Gay Couples and Child Adoption
Adoption by couples of the same sex has recently been legalized in almost 14 countries, however it has been remained illegal in most of countries as debate spins on in several countries as to whether it should be legalized or not. The concern of the opposing side is whether gay couples are able to adequately provide parenthood.

According to a consensus which was arrived at by psychological, medical as well as social communities, children who have been raised by gay parents are also able to adjust well just like children who are raised by heterosexual parents. This conclusion has also been highly accepted within the developmental psychology field, (Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth & K. Lee Lerner, 2006). As derived from the available evidence in the field, the Florida's Third Court of Appeal in 2010 was satisfied that this issue was far beyond dispute that it will be irrational…...

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References

Kathy Belge, (2012). Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights.About.com Lesbian Life. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from  http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/families/a/adoption.htm 

Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth & K. Lee Lerner (eds) (2006). Gender issues and sexuality: essential primary sources. Thomson Gale. ISBN 1414403259. Primary resource collection and readings. Library of Congress. Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from  http://www.scribd.com/doc/74720998/52/LGBT-adoption 

Paige, R.U., (2004). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the legislative year 2004. Minutes of the meeting of the Council of Representatives July 28 & 30, 2004, Honolulu, HI.Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.apa.org/governance/.

Stacey, J. & Davenport, E. Queer Families Quack Back, in: D. Richardson & S. Seidman (Eds) Handbook of Lesbian and Gay Studies. (London, SAGE Publications), 355-374. (2002)  http://web.me.com/ecortez1/lgbtfamilies/Adoption/Entries/2009/7/1_LGBT_Adoption.html

Homosexual Marriage and the Impacts on Parenting
Homosexual marriage refers to legal matrimony between two individuals of the same gender and it is a phenomenon which has come under a great deal of scrutiny and debate during the last few years. As of the time of this writing nine states have legalized gay marriage, and 31 states have constitutional amendments which ban gay marriage to some extent -- a fact alone which showcases this nation's level of homophobia and a reluctance to deliver fundamental rights, like the right to pursue happiness. However, the topic of this paper is to examine the impacts of gay marriage on parenting and the kids that grow up having two moms or two dads. Even the most conservative, right-winged, and religiously literal people will admit, that if there's one thing that this nation needs; for example, the following conservative remarked: "Many studies show that single parents…...

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References

Balling, R. (2012, Septemver 28). Why same-sex marriage affects my marriage. Retrieved from Star tribune:  http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/171613511.html?refer=y 

Carey, B. (2012, June 11). Debate on a Study Examining Gay Parents. Retrieved from NYTimes:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/health/study-examines-effect-of-having-a-gay-parent.html?_r=0 

Chrisler, J. (2010, June 24). Why gay parents are good parents. Retrieved from Cnn.com: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-24/opinion/chrisler.gay.parents_1_adoptions-by-gay-people-anti-gay-gay-pride?_s=PM:OPINION

Narth.com. (n.d.). Gay Parenting Does Affect Children Differently, Study Finds. Retrieved from Narth.com:  http://www.narth.com/docs/does.html

e are supported in this by a statement which Justice Kennedy made during a 2003 Supreme Court case on the subject, wherein the Justice observed that "gay people have a 'liberty under the Due Process Clause [that] gives them the full right to engage in [intimate] conduct without intervention of the government.'
No matter how unpopular a group's sexual norms, he explained, the government may not 'demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime.'" (Masci, 1) This would essentially acknowledge that discrimination against the rights of homosexuals qualifies as a form of civil rights violation, strengthening the legal precedent now becoming an ever greater likelihood. Those parties who have objected have also shown a great deal of resolve, as suggested by their victory in the typically left-leaning state of California. Primarily, this denotes that on both sides of the issue, parties are politically…...

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Works Cited:

Anitel, S. (2007). Gays' Discrimination at the Workplace Decreases Productivity.

Softpedia. Online at  http://news.softpedia.com/news/Gays-039-Work-Discrimination-Decreases-Productivity-70002.shtml 

Head, T. (2006). Workplace Discrimination. About: Civil Liberties.

