Introduction
Gay relationship has offered immense debate in the United States. The attitudes towards same sex relationships has over the years led to controversy with increasing number of people coming out in the public to declare their status as gay. Although many societies have criminalized same sex relationships and discriminated on those who engage in it, there is an increasing trend of acceptance of gay relationships and marriages in the United States. When the data is collected, a descriptive analysis is conducted. Using this method, there appears a description of the general trends in the answers to the interview questions.
Study Method
There are several methods of research, which include questionnaire survey, interview survey, participant observation, scientific observation, secondary analysis, documents, and experimenting. The combination of research methods that could be used are participant observation and secondary analysis. Participant observation refers to a research method in sociology whereby the researcher takes on a function in the social situation that is being observed. The researchers involve themselves in the social structure being studied, becoming aware of the actors in the location. The objective involves getting to experience occurrences in the way through which the subjects are researched on the face of the events. Sociologists who use participant observation as a study method also intend to find out the nature of social actuality through comprehending the actor’s thinking, comprehension as well as analysis of the social globe.
There are two types of participant observation, which are the covert and overt ones. Covert participant observation involves the researcher taking part in a study without informing the members of a social setting. Overt participant observation is an open method whereby the researchers make known their reasons for conducting the study. Secondary analysis refers to the study of a social situation through the use of previously collected information. There is a lot of information on the issue of gay marriage in Maryland. As a researcher, one can use all the information that they can get on the social situation, compile it, and progress to participate in the social problem. By having the information, then participation observation gives one a chance to validate whether all the secondary data provided is false or true. Scientific observation is another research method, which though important, might not be suitable in this case. This is because mere observation is not enough as the researcher needs to observe the behavior patterns of the study group.
Documents are very important in sociological research. This is because they contain a lot of information on a specific issue and can be used in this case to get information on gay relationships. Experiments are other research methods; experiments are more applicable in tangible substances. On the other hand, there are those who approve of gay marriage in the United States. The social location variables include race and age. Race can be said to be associated with the link between a huge majority of Obama supporters in Maryland who are in support of gay marriage in Maryland. Concerning age, due to the fact that among young people, there is less concentration on pro-family advocacy, such individuals are not worried about biblical and traditional family settings.
Findings and Analysis
The increasing trend of acceptance of gay relationships has been seen in the recent American society. When Bolton & Sareen conducted a study on the gay prevalence among students and how other straight students perceived them, many students tended to be supporting same sex relations, although they contended that they could not fathom the idea of being gay. Many talked about the need to respect the rights of the lesbians and homosexuals. In the study, it was reported that one respondent retorted, “I think they need to be respected for this person in society”. However, there are mixed feelings when it comes to legalizing same sex relationships. According to Bolton & Sareen (36), a whooping 69 percent of their respondents were critical of the idea of legalizing same sex marriage, although they seemed not to be critical of gays and lesbians. Not all lacked a clear stance. One woman said in the study, “We are not allowing people to marry if they are the same. Why? They could not have children”.
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The critical aspects of gay marriage are depicted in various studies that have focused on emotional stabilities of gays against straight people. According to Beautrais (1138), gays and lesbians express feelings of anger and remorse more than straight people, especially when provoked. The underlying explanations for this could be related to the fact that gay relationships are only gaining prevalence in the modern times. For instance, some gays have complained that they are forced to embrace manhood, yet they have transformed into gays. The perception people have of them and reactions toward their openness on matters of same sex relationship have made them feel isolated from the society.
Concerns have also been raised in cases of more suicides among bisexuals. According to Bolton and Sareen (2011), homosexuals are three times more predisposed to committing suicide compared to heterosexuals. In affirmation, gay men are four times more at risk of committing suicide compared to their straight counterparts. Similarly, lesbians are three times more predisposed to suicide compared to women who were straight. Sexuality plays a great role in determining the mental stability of an individual. Due to the societal perception of bisexuals and stigma attached to the lack of sexual orientation, these individuals are more prone to depression and isolation, which predisposes them to committing suicide (Bolton & Sareen, 2011).
Shawna Gilmore observes that gay relationships bring in a landscape that is picked and placed at the scene of arguments. For example, although the old cultures vs. the new cultures have to be integrated in the society, they have been a constant source of conflict to date. According to researcher’s view, the need to embrace gay marriages is to accept that diversity is a part and parcel of the society. This will make most people feel in place and have a sense of belonging. However, any attempt to isolate gays from the rest of the society is likely to make some people have no culture as they will have their cultures not incorporated, which is a constant source of lack of belonging. Placelessness allows and gives the provision to change and renovations to various cultures. In most cases, people are always on the move to look for better opportunities. In the American culture, it is vital to ensure that place is highly considered and it has more strength than placelessness.
In another study in the early 70s, it was revealed that most Americans remained skeptical on the ground that gay marriages were wrong as a matter of religion and law (Johnson 49). In another perspective, many believed that it was not normal for another man to marry another man or for a woman to marry another woman, which was more comparable to marrying a pet cat. However, this notion has significantly changed as many embrace same sex marriages, irrespective of their own sexual orientation.
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Conclusion
The findings and analysis above confirmed a number of hypotheses. First, the majority of State colleges, irrespective of their academic achievements, hold the gays and lesbians as people with no moral principles, although the feelings of individual empathy are evident in many responses from various studies. The studies also prove that a significant number of straight College students believe that gays and lesbians have a right to such a relationship and should be given the respect they deserve. However, there is a clear evidence that the gays and lesbians are discriminated and criminalized. This could be the reason why many gays do not want to come out in the open as they embrace the tendency to hide identity. Many gays also believe in the laws that exist to protect the rights to association and the relationships they want.
