The+Cacti

​​Topic - Gay Rights **Thesis: People should support gay marriage, gay participation in the military, adoption/foster care and harassment/discrimination against them should be eliminated because there is no reason to treat them differently.**
 * adoption/foster homes (Allison)
 * harrassment (Katie)
 * marriage (Charlie)
 * military (Allison)

Rubenstein, Jordan. "Gay Rights." //change.org//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010.
 * 1) "Every Child Deserves a Family Act"
 * 2) This Act makes it illegal for adoption agencies that recieve government funding to discriminate against LGBT parents
 * 3) Adoption/foster care agencies should be only be concerned with the safety/well being of the child/children-sexual orientation of the parents should not matter
 * 4) “Too many children need a loving home and we just should not close any doors.”
 * 5) Laws in Florida and Arkansas ban LGBT adoption
 * 6) Discrimination in the adoption process not only punishes the people longing to be parents, but it also punishes the kids who just want a home
 * 7) "As Stark said, "There are just too many children in need of homes to place silly discriminatory barriers on where these kids can be placed.""
 * 8) Stark's law is not intended to increase the gay population, but to make lives for children in foster care and in adoption agencies easier
 * 9) The purpose of adoption agencies is to help kids, not discriminate against willing parents
 * 10) "If states or state-funded agencies can't discriminate on the basis of race, why should they be allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity?"
 * 11) Children raised by LGBT parents turn out just as well as children raised by straight parents
 * 12) Stark's law is also in place to give parents the oppurtunity to kids

Belge, Kathy. "Lesbian Life." //about.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. .
 * 1) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Many kids are put in LGBT foster homes, so why not let them have a more permanent home and allow them to be adopted into LGBT homes?
 * 2) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is unfair to deny a permanent home to a child
 * 3) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Only 24% of households consist of two married parents and kids and the Florida court shows research that kids are better off growing up in a household with LGBT parents then in a single parent family
 * 4) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Kids who grow up in a home with homosexual parents are just as emotionally healthy as those who have straight parents
 * 5) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">No legal reason why LGBTs shouldnt be allowed to adopt kids
 * 6) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Having a child throught artificial insemenation only gives custody to the birth parent. Second parent adoption allows both parents to have custody of the child. If there was no such thing as "second parent" adoption, if the birth parent dies, the other parent would have no custody of the child. This is not in the best interest of the child.
 * 7) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Florida bans gay adoption because it is their way of showing disapproval to LGBTs becoming parents
 * 8) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Florida courts believe that children are better off in homs with a mother and a father
 * 9) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gay couples want to adopt so bad that they are forced to lie about their sexual orientation to adopt a kid
 * 10) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Studies have been done to compare and contrast how kids react/grow up in same sex enviroments and straight enviroments... the results are extremely simular
 * 11) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gays are afraid to tell adoption agencies that they are homosexual
 * 12) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It has been proved that children in a homosexual enviroment are better kids then those raised in very religious enviroments
 * 13) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">People think that the children will become homosexual if their parents are
 * 14) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Research shows that the children of LGBTs have no disadvantages
 * 15) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is usually the state laws that interfere with the adoption process
 * 16) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Someone in Florida convinced Senators to ban LGBT adoptions because they were child molestors
 * 17) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">No one has been able to reverse the ban on gay adoption
 * 18) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Because it is so hard for gays to get married, it is also hard for them to adopt

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Gay Adoption." //Love and Pride//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.loveandpride.com/informationcenter/tips.aspx?categoryid=7>.
 * 1) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Studies on the effects of having homosexual parents on children usually show bad results when the reearch is lead by religious groups
 * 2) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Research results are almost always biased
 * 3) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Even in areas that support gay rights, there is still prejudice when trying to adopt
 * 4) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Children are only put into LGBT homes if it is a last resort
 * 5) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gay parents will often get the more challenging children because they are last on the adoption list
 * 6) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">To prove that they arent suitable parents, more challenging children will be placed with them to make it harder to be good parents
 * 7) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gay parents are usually more understanding of children's "differences" from others (unusual traits, imperfections, etc.)
 * 8) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Homosexual parents are proven to be good parents because they are so likely to be accepting
 * 9) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia have allowed LGBT adoption in certain cases
 * 10) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">In many countries and states, the nonbiological parent in a gay couple has no legal rights
 * 11) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is hard for the othe parent to get rights over the child/adopt the kid