Masci, D. (2008). An overview of the same-sex marriage debate. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Online at  http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=288

Indeed, the lack of "recognition and protection" by schools in general contributes to the "critically high level of suicide" among this community of minority students (146).
Surely alert, competent, contemporarily up-to-date school counselors understand that they have the "daunting but imperative obligation to become social activists for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students" since these students are the most "stigmatized members of school environs," Stone continues. There is no doubt that certain legal and ethical issues come in the way of school counselors' being free to help LGBT adolescents with their difficult decisions.

It is a "complex landscape" for counselors indeed, and they need to use caution in discussing birth control, abortion, drug abuse and more with straight and gay / lesbian students; moreover, since parents have the ultimate authority when it comes to counseling their children on important matters (the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that fact in several cases), the…...

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Works Cited

Cabaj, Robert Paul, and Smith, Mickey. (2008). Overview of Treatment Approaches, Modalities,

and Issues of Accessibility in the Continuum of Care. Center for Substance Abuse

Treatment. Retrieved August 27, 2011, from  http://www.samhsa.gov .

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2008). A Provider's Introduction to Substance Abuse

Gay Marriage
Same sex marriage has been a topic of much debate in recent years. Many believe that same sex marriage should not be allowed, while others assert that homosexuals should have the right to be legally married. The purpose of this discussion is to investigate the historical context, political impact, sociological impact and the psychological and philosophical perspectives of this issue.

Gay Marriage in a historical context

According to Coolidge et al. (2003) marriage provides a legal gateway to many protections and benefits in American society. In fact many of these protections and benefits do not exist outside of becoming legally married (Mcwhirter 2004). These include access to health care and medical decision making for your partner and your children; parenting and immigration rights; inheritance, taxation, Social Security, and other government benefits (Mcwhirter 2004). It is because of these protections and benefits that same sex marriage has become such an explosive issue…...

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References

Conger, J.J. (1975). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the year 1974: Minutes of the annual meeting of the Council of Representatives. American Psychologist, 30, 620-651.

Duncan, D.G. (2004). The Federal Marriage Amendment and Rule by Judges. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, 27(2), 543+.

Coolidge, D.O. Wardle, L.D., Strasser, M., Duncan, W.C., (Eds.). (2003). Marriage and Same-Sex Unions: A Debate / . Westport, CT: Praeger.

DiPlacido, J. (1998). Minority stress among lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals: A consequence of heterosexism, homophobia, and stigmatization. In G.M. Herek (Ed.), Stigma and sexual orientation (pp. 138-159). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Further arguments that gay marriages do not contribute to the greater good are debatable, based largely on faith-based belief rather than empirical research.

In the 1930s, sociologist Edwin Schur wrote extensively about the idea of victimless crimes. For Schur, victimless crimes involve an exchange of commodities or services that are socially-disapproved. These exchanges are voluntary and do not cause anyone harm (Schur, 3).

Schur himself cited consensual homosexual unions as an example of victimless crimes. Schur writes that society has enacted laws against such deviant behavior based not on any harm these crimes cause, but because these crimes violate prevailing standards of socially acceptable behavior. These standards, however, are fluid and subject to change. Given this, Schur argues that laws against homosexuality, for example, penalize people who should not be labeled as criminals in the first place. Their actions meet the criteria of non-coercion and no harm. Therefore, no one is victimized…...

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Works Cited

Battles, Kathleen and Wendy Hilton-Morrow. "Gay characters in conventional spaces: Will and Grace and the situation comedy genre." Critical Studies in Media Communications, 19, March 2001: 87-105.

Clinton, Bill. "Congress Should Ban Antigay Job Discrimination." In Discrimination. Mary E. Williams, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2003.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "Gay Marriage Should Not Be Legal." In Gay Marriage. Kate Burns, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2005.

Gallagher, John. "Homosexuals Seek Equal Rights, Not Special Rights." In Homosexuality Helen Cothran, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2003.

hile not as sexy and "politically correct" as a direct confrontation of homophobia in the military, the author thinks that a pragmatic, gradual expansion of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is in order. It is probably the best way to preserve the lives of gay servicemen and to protect and expand their rights.

orks Cited:

Bateman, Geoffrey. Don't Ask Don't Tell. London: Lynne Riener Publishers, 2003. 2, 12.

