This

is not true, but the Pentagon was Reason for choosing this topic
concerned with security, believing
homosexual service members would be I chose to research this topic because I find it
blackmailed and reveal top government interesting that people believe they can
secrets. In 1992 the ban was ruled control other people’s lives because they are
unconstitutional and followed two years different -- they love someone of the same
later by Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” sex or they wish to change their own sex
Policy that allowed gays and lesbians to stay because they are not comfortable in their
in the military as long as they kept their own body. I believe we should all respect
sexual orientation a secret. one another’s choices in life and not punish
them for their sexual orientation. There has
Marriage: been a good amount of progress made
Historically, same-sex marriage has been a towards equal rights for the LGBTQ+
matter for states to decide, however, in 1996 community, but there are still struggles that
the United States Congress passed the pop up, such as the current struggle for
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that states equal rights for the transgender community.
marriage is only a relationship between My hope for my project and research is to
opposite genders – man and woman – educate the community more about this
regardless of a state’s law and grants states issue and to open their eyes to the various
the right to refuse to recognize a civil, same- ways in which the LGBTQ+ community has
sex marriage even if the marriage is had to show strength in the face of adversity.
legitimate in another state. DOMA is no
longer in effect because it violates the Full

LBGTQ+
Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S.
Constitution which requires “each state
recognizes the laws and judgements that are
valid under another state’s laws.” In the
RIGHTS: A
Supreme Court Case U.S. v Windsor (2013),
the Supreme Court ruled the federal
FIGHT FOR
government must recognize same-sex
marriages due to DOMA’s intrusion on the
EQUALITY
rights of states to define their marriage laws.
Please take my
In June 2015, the Supreme Court’s ruling in
Obergefell v. Hodges gave the gays and
survey about the art
lesbians the fundamental right to marriage show by scanning Jessica R.’s Legal Studies
in all 50 states. the QR code to the Senior Project
right.
 employee in a domestic partnership.
However there is a difference in protections
between the public and private sector.
LGBTQ+ employees of the public sector can
rely on a level of anti-discrimination
protection under the 14th Amendment based
on their sexual orientation, however this is
not always the case for private sector
employees. A private sector employee can be
fired with or without reason as long as their
Employment dismissal does not violate any applicable
non-discrimination law or individual
Youth in Schools There are three main goals in the gay rights contract with the employer.
Around 3.2 million youth between the ages movement regarding the workplace: create
of 8 and 18 identify as LGBTQ+, and a little an accepting work atmosphere, same-sex
over 1.6 million LGBTQ+ youth in America couples should have the same benefits and
are in high school. High school is where recognition through domestic partnerships
most cases of discrimination and/or as opposite-sex couples, and fight against
harassment take place towards LGBTQ+ discrimination.
youth and is usually shown through
Currently, the House of Representatives has
demeaning language or bullying from
the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
classmates and/or faculty or administration.
(EDNA) on their docket. If the House passes
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Act the EDNA, it would add sexual orientation to
was signed in 2009 by President Obama, the list of outlawed workplace
becoming the first piece of federal discrimination and employers would be
legislation explicitly protecting individuals banned form “firing, refusing to hire, or
of the LGBTQ+ community. The Matthew discriminating against workers or job
Shepard Act expanded the 1969 Federal applicants based on their sexual Public Accommodations
Hate Crimes Law’s definition of a hate crime orientation.” As of now there are no laws
protecting the LGBTQ+ community against Military:
to include crimes motivated by a victim’s
sexual orientation, gender identity, or discrimination based on sexual orientation
In 1943, the United States placed a ban on
disability. or expression of gender identity LGBTQ+ gays and lesbians in the military. About 40
employees work in either the public or years later, the Pentagon sent an official
private sector and each sector can be document reminding military personnel that
required by the state to provide the same homosexuality did not belong in the military.
benefits to a heterosexual partner to an