What is the real meaning of the LGBTQ+ community? The LGBTQ+ community identifies as gay, transgender, bisexual, Queer, or lesbian (Dwyer, 2019). These people are mostly believed to have different cultural backgrounds as compared to those who are heterosexual. These kinds of people have faced a lot of discrimination in history. However, they have also taken a lot of effort to fight for their rights and acceptance in the community. The LGBTQ+ community people have gone public to seek permission to marry each other just like others do. In Canada, the LGBTQ+ community struggled for a long time until they were allowed to practice their sexual customs. Over the years, the marriage customs of the LGBTQ+ community have significantly changed (Dwyer, 2019). The research question will be analyzed: “what are the marriage practices of the LGBTQ+ community, and how have they evolved over the years?” Therefore, this paper aims to examine the marriage practices of the LGBTQ+ community and how they have developed or changed over the years. The paper will evaluate the three aspects of the LGBTQ+ community marriage evolution, including; the legalization of same-sex marriage, cultural and religious acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, and challenges that are faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
Literature review
Bailey, R. (2017). The evolving legal context of same-sex marriage in Canada. Canadian Journal of Family Law, 32(2), 233-256. https://heinonline.org/doi/abs/10.3138/cjfl.32.2.233
The article by Bailey (2017) analyzes the history of LGBTQ community marriages. The article starts by analyzing how same-sex marriages were prohibited in Canada before 2005 when they became accepted. The article outlines some of the battles fought and the social changes that led to accepting same-sex marriages in Canada, which was approved in 2005. Some of the battles the author outlines in this article include court cases and legislative developments. The debates about same-sex marriage happened at the provincial and federal levels (Bailey, 2017). The article also provides an analysis of the challenges that same-sex married couples face and the challenges of the LGBTQ+ community at large. Some of the challenges identified by the article include discrimination and violence, especially from religious communities. However, the author also states that despite all the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community is facing, they are legally identified in Canada, and the government is trying as much as possible to promote their rights and equality.
D’Augelli, A. R., Grossman, A. H., & Starks, M. T. (2006). Families of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth: What do parents and siblings know, and how do they react? Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 2(1), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1300/J461v02n01_02
The article by D’Augelli et al. talks about how family members, including parents and children, feel and react to the issue of LGBTQ+ attraction. First of all, the article attempts to analyze how the youths or children of parents of gays and lesbians react when knowing about the status of their parents. Secondly, the article also attempts to research the reactions of the parents whose children are attracted to same-sex genders (D’Augelli et al., 2006). The authors researched the same and presented their results. The article found that at first, the parents get surprised when learning about the status of their children. However, as time passed, most of them could adapt and accept the status. Similarly, siblings of gay and lesbian parents get surprised at first, but as time passes, they become used to and support their parents. Another issue that is
Scheim, A. I., Travers, R., Bauer, G. R., Pyne, J., Bauer, R. M., Hammond, R., & Scanlon, K. (2017). Inequities in access to HIV prevention services for transgender men: results of a global survey of men who have sex with men. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 20(Suppl 3), 21427. https://doi.org/10.7448/IAS.20.4.21427
The article by Scheim et al. (2017) talks about the barriers that the LGBTQ+ community face when accessing medical services like HIV prevention measures. The article is about the study or the survey online, and they involved about 1120 men who are engaged to other men. On top of that, the study also included 226 transgender men (Scheim et al., 2017). The study was conducted in 141 countries. People were asked questions about their access to HIV prevention services. The study found that LGBTQ+ men face significant challenges accessing medical services like HIV prevention. Some reasons attached to the accessibility of prevention services include lack of gender-supporting care, lack of knowledge about the care, stigma from care providers, and discrimination (Scheim et al., 2017). Finally, the author concluded that the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the males or gays need to be educated on accessing healthcare like HIV prevention measures.
Results/Findings
Legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada
The legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada happened on July 20, 2005. The Civil marriage Act was passed by the parliament, which also amended the definition of “marriage” to involve same-sex couples (Mulé & Smith, 2014). Before the definition was amended, marriage was a “union between a man and a woman.” Same-sex partners were only allowed to enter into a domestic partnership. However, after the change and amendment of the definition of marriage, same-sex partners were legally allowed to marry and stay together as couples. After same-sex marriage was legalized, there were several cases and debates on the issue. Some people urged the government to delegalize same-sex marriages, but those with contrary opinions outweighed those against the legalization. Since the time of legalization, many people have been marrying same-sex partners. Canada has also tried to protect the rights of LGBTQ+, and currently, it is regarded as a leader in same-sex marriage rights (Mulé & Smith, 2014). Canada has also set an example for many countries that have legalized same-sex marriages.
Cultural and religious acceptance of same-sex marriages
Canada is one of the top countries in the world concerning LGBTQ+ and same-sex marriages. Canada is very inclusive in the rights of LGBTQ+ and same-sex marriages. Undeniably, some individuals have preserved their culture and tradition in matters of marriage. However, since the country as a whole has supported LGBTQ+ and same-sex marriages, the whole society tends to support this issue. Regarding religious acceptance, the issue of LGBTQ+ and same-sex marriages has been accepted in some religions and opposed in others. Depending on faith, some churches have supported the issue and accepted it to happen in their church. For instance, churches like Metropolitan Community and United Church have been supporting same-sex marriages and conducting weddings in their churches (Smith, 2018). On the other hand, other churches like Catholics and Muslims have been campaigning against the issue, stating that it is against their Christianity.
