Abstract
In this article, the writer deals with the contemporary debate over the legal and social acceptance of homosexual couples. The paper maintains that, from legal perspective, the acceptance of homosexual couples is supported under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as the case of "M. v. H". The writer concludes that, protected legally under sections 2 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, homosexuals are legally accepted as part of society; with equal rights as heterosexuals. The writer maintains that, if some find homosexuality to be a problem, they must still realize that homophobia, hate crimes, and overall discrimination is not the solution.

From the Paper
"Canada is well known for being a 'tossed salad', rather than a melting pot of cultures like the United States. This is due to its acceptance of different cultures and promotion of cultural diversity. In such a diverse society it is difficult to create laws that are pleasing to all. Pluralism in Canada does not cease at culture alone, but also includes religion and sexual orientation. Homosexuality has become a rising issue in society and should be accepted in the same manner as cultural and religious diversity. Unfortunately, this is not the case. From a social standpoint, homosexuality may be found morally corrupt for those with certain ethical and religious principles. Contrarily, it may be found as a new form of self-expression and freedom for those who wish to condone or practice it. From a legal standpoint, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the freedom of association, as well as the freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression."

Tags:gay marriage, M. v. H., Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Abstract
This paper argues that Terry Eagleton wrongly dismisses feminism in his famous critique of culture, "The Idea of Culture". The author argues that by ignoring the feminism, the most political and ardent form of identity politics, Eagleton weakens his argument for a homogeneous version of culture because to ignore feminism in a book about culture is to vigorously enter the debate about identity politics by inviting criticism from those who speak against political negation.

From the Paper
"Eagleton writes that "there is no 'cultural politics', in the sense of certain forms of politics which are specifically cultural. On the contrary," he writes, "culture is not inherently political at all" (122). This may be easy to write from his vantage point as a middle-class educated white male with a tenured professorship in his pocket. From the point of view of feminism however, language, itself entirely cultural, is the place at which gender, power, and culture meet most fundamentally. To enter into language is to enter into the symbolic order, a topic Eagleton engages at some length without ever mentioning feminism or gender. As early as 1976 Helene Cixous writes in her seminal essay "The Laugh of the Medusa" that "there is such a thing as marked writing; that, until now, far more extensively and repressively than is ever suspected or admitted, writing has been run by a libidinal and cultural - hence political, typically masculine economy" (80). Although this work is by now somewhat dated, it does represent the beginnings of a received notion of feminism and its political notions of gendered language. Indeed the language of Marxism is inherently male; Chapter 1 of the Manifesto of the Communist Party states that:"

Tags:feminist, marxism, homogeneity, political, cultural, gender

Abstract
This essay serves to examine the wage inequalities between men and women in the modern day workforce. It references two specific examples of gender discrimination; Ann Hopkins' suit against Price Waterhouse in 1982 and Muriel Kraszewski's suit against State Farm. The author also explains in detail the ramifications of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which attempts to protect the rights of women who work in the same jobs as men.

From the Paper
"In order to fully gain equal employment and fairness, traditionally male positions must be opened to females. This is the only way to shatter the glass walls and ceilings that are so prevalent in today's society. Many women have fought discrimination and improved their own lives and the lives of countless other women over the span of several generations. The first step in creating equality in the workplace is to inform women of their rights. The next step is for these women to exercise their rights. Women can no longer allow themselves to be excluded from the workforce. Individuals concerned about equality should press for the continuation and strengthening of better paying jobs for women, and this support must not come from women alone. In order for our society to foster this change, we must understand why these changes are necessary. Society requires that men and women work together and this is not likely to change. What must change is the way that we work together. "

Tags:ceiling, discrimination, gender, glass, inequalities, segregation, sex, title, vii, wage

Abstract
This paper discusses causes, including media and peers, and some effects, including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancy. It explains that teenagers who practice unsafe sex are playing with a time bomb that could go off at any time. It concludes that, with the advent of easily accessible birth control and condoms, there are no more excuses for practicing unsafe sex, which can cause an unwanted pregnancy or even death by disease.

