The cultural group I am
interested in is the LGBT community. I am interested in this group because I have a lot of
friends that identify themselves as being gay or bisexual. Although I have many
friends who are gay, I do not know much about how that effects their lives and
how their culture differs from mine. I have never discussed with them the
differences between how they view the world and how I view the world. I would
like to understand the history of LGBT culture in America and around the world.
I would also like to find out the many historical figures that have paved the
way for the lifestyle that is accepted today in the LGBT community. As we all
know being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender has never been easy for individuals in the United States. I am under the impression that we have come a long way
in the past 100 years and I would like to investigate articles, do interviews,
and go to events to find out the truth behind the LGBT culture.
I never thought to look into the history behind the LGBT
culture. I always assumed that it was just kind of there and that certain
people advocated for their rights. I always thought it was great that people
were fighting for their rights and not giving up on wanting to be treated
equally. I never realized how important equality was until a horrible hate
crime was committed right here in Lincoln. When the LGBT community heard of
this horrid crime they took a stand by having a candlelight vigil that was
attended by hundreds of supporters (SIDDIQUI & PLUHACEK, 2012). I cannot
imagine what people go through in the LGBT community and the hate they receive
from people who are against them. I would like to look into the different hate
crimes that have occurred in the United States that have had an effect on the
LGBT community today.
I would also like to explore the legal side of LGBT
culture. I want to find out what laws suppressed the culture until recent
years. I would also like to look into the political views of past presidents
and/or state officials and see why they were for or against LGBT rights. I
would also like to look into how schools treated kids that were openly gay.
After finding out about school life I would like to explore the personal aspect
of the LGBT community. I will start by getting first-hand accounts of how
people came out and how this affected the many individual cultures. I would
like to see how the religious, familial, national, etc. cultures differ from
those of a straight person. I want to learn of the struggles of this community
and how it led to their successes today.
Another thing I’m interested in researching are the different
symbols that surround this community. One major symbol for the LGBT culture is
the rainbow flag. This flag is a symbol of Gay pride and is proudly flown by
members of the LGBT culture. This flag has been around since 1978 and each
color is said to have a unique meaning (Martins, 2010). I find this intriguing
and would like to find out what the flag means specifically to individuals. Other symbols include the Greek letter lambda,
various falgs, gender symbols, pink triangles, and several more("Symbols of the," 2004). I will look
into which symbols are most important to the LGBT community.
I’m very excited to dig deeper into what make up the LGBT
culture. I have always been open-minded about gay people. I never really wanted to probe the lives of
others for fear of it being a sensitive subject. I will work hard on finding
out the legal history as well as finding out how individuals deal with being
part of a non-mainstream culture.
Resources
SIDDIQUI, F., &
PLUHACEK, Z. (2012, July 22). Hundreds attend vigil after reported hate crime. Lincoln Journal Star.
Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and- courts/hundreds-attend-vigil-after-reported-hate-crime/article_d0892b58-9ec9-566c- 8b66-bb0a032b8e03.html
Martins, A. (2010, June
04). History of the gay pride / rainbow flag. Retrieved from http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/qq-rb_h.html
Symbols of the gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movements. (2004, December 26). Retrieved from http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm
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