.

Grener, Richard. "Colonel Redl: The Man Behind the Screen Myth." New York Times 12

October 1985: n. pag. eb. 7 Apr 2010. .

"Hephaestion." Heritage Key. N.p., 2010. eb. 7 Apr 2010. .

Pacion, Stanley. " Sparta: An Experiment in State-Fostered Homosexuality." Sex and History. N.p., June 27, 2008. eb. 7 Apr 2010. .

Plutarch. "The Sacred Theban Band." Plutarch's Lives. Ed. J.S. hite. New York:

Biblio and Tannen. 1966. 416.

....

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Works Cited:

Bateman, Geoffrey. Don't Ask Don't Tell. London: Lynne Riener Publishers, 2003. 2, 12.

.

Grener, Richard. "Colonel Redl: The Man Behind the Screen Myth." New York Times 12

October 1985: n. pag. Web. 7 Apr 2010. .

"ith such a Biblical event casting its shadow over the theological landscape, how could "gay" advocates sidestep the obvious implication that God considered homosexuality a despicable sin?" (Vitagliano, 2003)

In the eyes of the Church then, homosexuality is an unnatural and sinful behavior simply because it disobeys the heterosexual human relations, as they were initially intended by the Divinity. "It is a sin grievous to God and repulsive to Christians because it rejects God's design for mankind as heterosexual beings" (ildmon, 2007). And its currently increasing acceptance in the contemporaneous community is only based on the desire to be perceived as modern and open-minded, when we should in fact be focusing on how to convince the gays to renounce their habits.

The risks of accepting and allowing gay rights revolve around the emergence of future negative effects. It is like opening Pandora's Box, from which numerous problems will come out, the most…...

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Works Cited:

Bidstrup, S., Gay Marriages: The Arguments and the Motives, 2004,   last accessed on March 31, 2009http://www.bidstrup.com/marriage.htm 

Doherty, E., the Hidden Agenda of Homosexual Politics, the Forerunner, November 1993

Herek, G.M., Facts about Homosexuality and Child Molestation, University of California, 2009,   last accessed on March 31, 2009http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html 

Eskridge, W.N., Spedale, D.R., Gay Marriage: For Better or for Worse?: What We've Learned from the Evidence, Oxford University Press, 2006

Gays in the Military
For a long time, the issue of gays serving in the military has largely been contentious though approaches regarding the enlistment of gays in the armed forces differ from country to country. This text concerns itself with gays in the military and the issues, opportunities as well as challenges they face. Further, it highlights the society's contribution to the construction of this group's identity.

Gays in the Military: The Issues, Opportunities and Challenges They Face

It is important to note from the onset that though some countries still have laws prohibiting the enlistment of gays into the military, most developed countries have in the recent past gotten rid of policies seen to exclude gays from enlistment. Currently, gays in the United States can serve openly given the September 2011 lift on the ban prohibiting openly gay individuals from serving in the military (Kevin and Harris, 2011). This was a…...

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References

Cochran, C.E., Mayer, L.C., Carr, T.R. & Cayer, N.J. (2008). American Public Policy: An Introduction. Cengage Learning.

Edlin, G & Golanty, E. (2011). Human Sexuality: The Basics. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

McVeigh, K. & Harris, P. (2011, September 20). U.S. Military Lifts Ban on Openly Gay Troops. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from The Guardian website:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/20/us-military-lifts-ban-gay-troops 

Nardi, P.M. & Schneider, B.E. (1998). Social Perspectives in Lesbian and gay Studies: A Reader. Routledge.

Queer Theory and Oscar Wilde
Analysis of "Queer Theory" by Annamarie Jagose in relation to Dorian Gray's character in "The picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

In her discussion of "Queer theory," author Annamarie Jagose provides a distinction between the concepts 'queer' and the dichotomous relationship between 'lesbian' and 'gay.' Jagose argued in her discussion of this theory that queer was a concept that had politically evolved through the years in relation to the proliferation of gay and lesbian studies.

