Homosexuality in the US and UK

A homosexual is a person, especially a man, who is sexually attracted to people of the same sex. A woman who is sexually attracted to other women is usually called a lesbian. The term lesbian literally means "pertaining to the island of Lesbos". Lesbos is a Greek island in northeastern Aegean Sea (the name originally may have meant "wooded"), home of Sappho, great lyric poet whose erotic and romantic verse embraced women as well as men. The term lesbian hence means "relating to homosexual relations between women". Closeted and in the closet are labels for a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person who has not disclosed his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. The term in the closet seems to be an evolution of “skeleton in the closet”, specifically referring to living a life of denial and secrecy by concealing one’s homosexual or bisexual orientation.

Cultural note

Until the 1960s, it was illegal in the UK for men to have sex with other men, and people were sometimes seriously punished for this. It is now legal in the UK for people over 18 who have agreed to have sex, although it is illegal in the Isle of Man (= a small British island). In the US, some states still have laws against homosexual sex, but in most states these laws are never actually used. Although homosexuality is no longer a crime, many people still regard it is wrong or unacceptable, and because of this some homosexuals, especially well-known people, are unwilling to "come out" (= to tell people they are homosexuals).

There is still quite a lot of discrimination (= unfair treatment) against homosexuals. People disagree about whether hmosexual couples should have the same rights as married people or be allowed to adopt children. People who dislike homsexuals sometimes call them offensive names, but homosexuals themselves prefer the word "gay" to describe homosexual people.

Homosexuals in the army

In the UK, homosexuals are not allowed to serve in the army, navy, etc, but in the US they are allowed to serve if they do not tell anyone that they are homosexual. The US government calls this policy "don't ask, don't tell", meaning that the army does not ask about people's sexuality and people serving in the army do not mention it.

The Gay Community in San Franciso

San Francisco is a city and a port in California, US, known for being a very beautiful city built on hills next to a bay on the Pacific Ocean. Its famous areas include Chinatown, where many people live whose families orginally came from China, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the prison island of Alcatraz. The city is close to the Saint Andreas Fault, and was almost destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906. It is also known for its cable cars and for having a large homosexual population.
San Francisco is widely known for its high population of gays and lesbians. How did so many gay people come to call the city by the bay their home? As it turns out, the military is the main reason so many gay men settled in San Francisco. During World War II, the United States armed forces "sought out and dishonorably discharged" homosexuals. Many men who were expelled for being gay were processed at San Francisco bases.
San Francisco was indeed a point of departure during World War II. Gay men often stayed in the city after completing their military service. Since then, San Francisco's gay and lesbian population has continued to grow.
In the 1960s, an activist organization called the Society of Individual Rights (SIR) gained popularity in San Francisco and made many advances in gay rights. Additionally, the 1978 murder of gay city supervisor Harvey Milk inspired residents, particularly those in the city's Castro district, to speak out for gay rights. Today, San Francisco has the highest concentration of gay men, women, and same-sex couples in the country and possibly the world.