Finding a safe and fun place to meet other lesbians can be a challenge
for many people. There are places in most communities that provide an
environment that is friendly and tolerant. Here are a few places in your
area that you can check.
Clubs
Most major cities, and even smaller towns, now have nightclubs that
cater to the lesbian community. Some gay clubs will have a girls night
that is designed for single women to meet other single women. You can
find listings for clubs and bars near you online. There are plenty of
websites devoted to listing the lesbian friendly bars in your area.
Bookstores
If the bar or club scene isn't your thing, look for bookstores that
stock gay and lesbian books. Many reading groups meet at larger
bookstores. You can find other single lesbians at some of these reading
groups. Look for groups that are focused on women's studies or books by
noted lesbians or lesbian supporters. If you're fortunate enough to live
in an area that has a specialty bookstore, then this will make it much
easier.
Pride Events
Pride events are a great place to meet other lesbians in a safe
environment. Since most pride events are staffed with plenty of
security, you can be yourself without any concerns. Pride events also
tend to have a lot of activities, both for singles and couples. A simple
online search will allow you to find the closest pride event to your
community.
Metropolitan cities tend to more options when it comes to gay
communities. If you live in or near a large city, this is the best place
to find gay resources. While it is true that the gay community has made
breakthroughs in today's society, smaller cities still tend to be more
reserved and not as gay friendly. Of course, this does vary depending on
location and history of that town or city. If you are lucky enough to
be near a larger city, go to http://www.gaycities.com/ and click on a
metro city near you. They will give you a list of gay bars, gay friendly
locations and gay community organizations in that area.
There are over 350 PFLAG (Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians and
Gays) chapters across the United States. This means it is likely there
is a PFLAG chapter near you. PFLAG members are comprised of gay allies
that network to assist in creating and maintaining gay friendly
communities and working on social justice issues related to gays and
lesbians. If you contact a chapter near you, not only will they be
extremely supportive of your sexual orientation, but they can also
direct you to gay communities in your area. If there are not any gay
communities already in place, you can always join PFLAG and help them
start one.
If you don’t know of absolutely any gay communities, organizations or
gay friendly places to go in your town, you have a few more
possibilities. Although the Democratic party does not necessarily equal
gay friendly, there’s still a good chance that if you participate in a
Democratic organization you may find other gay people. You may also find
other gay people in art communities and drama and theater ones. While
these may seem stereotypical, it might be the only avenues for some gay
people to meet in smaller towns.
Few topics spark as much debate as gay marriage in today's society. The
sides have been split into strongly for and strongly against, and then
there are those who would rather not get involved. First off, the
definition of gay marriage is the legally or socially recognized
marriage of two people of the same biological sex. Traditionally,
marriage is viewed as the union between a man and a woman. Several
countries and states within the United States recognize same sex
marriage; others recognize only civil unions which carries fewer rights
than a marriage.
Both sides present arguments as to why or why not, yet the issue has no
visible resolution in sight. Pro gay marriage activists cite universal
human rights, and anti gay marriage supporters cite parenting concerns,
tradition and religious beliefs. It ultimately boils down to the people
and what they choose. The same sex marriage question will be answered
with votes, either for or against gay marriage. Several states have
taken initiative to vote on what is defined as a marriage and make it an
amendment to the state constitution. Even then, just as with other
questions of "morality," gay marriage will still carry controversy
simply because it is a matter of opinion or belief that the issue is
either right or wrong. The idea is gaining ground, but it may take time
or a generation or two to gain majority acceptance within modern
society.
We all know what marriage is. Normally if you love someone, you have the
right to marry him or her. Marriage is more than this, however. It is a
legal status, and marriage gives couples certain rights, privileges and
responsibilities. Many people in the gay community have been trying to
obtain these rights. Some states have created the legal equivalent to
marriage, called a civil union. Although this is kind of like gay
marriage, many differences set it apart from a normal heterosexual
marriage.
Like a legal marriage, a civil union accepts a couple’s rights and
responsibilities under state law. A gay couple has the ability to file
joint state tax returns, and a partner has the right to inherit any
property from a deceased spouse. Additionally, same sex couples have the
same type of legal proceedings as a married couple, such as annulments,
divorces, and court proceedings dealing with children. Although there
are many ways that make it like a legal marriage, a civil union still
separates gay couples from the rest of the United States.
When this is said, it means that a gay couple will not be recognized in
other states where civil unions are not legal. For example, healthcare
programs may not recognize couples that have taken part in civil unions.
They are not entitled to rights that are governed by the federal law.
Although they have rights in their state, the federal government will
not recognize them as a married couple. This means they do not have the
right to receive social security benefits, and they cannot file joint
federal tax returns.
In 1997, the General Accounting Office released 1,049 Benefits and
Protections Available to Heterosexual Married Couples. Obviously, legal
married couples have the right to these benefits. While civil unions
allow some of these benefits and protections to gay couples, they do not
have the right to all of them.
In the United States, same sex marriage is a controversial topic and is
defined as a legal union between two people of the same sex. In 1996,
the U.S. Congress, under President Bill Clinton, passed the Defense of
Marriage Act, which states that the federal government views marriage
as a union between a man and a woman. Therefore, the national
government cannot legally recognize same sex marriage. Individual
states, districts, and tribes may recognize gay marriage, however. As
of 2010, five U.S. states and Washington D.C. grant same sex marriages.
One Native American tribe, the Coquille tribe of Oregon, allows same
sex marriage as well.
Public support of same sex marriage first emerged during the 1970s, but
it wasn’t until after the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act in
1996 that any legal changes occurred. Same sex marriage became legal in
Massachusetts in 2003, Connecticut in 2008, Iowa and Vermont in 2009,
and New Hampshire and Washington D.C. in 2010. Three states—Maryland,
Rhode Island, and New York—recognize same sex marriages but don’t allow
them to be performed in the state. Thirty states have outright banned
same sex marriage in their constitution.
In California, a Supreme Court decision in May 2008 ruled that
disallowing same sex marriage violated the state’s constitution.
However, later the same year, Proposition 8 on Election Day overturned
that decision. The state does continue to recognize the 18,000 same sex
marriages that took place during 2008.
