The dominant societal belief assumes that homosexuality is unhealthy for the family and a threat to society; however, it is important to realize that this argument has no evidence to support it. Those who support homosexual families suggest that sexual orientation is irrelevant and the legalization of same sex marriages may be beneficial to society; suppressing homosexuality only hinders the cohesiveness of the family unit. A healthy family unit embodies a sense of love, care, and devotion rather than an emphasis on sexual preference (Baird 1997). HYPOTHESIS Homosexual parents and their children encounter various forms of social prejudice, social inequalities, and judicial discrimination, due to the societal norms that chastise this kind of deviance. It is clear that homosexuals in general have encountered discrimination from all sectors of society. Even to this day, the federal government refuses to give lesbian and gay men civil rights protection. Although society is beginning to see a gradual shift toward an acceptance of same sex marriages, there are only eleven states that provide civil rights protection to gays. In 1997, nearly forty anti-gay marriage bills were proposed and over twenty of them were passed, which illustrates the dominant societal belief toward homosexuals. Although the acceptance of gays is changing both socially and legally, homophobic attitudes are still a major force that hinders progression. It is important to realize that prejudice and biases persist because homosexuals have no legal protection (Cabaj 1998). PRESENTATION OF DATA I obtained my research data from Humboldt State University the week prior to Spring Break. My data consisted of books and journal articles that related to homosexuals and children of homosexual families. I collected the information myself with the aid of the library assistants. I found that the data I gathered had more information on children of homosexual families rather than homosexuals themselves, however, the literature on homosexuals mainly consisted of issues dealing with the judicial system.