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">"The Facts About LGBT Adoption." //National Adoption Center//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.adopt.org/assembled/LGBT_parents.html>.
 * 1) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">All parents should be given the rights to adopt a child
 * 2) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">All adoptive and foster parents should be given equal consideration in the adoptive network
 * 3) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">This agency believes that no parent should be discriminated against because they arent "the usual parent"
 * 4) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sexual orientation makes no difference in the adoptive process
 * 5) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">This agency also dissagrees with anyone who dismisses a family because they are gay

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">" Factsheet: Bullying and Gay youth." //nmha.org//. Mental Health America, 2010. Web. 24 May 2010. <http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth>.
 * 1) GBLT teens additionally have to deal with harassment, threats, and violence directed at them on a daily basis. They hear anti-gay slurs such as “homo”, “faggot” and “sissy” about 26 times a day or once every 14 minutes. Even more troubling, a study found that thirty-one percent of gay youth had been threatened or injured at school in the last year alone!
 * 2) How are GBLT teens at risk? Well their distress is a direct result of the hatred and prejudice that surround them,’ not because of their inherently gay or lesbian identity orientation.
 * 3) GBLT teens are 3 times more at risk to make a suicide attempt than normal teenagers.
 * 4) Gay teens in U.S. schools are often subjected to such intense bullying that they’re unable to receive an adequate education. They’re often ashamed of their orientation that they don’t go ask for help.
 * 5) 22% of GBLT teens have skipped school the past month due to them feeling unsafe at school.
 * 6) 28% of GBLT teens will drop out of school; this is 3 times the amount of normal high schoolers.
 * 7) GLBT youth feel they have nowhere to turn. According to several surveys, four out of five gay and lesbian students say they don’t know one supportive adult at school.
 * 8) Schools should offer a safe and respectful learning environment for everyone. When bullying is allowed to take place, it affects everyone. For every GLBT youth who reported being targeted for anti-gay harassment, four heterosexual youth reported harassment or violence for being perceived as gay or lesbian. Students, teachers, and school administrators who look the other way are contributing to the problem. In contrast, kids who said that they had a supportive faculty or openly gay staff member were more likely to feel as if they belong in their school.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Today's Gay Youth: The Ugly, Frightening Statistics." //pflagphoenix.org//. N.p., 1998-2010. Web. May 24 2010. <http://www.pflagphoenix.org/education/youth_stats.html>.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">(Some notes include the effects of harassment) **
 * 1) Over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youth.
 * 2) 50% of all gay and lesbian youth report that their parents reject them due to their sexual orientation.
 * 3) 26% of gay and lesbian youth are forced to leave home because of conflicts over their sexual orientation.
 * 4) In a study of 194 gay and lesbian youth, 25% were verbally abused by parents, and nearly 10% dealt with threatened or actual violence.
 * 5) Approximately 40% of homeless youth are identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual.
 * 6) In a study of male teenagers self-described as gay or bisexual, 27% moved away from home because of conflict with family members over sexual orientation. Almost half had run away from home at least once.
 * 7) Gays and lesbians are at much higher risk than the heterosexual population for alcohol and drug abuse.
 * 8) Approximately 30% of both the lesbian and gay male populations have problems with alcohol.
 * 9) Approximately 28% of gay and lesbian youth drop out of high school because of discomfort (due to verbal and physical abuse) in the school environment.
 * 10) Gay and lesbian youth’s discomfort stems from fear of name calling and physical harm.
