Homosexuals still struggling for total equality in Oklahoma

The gay cause has been gaining more acknowledgement in society over the past two of decades, but the way towards full legitimacy and acceptance is far from being over. According to a Census, between 2000 and 2010 there has been an 80 percent increase in same-sex households; yet, there are still some areas where being homosexual is particularly difficult. Coming out in Southern States is harder to do than in Northern States. This issue is getting a lot of attention, since the two presidential candidates will deal with it in different ways.

Matt Beasley, a freshman at OU from Austin, TX said he experienced some hard times after coming out when he was 15. He was relieved when he turned 18 as he could finally enter gay clubs. Hanging out at these clubs gave him the chance to meet other gay people and find comfort with them. Beasley encountered the major contrapositions within his own family. His parents were very conservative and once they knew about his  sexual orientation they sent him to a Christian consulting room. But there are homosexuals who encountered the greatest hurdles out of their families.
Brian Ward, a senior student at the University of Oklahoma, thinks of himself as an exception. Ward had no problems at home when he came out to his family. The biggest struggles he faced were at school, where he felt alone because he was the only declared gay and he felt like he couldn't openly talk with nobody.

"Many people come out in college years because they’re far from their families", Ward said. Plus, he recognized that a lot of people coming from small towns in Oklahoma are in very uncomfortable situations since they can’t express their sexuality without receiving discriminations and prejudices. 
James Harris, a sociology student at OU, came out when he was 13, "It is a very early age since a large part of homosexuals do it once in college, as they feel freer to express their sexuality here rather than in their hometowns."

Harris said when he was in high school his locker and car were vandalized many times. "Even my teacher teased me addressing me as “she”", he said. Harris moved on his own to Oklahoma City as soon as he finished the high school in search of a more welcoming gay community. Harris is a student intern of the Safe Sex Education Program, a group committed in promoting safe sexual habits among younger students.

When asked about gay marriage, Harris said in the future, gay marriage will become legal in the U.S., thanks to Obama's support. 

James Harris while working at the Women's Outreach Center in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Friday. Oct. 5, 2012, Norman, Oklahoma. As as a student intern, Harris promotes the Safe Sex Education Program.

               

                                                                                                                                                    Brian Ward talks about the gay marriage issue at Crossroads, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.