Generally, since Canada has legalized same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+, many people are getting used to the issue. Even those who belong to a religion that does not accept same-sex marriage do not see a big deal supporting this issue when asked to give their views personally. For instance, a survey was conducted in 2020 by Angus Reid institution to collect the views of people from different religions about their feeling about same-sex marriages. The study found that about 64% of catholic Christians and 60% of Protestants support same-sex marriages (Osborne & Wilton, 2023). This means that even though people belong to those religions that campaign against same-sex marriages, their personal views tend to support it. Interestingly, religions are not forced to conduct weddings on same-sex marriages if they do not want to. However, commissioners who deal with marriages are forced to perform same-sex marriages since it is legal under the law (Osborne & Wilton, 2023).
Challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community
There are several challenges that the LGBTQ+ community face. The first and most common challenge is discrimination. People who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual often get discriminated against because they believe they are not like normal human beings. Some believe such acts are satanic, and those engaged with them get discriminated against in common areas like housing, healthcare, and employment (Mulé & Smith, 2014). The second challenge that faces the LGBTQ+ community is bullying. Most people who are associated with LGBTQ+, particularly the youths, experience bullying in various places, including schools, and this negatively impacts their mental health and general well-being.
The third challenge that the LGBTQ+ community face is social isolation and stigma. People who identify as LGBTQ+ face social isolation and stigma in different ways. First, the youths whose parents have not accepted their sexual status can face social isolation from their family members (Mulé & Smith, 2014). Secondly, LGBTQ+ youths can face social isolation from their friends who are transgender. Thirdly, LGBTQ+ people easily suffer mental health problems (Smith, 2018). These people often suffer from mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and stress, which are associated with bullying, discrimination, and stigma which they face.
Discussion
From the research findings, it can be noted that the LGBTQ+ community and its customs have significantly undergone a series of changes. The research also found out that the issue of same-sex marriages was controversial in the first place, but when the government of Canada legalized it, it started becoming common. According to the research, same-sex marriage was legalized on July 20, 2005 (Smith, 2018). From there, parents whose children were involved and children whose parents are LGBTQ+ were surprised initially but became supportive as time passed.
When it comes to religious acceptance, it was found that most churches have supported the issue of LGBTQ+ and same-sex marriages and even conduct weddings in churches. However, some other churches in Canada still campaign against LGBTQ+ and same-sex marriages. The study found that when views are taken personally, a big percentage of Christians who attend churches against same-sex marriages tend to support it (Osborne & Wilton, 2023). This means their personal views differ from the general view of religion. The study also found strong customs that the people stuck to. However, these customs were influenced by the government of Canada when it legalized same-sex marriages in 2005 (Smith, 2018).
The study found that the common challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community include discrimination, social isolation and stigma, mental health, and difficulty with mental health access (Dwyer, 2019). Some challenges have made same-sex marriages difficult even when people are willing to marry.
Limitations in Current Research
Various limitations were experienced in the research. First of all, the research was conducted on the published article. Therefore, the information in this research is just an idea of other researchers and is not firsthand. Secondly, the research specifically addresses the marriage customs in the Canadian population. Any information contained here is restricted to Canada, and LGBTQ+ from other countries are not addressed. Finally, the research is limited to three fundamental issues. This means other factors relating to the topic still need to be addressed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the matters relating LGBTQ+ community and same-sex marriages have developed over the years. Canada legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, and since then, many people have been marrying partners of the same gender. It was difficult to accept LGBTQ+ people in the community at first, but nowadays, they have been widely accepted. Despite the legalization of same-sex marriages, those involved in it still face challenges like discrimination.
References
Scheim, A. I., Travers, R., Bauer, G. R., Pyne, J., Bauer, R. M., Hammond, R., & Scanlon, K. (2017). Inequities in access to HIV prevention services for transgender men: results of a global survey of men who have sex with men. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 20(Suppl 3), 21427. https://doi.org/10.7448/IAS.20.4.21427
Bailey, R. (2017). The evolving legal context of same-sex marriage in Canada. Canadian Journal of Family Law, 32(2), 233-256. https://heinonline.org/doi/abs/10.3138/cjfl.32.2.233
D’Augelli, A. R., Grossman, A. H., & Starks, M. T. (2006). Families of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth: What do parents and siblings know, and how do they react? Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 2(1), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1300/J461v02n01_02
Dwyer, A. (2019). Queering policing: what is best practice with LGBTQ communities? Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 31(3), 396-411.
Mulé, N. J., & Smith, M. (2014). Invisible populations: LGBTQ people and federal health policy in C Canada. Canadian Public Administration, 57(2), 234-255.
Osborne, G. B., & Wilton, S. (2023). “Defenders of Perversion”: Professing Same-Sex Marriage Rights in the Local Press. Engaged Scholar Journal, 8(3), 32-51.
Smith, M. (2018). Historical institutionalism and same-sex marriage: A comparative analysis of the USA and Canada. Global perspectives on same-sex marriage: A neo-institutional approach, 61-79.
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