 * 11) Gay and lesbian youth are at greater risk for school failure than heterosexual children. Academic failure, lack of student involvement and low commitment to school are profound for gay and lesbian youth because schools are neither safe, healthy nor productive places for them to learn.
 * 12) Teenage students (gay AND straight) say the worst harassment in school is being called ‘gay’.
 * 13) In Seattle, 34% of students who described themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual reported being the target of anti-gay harassment or violence at school or on the way to or from school, compared to 6% of heterosexual students.
 * 14) 27% of gay and lesbian youth have been physically hurt by another student.
 * 15) Few administrators discipline students for name-calling and harassment of gay and lesbian students.
 * 16) Gays and lesbians are the most frequent victims of hate crimes.
 * 17) Gays and lesbians are at least 7 times more likely to be crime victims than heterosexual people.
 * 18) In Michigan, 28% of school personnel surveyed determined their school environment to be emotionally unsafe for gay and lesbian youth.
 * 19) Over 50% of national youth servicing organizations report that they do not have services or resources in place to educate youth on sexual orientation or to support gay and lesbian youth.
 * 20) There are very few openly gay staff members or teachers in schools.
 * 21) The presence of openly gay and/or lesbian staff members is a crucial component of any school program seeking to reduce bigotry and provide support for gay and lesbian students.
 * 22) In a typical class of 30 students, 8 students (27% of the class) will be directly affected by homosexuality of self, one or more siblings, or one or both parents.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Robinson, Matthew. "Scared Not to Be Straight: Harassment of LGBT Teens Prompts Antibullying Initiatives." //edutopia.org//. Global Education, Feb 2008. Web. 24 May 2010. <http://www.edutopia.org/gay-lesbian-antibullying>.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">1. In a recent national survey of more than 3,400 gay and straight students and 1,000 educators, 65 percent reported verbal abuse or physical assaults rooted in homophobia and prejudice in the last year. 2. 84 percent of those surveyed reported hearing derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" at school, and nearly 70 percent reported hearing "gay" used in a derogatory manner. 3. 38 percent of students polled said that they had "frequently or often" been subjected to harassment at school and one-fourth said they had been physically harassed because of their sexual identity. 4. "This is not a fringe issue that affects a few kids," says Kevin Jennings, founder and executive director of GLSEN, a national organization for gay and straight students as well as supporters and school administrators. "It is a problem at the center of bullying and harassment in schools." 5. "It is absolutely critical that the school environment is conducive to learning. To the extent that does not happen, we need to take steps to try to ensure that for all kids." 6. Though school presents challenges to all students, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students face many pressures and problems their fellow students do not. As a result, the GLSEN survey found, the LGBT students are five times more likely to skip school and are only half as likely to pursue postsecondary education. 7. The survey also notes that the average grade point average for LGBT students who were harassed was half a grade lower than that of other LGBT students. 8. ABOUT GSA: Unfortunately, many of these groups face problems of their own. "My freshman year, I joined my school's rapidly deteriorating Rainbow Alliance," she adds, noting that her school would not allow this organization to be called a "gay-straight alliance." "Pretty soon, I was the only one showing up to meetings. 9. It is really hard finding a teacher sponsor, because there is apparently a negative image (Says most gays) 10. Other than Maryland, nine other states, antibullying policies have been established that specifically mention sexual orientation. In these states, which include California, New Jersey, Washington, and Wisconsin, rates of bullying, including acts of harassment based on sexual orientation, are 25 percent lower.

