Homosexuality in America was common, but, people would hide their sexuality in fear of their life. During the 20th century it wasn’t common to be openly gay, lesbian, transgender, and etc. If you were to come out during this time you were disown possibly hurt to death. Looking back to the 1900’s, it was common to have a family with a wife, husband, and a few kids. The roles for the wife and husband were different.
The husband was typically the breadwinner and provide financially for the family and the wife typically stays at home and cooks, cleans, and take care of the kids. The case of Loving v Virginia was the start of how at first the law did not allow interracial marriages in certain states. However, they won the case and states allow interracial marriages this example is the same with same sex marriage. Now in the 21st century, homosexuality and same sex marriage has been more acceptable.
The face of marriage, which has been the tradition heterosexual relationship, is slowly evolving. Approximately nine million adults in the United States—or three percent of the population—identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. In the Washington Post it states, “There hasn’t been the collapse of one dominant family structure and the rise of another. It’s really a fanning out into all kinds of family structures,” said Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland.
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“Different is the new normal.” (Schulte 2014). This quote from the article means that they are many different kinds of family structures and same sex marriage are different but it is normal and within that they are starting to create families. Another example is in an article called “Same-Gender Marriage: Implications for Social Work Practitioners”, there is a data table that talks about the attitude of same sex marriage and if people approve it from 1996-2012 and at first, they didn’t but now slowly people are.
About 53% of people accept during 2012 and in 2996 only 27% supported it. Homosexuality is linked is social work because there will be clients social workers engage with clients from all walks of life. There will be those clients who struggle with their sexuality and it creates a conflict with your own personal values and beliefs. The immorality of same sex marriage is even discussed in biblical text. Same-sex marriage is forbidden in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. In the Quran, God discusses the immorality of homosexuality with the Prophet Lot. The people of Lot were very corrupt and did not care about the abundance of criminality and immorality they were engaged in.
These people of Sodom engaged in activities, like robbery, without any morals or values. The homosexuality lifestyle which they engaged in posed a threat to the whole society, while promoting wrongdoing and misconduct. The Sodom community was comfortable with how they were living and had no aspiration to change their ways for the sake of God. Prophet Lut (Lot) tried to encourage the people to leave the life of immorality and reprimanded their sexual behavior that was not natural. In the Quran, God explains, “Do you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the world’s [i.e., peoples]? Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women.
Rather, you are a transgressing people’ (7:80-1). In this verse, it goes on to explain men were going to commit unnatural acts with men, whilst God has already made women for them. Lut insisted that the people committing these acts or he will kick them out of the community (“The Story of Lot (Part 1 of 2): The Life and Times of Sodom,” 2008). One of my values that may potentially be in conflict with social work values is that I am Muslim so it goes against my beliefs and what God says in the holy text. God finds same sex marriage displeasing. When Allah (God) commanded marriage for man and women and one goes against what God says to please himself, this is displeasing God.
Marriage was not created my man. It was established by God since the beginning of time between man and woman. This doesn’t mean that I hate or dislike people the LGBTQ community, this just means that my religion’s belief clash with this issue so it can be difficult from a social work perspective to be comfortable helping one. However, I see them as human beings it’s just that what they believe in is different from me which is okay as well because in society everyone is diverse and unique in their own way.
As you can see, this value can be a conflict with one of the core values form the Code of Ethics which is service. Service means to help people in need and address social problems. If I am having an ethical dilemma it may clash with my professional and personal belief because as social workers. For example, as social workers we are supposed to help people in need no matter what your sexual orientation is, race, or gender. No matter what we believe in, we social workers we need to prevent unfairness and inequality and that all the clients should be treated fairly.
According to the Code of Ethics“Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical ability.” (NASW Delegate Assembly). This means that we’re supposed to provide the clients with resources and help them with anything that they need.
Another reason why is that a social worker who doesn’t feel comfortable with this social justice issue will not behave in an integrity manner. Integrity is behaving in a trustworthy manner in the social work field this is really crucial because we don’t realize some of the things that clients can say. We need to be aware that our own biases can transfer onto our work. Ultimately, it can discourage clients and can make then turn away. For example, if a client talks about social workers listening and helping them overcome this issue. But our facial expression and body language says otherwise. This is why it is important to have positive facial expressions and good body language because it makes the client much more comfortable and they can open up more.
The social work profession specific values that differ from my personal values is because in the Code of Ethics, the main goal is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. In the NASW it states, “Instances may arise when social workers’ ethical obligations conflict with agency policies or relevant laws or regulations. When such conflicts occur, social workers must make a responsible effort to resolve the conflict in a manner that is consistent with the values, principles, and standards expressed in this Code.
If a reasonable resolution of the conflict does not appear possible, social workers should seek proper consultation before making a decision.” (NASW) The NASW is trying to express that, if there is a conflict that you personally don’t agree with social workers have to find a way that is following the guidelines and if you feel like what the clients says to you may make your decision unfair than we need to seek consultation from our agency whether it is going to a supervisor and asking them what you should do in that situation.
It’s important to note that when it comes to same sex marriage it is from a political and religious perspective because in fact, between the late 1980’s and 2006, Republicans were against the LGBTQ community and their right to marry. Most of these political views that came from the republican party derived from their own religious beliefs. This made it clear that the religious and morality aspects of same-sex marriage have been questioned for decades.
Some of the ways that we can resolve this issue is that we need to learn that clients feel what they feel and our jobs as social workers is to not judge them or let our own personal value get in the way of it. It gets difficult but we have to realize that when it comes to same sex marriage and homosexuality is a very sensitive subject in our society today The clients know the risk of what it is to come out because during this process they can lose loved ones and become isolated and alone and it can fall into other emotional issues. So, they need that support from us (the clients). The Social Work Policy Institute states how we need to participate in these communities.
According to the Social Work Policy Institute, “Social work practitioners, educators, and researchers can participate in the vital role of supporting this marginalized community by conducting community-based research in order to better meet the needs of LGBT people and the communities in which they live.” (Social Work Policy Institute).
Another way to resolve this issue that I personally have to realize that my religious beliefs should not influence my professional decision for the client. Another way we can resolve this issue is to create safe spaces where they can feel welcome and talk about their issues in that community because they already feel that they can’t talk to anyone about their issues and social workers can lead that as a kind of structure (macro systems).
We also need laws that protect their rights just in case anything was to happen to them that might affect their life because being homosexual is not easy in America. You’re in constant fear that anything can happen to you unfortunately, we live in a society that hurt people emotionally and physically because of what you truly believe what you are. Luckily, the NASW, has principles especially confidentiality so whatever happens it is between the client and social worker.
To conclude all of this, I personally want to apologize if I will offend anyone that knows someone who is homosexual or themselves this was not my intent. From my religious perspective and beliefs homosexuality and same sex marriage is forbidden. However, this doesn’t mean that I hate people who are homosexual or they are in a same sex marriage. As social workers, we have to be open minded and be aware that in this field we do not discriminate.
References
- N. (n.d.). Read the Code of Ethics. Retrieved December 3, 2018, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
- Social Work Policy Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.socialworkpolicy.org/research/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-trangender-persons.html
- Webb, R. A. (n.d.). Practice. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/LGBT/Overview-of-Same-Sex-Marriage-in-the-US
- Schulte, B. (2014, September 04). Unlike in the 1950s, there is no ‘typical’ U.S. family today. Retrieved December 3, 2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2014/09/04/for-the-first-time-since-the-1950s-there-is-no-typical-u-s-family/?utm_term=.c49563dbe768
