Gay partners these days may find life a little easier than same sex couples in the past. However, as with many minority groups, gay partners have to overcome a great many hurdles and divisions, which means that they have to have a great deal of strength in order to maintain a lon- term relationship. Many heterosexual couples think they’ve got it bad, but it is easy to see the types of things that heterosexual couples take for granted when you realize just what sort of fight gay partners have had to put up for equal rights. And, in many areas, gay couples still don’t have equal rights, making life a constant battle in many ways.
Gay partners have long battled against both ignorance and discrimination. There are many topics of hot controversy when it comes to gay partners, such as same sex marriage. The term “marriage” conjures up images of red hearts and two people in love. But a marriage is more than just a romantic notion. It is a legal status that offers rights and privileges while transcending countries and religions. Civil unions also unite two people in love, but the individuals are usually of the same gender. Same-sex partners are allotted certain benefits with civil unions. Unfortunately, those joined in civil unions do not enjoy the same number of privileges that married couples do. A civil union is a term usually, but not always, defining the committed relationship between two same sex individuals in a fashion that is similar to marriage. Civil union is a fairly new definition in the American vocabulary and it was created after much discussion to produce a term that could be used by same-sex couples in signifying their relationship.
Same sex couples face persecution in many areas, from the church to those with strong views that are opposed to same sex relationships. These are also aspects that can make life very challenging and difficult for gay partners. Some people can have really extreme views when it comes to gay partners, and these arguments range from religious views to moral ones. Of course, there are also people that are totally accepting of same sex relationships, and will fight for the rights of same sex partners.
Another aspect of same sex relationships that can differ from heterosexual relationships is support services. For example, abuse is just as much a risk between gay partners as between heterosexual partners, yet the support services for this type of issue are minimal when it comes to catering exclusively for gay partners. This can make it difficult for same sex partners to deal with an already difficult situation. It is also the case that gay partners often feel that they do not always get taken as seriously as heterosexual people, and therefore they are less inclined to seek help for various issues or report crime, threats, and other incidences.
Another hot topic where gay partners are concerned is the raising of children. Many people think that the important issue is that the child has a stable and loving home, rather than the sexual orientation of the parent – or the gender of the parents. However, there are also those with the view that a child cannot grow up normally if he or she is brought up by same sex partners. The arguments are that the child will not only suffer at school and from friends and peers, but that the child will also be unable to have 'proper' relationships in the future because he or she will think that being in a same sex relationship is the norm.