What makes the queer concept vital to the study of gays and lesbians, as well as issues of homosexuality and heterosexuality is that it provides a 'gray area' in which no distinctions between male and female and gay and lesbian are found. Queer appeals to the 20th century philosophers and social scientists simply because it offers an avenue through which gender and sex can be discussed without the political inequality often found…...

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Bibliography

Jagose, A. (1996). "Queer Theory." Australian Humanities Review web site. Available at: http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/AHR/archive/Issue-Dec-1996/jagose.html.

Wilde, O. (1994). The Picture of Dorian Gray. NY: Penguin Books.

Gay Donor or Gay Dad?
Challenges Faced by Same-Sex Parented Families

The prototypical U.S. family has historically been defined as a heterosexual arrangement that divided responsibilities by gender (Farrell, VandeVusse, and Ocobock 284). Men were responsible for earning enough money to keep the family economically viable, while women were responsible primarily for childrearing and household chores.

In the decades since II, the prevalence of the traditional U.S. family has decreased as nontraditional arrangements have increased (Farrell, VandeVusse, and Ocobock 284). omen now make up almost 50% of the workforce, in part because a single wage earner is often insufficient to meet the economic needs of many families. The pervasive use of contraception has increased the age at which marriage and pregnancy occurs, and cohabitation, single parents, and same-sex parents are becoming more common.

Based on the 2010 U.S. Census data, heterosexual married parents represent 67.4% of all U.S. families, while single female and male…...

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Works Cited

Bowe, John. "Gay Donor or Gay Dad?" New York Times Magazine 19 Nov. 2006. Web. 29 May 2012.

Farrell, Betty, VandeVusse, Alicia, and Ocobock, Abigail. "Family Change and the State of Family Sociology." Current Sociology 60.3 (2012): 283-301.

Lofquist, Daphne, Lugaila, Terry, O'Connell, Martin, and Feliz, Sarah. "Households and Families: 2010." U.S. Census Bureau Apr. 2010: 1-21. Web. 29 May 2012.

If he is opposed to the law, why speak of upholding it? Obama consistently pursues a cautious, bipartisan policy regarding most major social issues -- despite the substantial lack of bipartisanship on the part of conservatives in the U.S. Congress. He has been willing to sacrifice the once-sacrosanct public option for health care, and does not seem to wish to raise divisive topics such as gay marriage before a legislature whom he is desperately trying to placate.
This is also true regarding the 'don't ask, don't tell policy' regarding gays in the military. Obama's language has been slightly stronger on this issue, perhaps because gay men and women have come out who have served with distinction in Iraq: He has said: "I believe 'don't ask, don't tell' doesn't contribute to our national security. In fact, I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security" (Obcamb 2009).…...

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Works Cited

"Gay bishop invited to prayer at Obama inauguration event." On Top magazine. January 12,

2009. October 22, 2009

 http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=3041&MediaType=1&Category=26 

Linkins, Jay. "Obama once supported gay marriage." Huffington Post. February 12, 2009.

Moral issues should not come to play. Individuals who are against the adoptions do not care about equality or that research does not support their fears. Nor do these individuals care that the American Academy of Pediatrics, among an entire list of other human services and medical organizations for the betterment of children and families has taken a stand that adoption by gay parents and gay parenting in general does not offer real or significant emotional dangers to children. ather, the emotional danger comes when parents -- be they heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual -- abuse their children.
It is how children are raised that is of concern, not who raises them, argues the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Children of gay, lesbian and bisexual and transgender parents are similar to children with heterosexual parents with respect to their emotional and personal development. it's the quality of the parent-child…...

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References

Dennet, Harley. May 30, 2008. Gay adoption report overdue. Sydney Star Observer

June, 2008.  http://www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=8339 

Petre, Jonathan. May 24, 2008. Church pulls out of Catholic agencies over 'gay equality' adoption law. Daily Mail. 5 June, 2008.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1021721/Church-pulls-Catholic-agencies-gay-equality-adoption-law.html 