Belge, Kathy. "Lesbian Life." //about.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/families/a/adoption_2.htm>. 1. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s school climate studies reveal that student grade performance is directly linked to in-school victimization. 2. GLSEN, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for LGBT students, began surveying students nationally in 1999, in order to document the experience of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. 3. Since 2003, GLSEN has studied the link between anti-gay harassment and school performance. The results were not surprising. Students who frequently experienced harassment because of their sexual orientation had Grade Point Averages that were ten percent lower than those who did not. 4. LGBT students were five times more likely to report having skipped shcool because of safety concerns than the general population of students. 5. Students who experienced frequent harassment were also less likely to plan for college. LGBT students who report significant harassment were twice as likely to report they do not intend to attend college. Students who reported being harassed also had lower grades than LGBT students who had less harassment.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">** Peterson, Kavan. "50-state rundown on gay marriage laws." //stateline.org//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=15576>. ** <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">13. On August 2, 2004, Missouri voters approved a same-sex marriage-ban amendment.
 * 1) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">** MARYLAND ** : The first state law defining marriage as a union between a man and woman was adopted by Maryland in 1973.
 * 2) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">A law and an amendment to the state constitution banning Gay Marriage was struck down.
 * 3) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit July 7, 2004 challenging the state's same-sex marriage ban on behalf of nine same-sex couples and a man whose partner recently died.
 * 4) PENNSYLVANIA: Uses DOMA as law.
 * 5) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">A state amendment is expected to be added.
 * 6) VIRGINIA: Uses DOMA as law.
 * 7) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Legislature approved a bill reaffirming that Virginia has no constitutional or legal obligation to recognize marriages, civil unions or domestic partnership contracts between same-sex couples.
 * 8) WEST VIRGINA: Uses DOMA as law.
 * 9) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The state is urging Congress to pass a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
 * 10) DELAWARE: Uses DOMA as law.
 * 11) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">State constitutional amendment forbidding same-sex marriages and civil unions introduced March 31, 2004 but Senate President Thurman G. Adams has blocked the measure from coming to a vote.
 * 12) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA): Passed by Congress in 1996, the federal DOMA bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to ignore gay marriages performed elsewhere. Four states (Maryland, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming) have laws or court rulings prohibiting same-sex marriage that predate the federal DOMA.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Johnson, Ramon. "States and Countries That Allow Gay Marriage." //about.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://gaylife.about.com/od/samesexmarriage/a/legalgaymarriage


 * 1) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">There are 8 states (including D.C.) that allow Gay Marriage Licenses.
 * 2) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in Connecticut for couples to get married
 * 3) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in New Hampshire for couples to get married
 * 4) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in New Jersey for couples to get married
 * 5) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in New York for couples to get married
 * 6) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in Maine for couples to get married
 * 7) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in Massachusetts for couples to get married
 * 8) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in Vermont for couples to get married
 * 9) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in Iowa for couples to get married
 * 10) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is legal in D.C. for couples to get married

Cline, Austin. "Arguments for Gay Marriage: Moral and Social Arguments for Gay Marriage." // about.com //. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://atheism.about.com/od/gaymarriage/p/ProGayMarriage

