Gay and Lesbian Issues : A Reference Handbook

The first compilation ever to explore the contentious history of the world gay rights movement from its inception in Germany in the 1800s to today. Denmark recently became the first country in the world to allow marriage between same-sex partners. In Uganda, homosexuality is a crime punishable by life imprisonment. Depending on where you are in the world, homosexuality is an "unspeakable love", a medical deviance, a legitimate alternative lifestyle, or simply a non-issue. Gay and Lesbian Issues: A Reference Handbook traces the developments, people and organizations responsible for bringing homosexual issues to the public's attention. In addition to exploring such controversial issues as gays in the military and child adoption this title discusses court decisions, pivotal events, and key individuals like Magnus Hirschfeld, Radclyffe Hall, Anita Bryant, and Harvey Milk, a San Francisco gay rights activist who was murdered by a town supervisor. What happens when a same-sex couple marrying in Denmark returns to the U.S. expecting to be treated as legally married? This one-of-a-kind reference explores the interplay of international politics with U.S. policies. Students, administrators and parents alike will discover a wealth of supportive data and statistics on hate crimes, adolescent suicide, military discrimination and much more.