In The Closet
Gender equality is not a ‘women’s concern’ but the responsibility of all individuals and of the society as whole and requires the active contribution and input from both women and men. In the past gender equality policies have been contextualised mainly as a women’s issue: the battle for gender equality has mainly been fought by women and for women. In the last decade, however, there has been an increasing acknowledgement of the crucial role of men in building gender equality as equal partners with women. Men and masculinities have consequentially increasingly become subjects of studies
and part of gender equality policies in the EU. Back in 2006, the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on ‘Men and gender equality’pdf noting that “in order to improve the status of women and promote gender equality, more attention should be paid to how men are involved in the achievement of gender equality, as well as to the positive impact of gender equality for men and for the well-being of society as a whole.” Two years before, in 2004, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) agreed Conclusions on “The role of men and boys in achieving gender equalitypdf”. The CSW emphasized
that men must take joint responsibility with women for the promotion of gender equality and recognized that men and boys can and do make contributions to gender equality in their many capacities, and in all spheres of society. From its side, the European Commission’s Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015pdf also stresses the need for an active contribution and participation of men in order to advance gender equality: “Gender equality needs the active contribution, support and participation of men and policies should also address gender-related inequalities that affect boys/men such as
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The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were generally accepting of homosexual behavior within certain contexts. Hinduism and Buddhism tend to view homosexuality primarily from the standpoint of its karmic effects, with varying conclusions. Jewish, Christian,
Sikh and Muslim cultures have generally perceived homosexual behaviour as sinful. Many Jewish and Christian leaders, however, have gone to great lengths to make clear that it is the homosexual acts and not the homosexual individuals or their “orienta-
tion� that is condemned. Some liberal strands of both mainstream Protestant Christianity and Reform Judaism advocate, on theological as well as social grounds, the full acceptance of homosexuals and their relationships.
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We’re all Underne Real progress has been made towards LGB&T equality in recent years. But from homophobic bullying in our schools to tragic incidents of hate crime, too many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face outdated prejudice because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, at every stage in
their lives. We work to remove barriers that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can face and to advance their opportunities in all areas of life, including family, work and schools. The first ever cross government Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality Action Plan, published in March
2011, reinforced our commitment to LGB&T equality and outlined an ambitious range of actions we will take from tackling homophobic bullying in schools, and improving our response rate to hate crime, to promoting LGB&T rights abroad.
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its not just black and white,love is a specturm of colour. Homosexuality can refer to both attraction or sexual behavior between people of the same sex, or to a sexual orientation. When describing the latter, it refers to enduring sexual and
romantic attraction towards those of the same sex, but not necessarily to sexual behavior. Homosexuality is contrasted with heterosexuality, bisexuality and asexuality. Lesbian denotes a homosexual woman. Most scientist today
agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors. Although homosexuality does not appear to be adaptive from an evolutionary standpoint, because
homosexual sex does not produce children, there is evidence of its existence through human history. Although a number of biological factors have been considered by scientists, such as prenatal hormones, chromo-
somes, polygenetic effects, brain structure and viral influences, no scientific consensus exists as to how biology influences sexual orientation. Most scientists agree that it is unlikely that there is a single “gay
gene� that determines something as complex as sexual orientation, and that it is more likely to be the result of an interaction of genetic, biological and environmental/cultural factors.
...is a Spectrum
two sides The government’s controversial legislation on the issue received Royal Assent on Wednesday. The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaderships all backed the proposals, which were finally approved by MPs and peers earlier this week. It is expected that the first gay and lesbian wedding ceremonies will take place by summer next year. Under the terms of
the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, religious organisations will have to “opt in” to offering weddings, with the Church of England and Church in Wales being banned in law from doing so. Commons Speaker John Bercow announced the bill had received Royal Assent - the formal approval of the sovereign required for all legislation. The news was greeted with cheers in the Commons chamber.
Public policy has swung just as sharply. In 2012, after Mr Obama renounced his own opposition, gay marriage was approved by plebiscite in three states, and the one attempt to ban it failed. After the Supreme Court ordered the federal government to recognise these marriages in 2013, a series of lower-court decisions brought gay marriage to state after state like a string of firecrackers. No one doubts that,
in due course, the entire country will join them. Opponents, feeling what had seemed like the most stable ground fall away beneath them, are scrambling for ways to change the subject. For homosexual Americans, it is not just a new era. It is a new country. What happened? Social change so marked and rapid can come only from a confluence of causes, but the most impor-
tant was probably a change in moral judgment. Moral disapproval underlay not just opposition to same-sex marriage, but also support for the whole panoply of laws and customs that have historically discriminated against gay people. As it waned, support for same-sex marriage waxed. By 2013, nearly 60% had no moral problem with same-sex relations. Given that America, like most places, has
viewed homosexuality as wicked since more or less the beginning of time, approval by a wide majority represents a watershed not just in contemporary politics but also in cultural history. This reversal, even more than sentiment about marriage as such, was the seminal change in public opinion. No anti-gay policy is likely to withstand it.
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