1. There are many arguments surrounding Gay Marriage and the rights those people are entitled to. 2. Legal arguments on behalf of gay marriage tend to get more attention because it should be a matter of basic civil and equal rights. 3. Even if gay marriage were harmful, the equality and dignity of gay couples should be respected. 4. There are good reasons to think that legalized gay marriage would benefit us all. 5. Studies show gays as individuals are better off with rights. 6. Those studies repeatedly demonstrate that people who marry tend to be better off financially, emotionally, psychologically, and even medically. 7. Studies also show gay couples are better off. 8. Those studies show that marriage is that it establishes a legal and social relationship which makes it easier for people to “be there” for each other — economically, emotionally, and psychologically. Most of the rights and privileges that go with marriage are, in fact, ways to help spouses support each other. Married couples are thus much better off than unmarried couples, giving relationships the ability to grow stronger and deeper. 9. Families with gay members are better off with rights. 10. Because gays can’t marry, it’s very difficult for partners to help each other in difficult situations like medical crises. The burden of support and decision-making typically falls in the laps of other family members when it should fall to one’s chosen life partner. If people know that they can rely upon their relative’s spouse, they can be far less anxious about what will happen to their loved one — not just in the context of a crisis, but in general, too. 11. Children of Gay Couples are better off. 12. The Christian Right would deny gays the ability to adopt or raise children, but that’s an impossible goal. Children are already being born to, adopted by, and raised by gay couples in increasing numbers. Children in stable, married households can be better off than those who aren’t because both parents can handle decision-making and parenting without worry. Opponents of divorce often cite the negative effects on children; the same can be said against bans on gay marriages. 13. Communities with Gay Couples are better off. 14. Married couples can help and support each other in a variety of ways because laws and regulations are written to help that happen — for example, people are able to take time off to help their hospitalized spouse. Gay couples who cannot marry don’t receive the same help; so much of what gay partners would do for each other must be shouldered by the community at large, unnecessarily draining resources. By solidifying relationships, gay marriage can help stabilize a community overall. 15. Gay Marriages Will Help Stabilize Society Generally. 16. Conservatives who usually oppose gay marriage argue, correctly, that stable families are a cornerstone to a stable society. Families are the smallest social unit in society and trends in the family inevitably affect trends in society as a whole — and vice-versa, of course. Allowing gays to marry will help better integrate them and their relationships into society. Ensuring that gay relationships are stable and receive support will benefit the stability of society overall. 17. Gay Marriage Could Benefit Marriage Generally 18. Opponents of gay marriage argue that it would undermine the institution of marriage, but it’s hard to see how more marriages would be bad for marriage. If anything harms marriage, it is bad marriages where people don’t take marriage seriously — and that’s already too common with heterosexuals. If gay couples in committed relationships are able to formalize their unions as marriages, that can only serve to improve marriage overall by providing more positive role models. 19. Marriage is better than Civil Unions 20. Some opponents and supporters of gay marriage support civil unions as an alternative, but that’s a mistake. For marriages to continue as a stabilizing force in society, they must be genuine marriages — not "marriage lite" that carries some benefits without all the responsibilities. Equality before the law means that creating civil unions for gays will lead to civil unions for everyone else and this “marriage lite” will be more of a threat to marriage than gay unions could possibly be. 21. What does the future hold for Gay Marriage? 22. Opponents of gay marriage appear willing to do anything at all to stop it — and the reason is that cultural, social, and political forces in America are moving almost inexorably towards the legalization of gay marriage. Sooner or later, marriage for same-sex couples will be as legal and recognized as marriage has traditionally been for heterosexual couples. Major steps in this process have already occurred in other Western nations, and some minor steps are being made in this direction within America itself. 23. Opponents of gay marriage appear to recognize this — they seem to realize that the cultural, social, and political forces are against them. This is why they are so determined to enact federal laws, and perhaps even constitutional amendments, to prevent gay marriage from being recognized or legalized anywhere in the United States. If cultural, social, and political forces were on their side, this wouldn’t be necessary. What is the future of gay marriage in America? Full legalization and recognition, just as is the case today with interracial and interfaith marriages. 24. It will take a long time for this to occur — even interracial and interfaith marriages continue to be looked down upon by many in America today. Not even racial integration and equality have come as far as they ideally should have. All of these have been opposed by the same religious and political forces which currently oppose gay marriage, so there is every reason to think that they will have the same success in hindering gay marriage. 25. This means that even after gay marriage is legalized, social and political barriers will continue to be thrown up in front of gay couples and their supporters. In the long term, though, these barriers will fall apart because the bigotry and animosity towards gays will lose the sort of support they currently have. Perhaps progress will be even faster because of the progress made with other minorities thus far in America.