From the Paper
"Having unsafe sex with a partner is not only brainless; it can be deadly. There are many reasons teens choose to have unsafe sex, from peer pressure, to the passion of the moment, to the media, which often portrays sex as an act with no negative results. For example, sex in film and television rarely ends up in the character dieing a lingering death from AIDS, or giving birth to an unwanted baby, but in real life, these are just some of the effects that can occur quite easily from just one unprotected sex act (Arons 1093). Many young women find it difficult to visit a birth control clinic, even though they may be readily accessible in their area."

Tags:pregnancy, STD, sexually, transmitted, disease, birth, control, condom

Abstract
This paper discusses society's view on homosexuality and how that view has changed over time. The paper describes current views in America of homosexual individuals and acts, as well as changes to the rights of homosexual individuals within the legal system in America. The paper then compares the current situation to how homosexuals were treated in different cultures and countries in the past, including the view of various religions to homosexuality.

From the Paper
"A quick glance at any newspaper today will quite often demonstrate the contentious debates about gay and lesbian rights in America. In the most recent election, eleven additional states voted in favour of banning same-sex marriage and in fact, the some homosexual acts, such as sodomy, were only recently de-criminalized in some of America's states. On the international scene, America lags far behind many other countries in providing protection of gay and lesbian minority rights, and in fact America tends to move in the opposite direction of many other Western nations by attempting to ban same-sex marriages while other industrialized nations are legalizing the same marriages. Religion is often a factor that takes centre stage in public and political debates about gay and lesbian rights, with the opposition arguing that homosexuality is a sin. Modern interpretations of the Bible bring this claim into considerable doubt, but even if one accepts homosexuality as a sin, one must still concede that it is a sin within the Christina dogma. Historical perspectives on homosexuality have run the gamut over the centuries and within different cultures, ranging from views that see homosexuals as sacred and honourable members of a community, to those who saw anyone even associated with the thought of homosexuality burned at the stake."

Tags:bible, equality, homoeroticism, interpretations, marriages, religion, repression

Abstract
Sexual difference is a recent addition to studies of gender. It is generally defined as the intersection between biological sex, social aspects of gender, as well as the impact of sexuality. In effect, it posits that none of these are mutually exclusive, that they combine to create "gender identity." It particular, this paper looks at how transgenderism poses challenges to this - and how it asks why these intersections come in to play and what the costs of incongruity between the three are. This paper looks at drag performance, 'true' transgenderism, and shemale porn in this context, asking whether they each support or erode hegemonic ideals of sexual difference. By looking at the specific gender performances in each category, drag can be presented as subversive to ideas of sexual difference, transgenderism can be perceived as supportive of sexual difference, and shemale porn unintentionally falls somewhere in the middle - it is both subversive and supportive.

Outline
Drag - Entertainment and Political Subversion
True Transgenderism - Replications of Hegemony?
Shemale Porn - Dominance, Subjugation and 'Faking It'
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Raymond suggests that transsexuality, without the option of surgery, "could turn our sexual order upside down because it evades the impact of both socialization and biology as instances of sex typing" (cited in de Castro, 1993, p 88). In other words, transgenderism could have the political effect of drag performance everyday, on all people. Drag, unfortunately, only has the opportunity to challenge hegemonic norms at specific and scheduled times, to a limited (usually paying, interested, and open-minded) audience. However, by escaping into surgery, by 'matching' gender and biology, it is argued that transgendered people give up that opportunity in order to participate in the dichotomous thinking of our gender-repressive society."

Tags:biological, constructionism, feminism, hegemonic, hegemony, masculine, men, porn, pornography, power, sex, sexuality

Abstract
This paper argues that homosexuality, specifically lesbianism, is not a natural process. According to the author it is rather socially constructed, and understood by the meanings people attribute to it. This paper examines the cultural institutions that aid this process by reinforcing individualization through the notion of identity formation, and the search to find one's sexual identity.

