Why is that representative blind hates gays

Federal government websites often end in. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. The site is secure. NCBI Bookshelf. This chapter first provides an overview of three aspects of public life that affect social and gender diverse SGD populations: public policy, social movements, and changing public opinion.

It then turns to the emerging literature on how structural factors—law, public policy, and public attitudes—influence the well-being of SGD populations, including economic outcomes, experiences of victimization and violence, and mental and physical health. The public policy process includes defining social problems that may require policy solutions, framing public policies for the general public and policy makers, developing strategies to effect policy adoption, effectively implementing public policies, and developing accountability and evaluation mechanisms.

Policies seldom change without outside social forces organizing to effect change. Thus, advocacy organizations providing services and seeking changes in public policy, which are often sponsored by government programs, are central to the policy process.

West Virginia lawmaker called to resign after comparing LGBTQ people to the Ku Klux Klan

Public policies affecting SGD populations change when advocates articulate what and why changes are needed and how to implement them Taylor, Lewis, and Haider-Markel, Given the multiple levels of government—federal, state, and local—and the division of functions associated with the separation of powers, the U.

The complexity also means the process is susceptible to policy gridlock Baumgartner and Jones, This means that sustained advocacy for policy change is necessary, and social movement organizing and policy advocacy groups need to have the infrastructure to maintain pressure. Prior to the emergence of a social movement, however, are the contextual and structural factors that define choices, how individuals define problems, and how they see themselves in relation to those problems Gusfield, As the social movement developed and contexts changed, the strategies, identities, and definition of problems have also changed Gusfield, In Aprilastronomer Frank Kameny and other activists began a new approach by picketing the White House.

In addition to fully embracing an out-of-the-closet proud gay identity, gay liberation organizations, such as the Gay Liberation Front GLFembraced a broad policy agenda that supported other liberation movements and direct action protests, seeking to advance economic issues and gender and racial justice, even though there remained sexual stigma in those other movements Armstrong, Some gay liberation activists such as Marsha P.

Johnson and Sylvia Rivera created Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries STAR to serve some of the most vulnerable SGD people Shepard,while others, frustrated with the priorities of the GLF, established the Gay Activists Alliance to pursue policies directly affecting gay and lesbian people, as well as to hold dances to create space for connection, gay identity building, and community Armstrong, The mainstream strategy, which remains dominant, requires a wide range of organizations and the growth of capacity to take advantage of the numerous access points and political opportunities in the U.

Because there are multiple access points, there are numerous opportunities for policy and legal change, but only if an infrastructure is present to take advantage of such opportunities McAdam, The contemporary LGBT advocacy coalition has significant infrastructure and capacity.

The coalition of organizations that advocate on behalf of SGD populations consists of a myriad of groups Taylor et al. For example, the top-ranked grant-receiving organizations in included organizations that primarily provide public services e. Inabout 29 percent of grants from private groups went to organizations focused on nationwide issues, why is that representative blind hates gays percent to those focused on regional multistate issues, 10 percent to those focused on state issues, 30 percent to those focused on local issues, and 26 percent to those focused on international issues Wallace, Maulbeck, and Kan, Advocacy coalitions and actors who leverage opportunities to effect policy change, collectively known as policy entrepreneurs, frequently share information to spread strategies, tactics, successes, and failures Boushey, ; Mintrom and Norman, They set policy priorities Kingdon,gain access to decision makers and decision-making arenas Andrews and Edwards,and engage in public education and lobbying Wright, Policy entrepreneurs often monitor the successful implementation of policies Andrew and Edwards,and they look for future political opportunities to reinforce their policy priorities Theodoulou, Occasionally, the differences between organizations create coordination conflicts that may impede their effectiveness Engel, ; Haider-Markel, Alongside the advocacy coalition for SGD people, there is a countermovement that opposes policy advancements designed to further the well-being of SGD people.

These organizations also try to gain access to policy makers to advance their interests and control the policy agenda Fetner, ; Stone, ; Wilson and Burack, and to craft arguments to particular audiences in opposition to policies that may benefit SGD people Burack, Like advocacy organizations devoted to the advancement of rights for SGD populations, organizations opposed to such advancement also devote considerable resources to framing and tailoring their messages to the public Flores, ; Stone, These frames are often delivered through costly initiative and referendum campaigns in an attempt to affect ballot measures e.

The use of direct democracy by the countermovement has historically maneuvered the LGBT advocacy coalition into a defensive position Fetner, ; Stone, Thus, over time, the SGD rights movement and the countermovement compete over issue priorities and how to frame those issues.