Head, Todd. "Lesbians and Gay Men in the Military." //about.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/ig/Lesbian-and-Gay-Rights-101/Gays-in-the-Military.htm>.
 * 1) The current laws on who is allowed into the military eliminates thousands of willing people
 * 2) The dont ask dont tell policy was created by Bill Clinton
 * 3) Cinton promised to lift the ban of the "no LGBTs in the military" but he changed his mind after entering the office
 * 4) Bush supported the dont ask dont tell policy
 * 5) Any president can lift the ban because it doesnt require congressional approval
 * 6) If it was discovered that there was a LGBT in the military, they were dishonorably discharged
 * 7) Investigations are done to see if people are homosexuals, but they are only conducted if there is evidence that someone is a homosexual
 * 8) In 2005, over 200 million dollars was lost due to the dont ask dont tell policy over the previous 12 years
 * 9) Over 11,000 military personnel have been discharged because of dont ask dont tell
 * 10) Almost 41,000 military recruits are excluded because of their sexual orientation
 * 11) Almost every western democracy allows LGBTs into their militaries
 * 12) Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the US and Venezuela dont allow gays into their militaries
 * 13) According to countries that do allow homosexuals into their militaries, there is no downside to it
 * 14) When dishonorably discharged, the person discharged looss all benefits they would have earned
 * 15) The only thing that LGBTs in the military can do is hope that officials dont find out their secret

"GAY RIGHTS IN THE MILITARY; The Pentagon's New Policy Guidelines on Homosexuals in the Military." //The New York Times//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/20/us/gay-rights-military-pentagon-s-new-policy-guidelines-homosexuals-military.html?pagewanted=1>.
 * 1) Applicants are no longer asked to reveal their sexual preferences when enlisting
 * 2) Applicants are informed of the consequences for enlisting if they are homosexuals
 * 3) Anyone who takes part in homosexual conduct or makes any kind of statement that admits to/implies that he/she is a homosexual will be dishonorably discharged
 * 4) They are only allowed to investigate someones sexual preference if there is evidence of them being homosexual
 * 5) Just a suspision is not enough to investigate-there must be an example of when this person has demonstrated homosexual acts (holding hand, kissing, etc.)
 * 6) Socialization with homosexuals, participation in gay rights marches, presence in a gay bar, etc., will not constitute as evidence of homosexuality
 * 7) Homosexual activities while not on active duty are still unacceptable and will result in dishonorable discharge
 * 8) Credible facts are needed when someone is under suspicion for being a LGBT
 * 9) Questions about someone's sexual orientation are not asked on security surveys
 * 10) The "don't ask, don't tell" policy is also put in place to elimate blackmail
 * 11) People found guilty of blackmail are subject to a 2000 dollar fine and one year of inprisonment
 * 12) Someone accusing someone else of being a homosexual cannot be used as evidence when determining whether or not to conduct an investigation
 * 13) Commanders are responsible for directing investigations when reliable information/evidence is given
 * 14) Harassment/discrimination towards someone for their sexual preference is not tolerated
 * 15) Commanders are responsible for maintaining order and peace within the military (must eliminate harassment)


 * "Gays in the Military." //about.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://usmilitary.about.com/library/weekly/aa011000a.htm>. ||


 * 1) Most liberals wish to allow gays in the military
 * 2) The dont ask dont tell orders are put in place by the president
 * 3) People under the suspicion of being homosexual used to be brought to court
 * 4) Clinton didnt pursue the lifting of the law because he didnt want to have his veto overridden by congress
 * 5) Clinton eventually dropped the legislation
 * 6) Negotiations in Clinton's bill resulted in the dont ask dont tell policy
 * 7) The military no longer investigates claims that someone is homosexual, only specific evidence is used when investigting them
 * 8) Some other military personnel worry about who they will room with if the ban is lifted
 * 9) Heterosexuals believe that their privacy is being violated when asked to room/bunk with people who are believed to be gay
 * 10) Any act of sexual harassment-homo or heterosuxual-is not tolerated

FLAHERTY, ANNE. "Military tells Congress to keep gay ban for now." //Chron National//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6983987.html>.
 * 1) People dont want to tamper with the gay ban in the military
 * 2) Many people want the ban to be lifted, but it is up to the president
 * 3) Some people in congress dont think that lifting the ban will be easy when/if they decide to do so
 * 4) People think they should ask troops how the lifting of the ban should be done
 * 5) Obama asked congress to repeal the dont ask dont tell policy