From the Paper
"The process of becoming is defined by the dictionary as "1 to come to be; grow to be 2 be suitable for; suit 3 looks well on" (Gage Canadian Dictionary, 1983, 100). Formally, that is, to become means to learn how to develop, how to arrive, how to be, how to act, how to live. In other words, it is a social process. In the world we live in, full of uncertainty, fear of the unknown and a reluctance to criticize science, reason, progress, individualization and rationality, the concept of becoming has been confused with the notion of being: "1 a person; living creature 2 life; existence 3 nature; constitution" (103). This confusion has trained us to attribute anything and everything " including sexuality " that concerns the "unknown," or that which opposes societal norms, to the scientific analysis of causation and effect. It has also trained us to ignore many of the social processes at essence of many of the issues of the world today. Essentially, humans are socially constructed. "

Tags:constructivism, gay, homosexuality, lesbian, sexuality, social, sociology, attributions, individuals, culture, society

Abstract
This paper considers how mass media texts are encoded with many levels of meaning, all of which are consciously constructed, and how these representations of meaning are understood in various ways by audiences. It does so by examining how gender is represented in the context of the protagonist of the show Family Guy and his interactions with those around him.

From the Paper
"The text which I have chosen to discuss is Fox-Tv's series "Family Guy" which aired from April 1999 to about February 2002. It is essentially an animated Sit-Com depicting white middle class American suburbia in contemporary times. The focus of the show is on one man, the "head" of a family, and his interactions with himself, his family, his neighbors, and the world around him."

Tags:decode, encode, family, gender, guy, mass, media, representation, texts

Abstract
This paper explores how feminists in South Africa have been able to incorporate gender interests into the structure of democratic institutions by recognizing the close link between apartheid and gender inequalities regarding the concept of citizenship. Their efforts have contributed to the improvement of South African women's political, economic and social status, which will eventually lead to the higher quality of life. The South African case shows us how grassroots movements can make a positive impact on society by eagerly interacting with the state.

From the Paper
"The dramatic political and social upheavals and transformations that have occurred throughout the world during the 1990s have brought international attention on theories of citizenship and democracy. While western liberal democratic gender-neutral notions of citizenship have been widely promoted, South African feminists have argued tenaciously that gender issues had to be incorporated in theories of citizenship in order to deal more effectively with gender inequalities deeply embedded in the South African society. Over the past decade, feminists in South Africa have struggled against the patriarchal structure of their society and advocated for the need of the institutionalized and constitutional frameworks that allow a systemic improvement of South African women's political, economic and social status. This essay will argue that by recognizing the close link between aparthied and gender inequalities and gendering the concept of citizenship, feminists in South Africa have been able to build gender interests into the structure of democratic institutions, which has contributed to the bettered political, social and economic status of South African women."

Tags:activism, citizenship, democracy, feminism

Abstract
This paper discusses the changes in representation and perceptions of homosexuality over time. It suggests that the social acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships has been growing. Based on this assumption, the paper questions if homosexuals have become less promiscuous or if society become less concerned with labeling homosexual behaviour as promiscuous and immoral.

From the Paper
"The answer to such a question is not simple and lies somewhere in between the extreme possibilities at each end of the spectrum. The promiscuity of homosexuals has historically been exaggerated and placed at the centre of arguments condemning the behaviour of the entire group. While some homosexuals are indeed quite promiscuous, this does not lend itself to labelling all homosexuals as promiscuous individuals incapable of long-term, stable, monogamous relationships. Additionally, the promiscuity of an individual should not immediately translate into the denial of rights for that individual (Johnson, 2004). To the extent that homosexuality has historically been linked with higher levels of promiscuity, social factors influencing behaviour must also be considered. For many years homosexuality and homosexual behaviour was considered not only deviant, but also criminal (Johnson, 2004). Today, homosexuals are still denied basic human rights and the ability to enter into legal marriages recognized by the government and society. In many places homosexuals are not allowed to adopt children, and homosexuals are often denied spousal benefits such as tax deductions, death allowances, sick leave for family illnesses, pension benefits and many more benefits associated with being in a socially and legally recognized relationship (Patterson & D'Augelli, 1998)."

Tags:promiscuity, lesbian, morality, behaviour