Muskera, Dave. May 14, 2008. A Gay Adoption Head Scratcher American Chronicle

Subsequent to his homosexual life, McClurkin had chosen to follow the path of the church, which, he claims, had cleansed him of his "unnatural" behavior. During a recent speech, McClurkin had declared that he does not agree with homosexuality and that the act is a very perverted. (Keith Boykin)
Apart from hiring anti-gay people to run his campaigns, Obama has stated during an interview that he did not directly agree to a marriage between two persons of the same sex. Despite that, he also stated that he does not wish to interfere with people's preferences, as that would mean that he would also interfere with the concept of an American life.

orks Cited

1. Boykin, Keith. (2007). Barack Obama and the Gay Issue. Retrieved January 21, 2008 from Keith Boykin eb site: http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/2007/10/23/barack_obama_an

2. (2008). Obama Says He Is Against Same-Sex Marriage but Also Against Ending Its Practice in Calif. Retrieved January 21,…...

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Works Cited

1. Boykin, Keith. (2007). Barack Obama and the Gay Issue. Retrieved January 21, 2008 from Keith Boykin Web site: http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/2007/10/23/barack_obama_an

2. (2008). Obama Says He Is Against Same-Sex Marriage but Also Against Ending Its Practice in Calif. Retrieved January 21, 2008 from ABC news Web site: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/11/obama-on-mtv-i.html

They also offer the word of warning, however, that in being culturally loaded, this position may also be subject to future change. That is, where cultural perceptions of sexual and gender-orientation differences may actually regress, the risk of remedicalization of these conditions remains present. The article does point out that there remain a number of ideologically entrenched groups dedicated to the therapeutic treatment of homosexuality and gender-orientation differences as medical conditions. However, this cautionary note does not overshadow the more generally positive findings of this discussion, which indicate that changes in the therapeutic and medical communities reflect a broader cultural thrust toward equal perception and treatment of those with gender and sexuality orientation differences.
orks Cited:

Beredjick, C. (2012). DSM-V to Rename Gender Identity Disorder 'Gender Dysphoria.' Advocate.com.

Bryant, K. (2006). Making Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood: Historical Lessons for Contemporary Debates. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 3(3).

Conrad, P. & Angell, a.…...

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Works Cited:

Beredjick, C. (2012). DSM-V to Rename Gender Identity Disorder 'Gender Dysphoria.' Advocate.com.

Bryant, K. (2006). Making Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood: Historical Lessons for Contemporary Debates. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 3(3).

Conrad, P. & Angell, a. (2004). Homosexuality and Remdicalization. Society, July/August 2004.

Grush, L. (2013). The DSM-5 is here: What the controversial new changes mean for mental health care. Fox News.

It is difficult to answer any question that asks about how the founders felt about anything.  While there were many more people involved in the American Revolution, resulting in some disagreement about who was a founder, there is a list of 10 people that consistently get mentioned as founders or founding fathers.  However, these 10 people were not ideologically identical.  In fact, there was a substantial amount of disagreement among them about a number of topics, including the rule of the average person in democracy.  To get a better feel for their competing ideas, you can reference....

Teen suicide is a one of the biggest health threats to teens.  This may be due to many factors, such as the fact that teenage brains are not fully developed, hormone changes from puberty, teen vulnerability to child abuse or dating violence, or the fact that many mental illnesses begin to emerge in the teenage or young adult years.  Reducing the suicide rate among teens is a consistent public health goal, though there is no guaranteed intervention that will always lead to success.  With social media usage among teens changing the way that teens socialize, there is little....

The social sciences refer to any academic discipline that deals with human behavior.  The fields that generally fall under this rubric include economics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, political science, historiography, as well as certain types of culture-specific studies.  Mixed method research refers to a research methodology that mixes traditional quantitative and qualitative research designs and discussing both types of evidence or data while considering the takeaways or conclusions of the research. 

Some topics for mixed method research in social sciences are:

1. Does the inclusion of minority police officers in a police force reduce the incidence of police brutality....

How you write your outline for your essay on how online learning is impacting teens depends on the structure of your essay.  Most academic essays are done in the same manner, with an introductory paragraph, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.  The default length for a basic academic essay is five paragraphs, but the outline we are providing is for a six-paragraph essay because we think you should define online learning and explain why people are using it and then look at the educational, social, and mental impacts of online learning.

Online Learning Essay Outline:  Impact on....