hence placed them under Affordable Care Act to be eligible regardless of their financial statuses.
j) Tobacco Control: Although someone might think that the tobacco act is odd in a discussion about LGBT. It is important to note that, the tobacco act was created in 2009. The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act required the FDA to regulate selling, consumption, marketing and distribution of Tobacco related product in an effort to try to reduce associative risk behaviors. Associative risk behaviors include alcoholism, bullying, gang violence of which LGBT are directly associated with. This act aims are reducing tobacco effect on risk group and LGBT are labeled as high risk group.
k) Aging Services: The HHS had begun funding and supporting public and private organizations service LGBT in older population. The older population has special needs and the importance of quality services of LGBT cannot be underestimated hence the initiative to support institutions, that take care of special community in the society.
l) Anti-Bullying Efforts: The anti-bulling efforts are collaborative activity of several departments beginning with education and including Agriculture, Defense, Interior Security and Justice. The collaboration efforts for these departments was to help the Federal government instill the anti-bullying task force in the whole of U.S. American authority remembered that, LGBT may be subject to bullying and especially their adopted children or relative of young age might be bullied hence the need to eliminate the vice in all levels of the society. Bullying is serious and can lead to psychological health issues of victims even if they are not LGBT but related with them. The National campaign against bullying is essential in having the LGBT, relative and friends assume a healthy and stress free life.
m) Improvements in Foster and Adoptive Care: Adoption is squarely an interest in LGBT. This group will sometimes required children to rare. Just like parenting requiring education on their efforts as parenting, LGBT require education in foster care. This program is ideal especially for youth groups who may stay in homosexuals for permanent. If they do this they need earlier preparation for care of their children and other persons of importance in the home.
n) Runaway and Homeless Youth Services: The runaway and homeless facilities are required to have LGBT services. Homosexuals begin in youth and the runaway youth may involve this group and justification to have their services close.
Clearly the above twelve provision are a summary of LGBT human and health care services provision. The US authority has recognized the importance of this group is committed to having their life being comfortable and free than they have been before. In the U.S. LGBT human and healthcare services are directly managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to these services, the HHS promises to increase actions in the future that are tailored towards providing maximum care for LGBT to probably compensate what they have lost in the past.
III. Social-psychological Needs
There is controversy as to whether homosexual is a mental health problem. The current debate has even gone further to indicate that, any homonegativity person is having a mental health challenge because of thinking the other person in mentally ill (Clunis and Dorsey, 2005). Do homosexuals need psychological counseling or are they normal behaving people? The topic about whether homosexuals are in need of psychiatric care was dropped around 1974; several years after the stonewall uprising. Homosexuals were sent to psychiatrist centers after been caught where psychiatrists and the U.S authority believed that they had special mental problems. During the 1970s psychiatrist did not brand any homosexuals and those under treatment were released unconditionally. Whether homosexuals require psychosocial therapy or not it is a question that should be directed towards the whole community (Clunis and Dorsey, 2005). First, as much as they require mental treatment, their counterpart or the other people who are not in the LGBT group also require the same therapy to try to accept and embrace homosexual. The question of whether homosexual is a mental condition or not is proudly responded as, they do not have mental disorders unless it is that one, which affects everybody else. Second, the psycho-social therapy they require maybe as result of special communication and special treatment to try and understand the other party. This group has more challenges emanating from other parties than their own problems (Drescher, 2010). Comment by Margo Farwell: This seems a little repetitive as you have already mentioned this previously.
IV. Homosexuals and the HIV pandemic
Homosexuals are being accused of being the sexual oriented population with the highest HIV infections than heterosexuals. In fact, the American health statistics record homosexuals especially gay as the population with the highest prevalent of HIV AIDS (Black, Gates, Sanders & Taylor, 2000). Most of the victims of this statics are come from the prisons where there is an increased homosexual behaviors because grouping. The physiology of sexual intercourse among homosexuals is responsible for the infections mechanism in addition to the fact that gay people rarely use protective gear such as condoms because they think they do not need the same. The US HHS recognize homosexual as a vulnerable group when it comes in HIV/AIDS pandemic and has provided a Nations AIDs control strategy specific for homosexuals because they are risk group. Comment by Margo Farwell: Source? Comment by Margo Farwell: How has this problem been addressed or what are ideas to help?
V. Conclusion
Homosexuals have been a special group in the society since they went public. The world over, there are government debates on the status of this special group in the society. There are a number of ethical issue that attracts interest to this groups. Religions are in disbelief when there is a special group of opposite sex in the society (Olson, Cadge, and Harrison, 2006). Like religion such as churches developing countries such as Africa are having difficulties embracing this group. At least the U.S. authority has come forward to offering health and human services for this special group, which were non existence in several decades ago. It seems the persistence of the group to fight for their rights has brought them to where they are today. An important note to remember is that homosexual is a minor group and they rarely expect something huge benefits from the society especially governments. Religions including almost all denominations condemn homosexuality because their beliefs are based on their Bible, which condemns same sex intimacy. Clearly there is moral conflict in the globe about homosexuality (Olson, et al, 2006: Gagnon, 2001). Religions are condemning same sex marriage and some developed governments are allowing the same. LGBT development is changing over the year and even the homosexuals were only recently recognized by the U.S. authority; merely 14 years ago. LGBT human services and action begun to be published in the government institutions in 2001 are improving each day. Comment by Margo Farwell: Within your paper there is little discussion on religion. You want to avoid discussing new information in the conclusion. Have a concluding paragraph that brings together the main points of your paper.
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