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VOICE ONE:
I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Faith Lapidus. Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA, from VOASpecial English. This week, we look at some of the legal and socialgains made in recent years by homosexuals in the United States.
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VOICE ONE:
Earlier this month, a clergyman named Gene Robinson became aleader in the Episcopal Church. He is the new bishop in the small,northeastern state of New Hampshire. He is the first Episcopalbishop to say publicly that he is gay.
The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion. There areseventy-million Anglicans around the world. More than two million ofthem belong to the Episcopal Church in the United States.
Gene Robinson is fifty-six years old. He was married and has twoadult daughters. He has lived with the same man for the pastfourteen years. Bishop Robinson says other members and leaders ofthe clergy have been gay, but have not said so. He says he is beinghonest. He says he does not believe his sexuality will harm hisleadership.
VOICE TWO:
Bishop Robinson was elected inJune as leader of Episcopalians in New Hampshire. Later, a nationalconvention of church leaders confirmed the decision. The ceremony inwhich he became bishop took place at the University of New Hampshirein Durham. About four-thousand people attended.
Most of the people at the ceremony cheered Bishop Robinson. Butsome opponents also attended. A member of the Episcopal Church andtwo clergymen spoke in opposition. One speaker read a statementsigned by thirty-eight Episcopal bishops. The statement said BishopRobinson’s relationship with another man violates the teachings ofthe church and the writings of the Christian Bible.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, expressed deepregret at the divisions in the Anglican Communion. As archbishop ofthe Church of England, he is the spiritual leader of Anglicans.
Anglican leaders in Africa have been especially critical of thechoice of Gene Robinson as a bishop.
VOICE ONE:
Some Episcopalians and other Anglicans say the dispute is justbeginning. But the choice of a gay bishop is seen as another sign ofwider acceptance of homosexuals in the United States.
In June, the same month Gene Robinson was elected bishop, theUnited States Supreme Court cancelled a law in Texas. That law madesexual relations between adults of the same sex a crime.
The Supreme Court was divided,six-to-three. But the majority found that the law violated freedomsunder the Constitution. The ruling effectively rejected the last fewlaws of this kind in the United States. Supporters of gay rightscalled it a major victory.
Then, in July, the nation’s largest private employer said itwould increase protection of the civil rights of gay and lesbianemployees.
VOICE TWO:
Wal-Mart employs more than one-million people worldwide at storesthat sell all kinds of goods at low prices. The company agreed toexpand its equal employment rules. These rules already barred unfairtreatment of racial and religious minorities and disabled people,among others.
Gay rights groups have been working to get more companies toextend similar protection. One group, based in Washington, D.C., iscalled the Human Rights Campaign. It says more than three-hundred ofthe five-hundred largest companies in the United States now havesuch policies.
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VOICE ONE:
Earlier this month, the Human Rights Campaign launched a publiceducation effort through the media. The group says society wouldgain if all loving couples had the right to marry.
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has been consideringan important appeal on this issue. The case involves two womendenied a marriage license. This is the document needed to have anofficial marriage ceremony.
Some clergy now perform religious ceremonies for couples of thesame sex. But these couples lack the rights and protectionstraditionally given to husbands and wives.
In two-thousand, another state in the Northeast, Vermont,recognized civil unions. A civil union gives same-sex couples theresponsibilities and legal protections of marriage. But no staterecognizes two people of the same sex as legally married.
VOICE TWO:
The United States Constitution does not define marriage. SomeRepublicans in Congress support the idea of a constitutionalamendment. It would define marriage as the union of a man and awoman.
President Bush said in July that lawyers were looking at the bestway to establish that idea in law. Mister Bush said it is veryimportant for society to welcome those with “good hearts.” But, headded, that does not mean someone like him has to compromise on anissue such as marriage.
In October, the president declared an observance of MarriageProtection Week.
VOICE ONE:
Roman Catholic leaders in America have added their voice to theopposition to same-sex marriage. Last week the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishops approved a statement in the form ofquestions and answers. The document says the purposes of marriageare established by God. It says marriage is directly related to thecommon good of society. In September, the top committee of thebishops voted to support a marriage amendment to the Constitution.
About sixty million members of the Roman Catholic Church live inthe United States. The country has a total population of almostthree-hundred-million people.
Some religious groups in America offer support to gay men andlesbians. Others condemn homosexuality. Some groups want to makeopposition to same-sex marriage an issue in the presidentialelection next year. Still other groups express no official position.
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VOICE TWO:
Current United States policy about gays in the military becamelaw ten years ago. It was during the administration of PresidentBill Clinton.
The policy is called “don’t ask, don’t tell.” It says servicemembers should not ask about the sexuality of other members. It saysthey should also not discuss their own sexuality.
Under this policy, however, the military can still dismiss gays.A private group, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, studiesDefense Department records. It says the military dismissed just overnine-hundred people last year for homosexuality. That was the lowestnumber reported since nineteen-ninety-six.
In July of this year, a former Army officer began legal action todemand his retirement payments. He was dismissed innineteen-ninety-seven, one week before he could have retired aftertwenty years in the Army. He also wants to have the “don’t ask,don’t tell policy” declared unfair.
VOICE ONE:
In the area of education, gay and lesbian students now have apublic high school especially for them. It opened in September inNew York City. Many of the students accepted by the school weremistreated in other schools.
Supporters and a small number of protesters gathered outside forthe opening of Harvey Milk High School. Harvey Milk was a gay countysupervisor in San Francisco, California. He was shot to death innineteen-seventy-eight.
The school has almost one-hundred students. Some educators praisethe idea. They say the school provides a chance for the students tostudy in a safer environment. But others say the idea of such aschool is like separating the races.
VOICE TWO:
As time has passed, more people have publicly identifiedthemselves as gay. Television programs and movies about gays arepopular. One program is called “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”Each week, five gay men help a heterosexual man look better and havea nicer home. Usually the goal is to improve his relationships withwomen.
Gay men and lesbians have gained influence in politics. Votershave elected them to local and state offices and Congress.
At the same time, activist groups have helped the fight againstAIDS gain more money. During the nineteen-eighties, doctors in theUnited States first identified the deadly disease among gay men.
VOICE ONE:
Some Americans believe homosexuality is wrong. But developmentsin recent years suggest that social acceptance of gays and lesbiansin the United States has increased. One thing is sure: Discussion ofthese issues is out in the open in American life as never before.
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VOICE ONE:
Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by CatyWeaver. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,THIS IS AMERICA.