Page 102 - Vimarsha Volume 2

Furthermore, LGBT people (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) are also being
negatively impacted and discriminated from some religious norms. Some of the

world's largest religions view these negatively. This can range from quiet
discouragement, forbidding same-sex sexual practices or sex/gender reassignment
among adherents, actively opposing social acceptance of LGBT identities, to

execution of people engaging in homosexual acts while tolerating sex/gender
reassignment in specific cases. Therefore, most the time the connection between

LGBT people and religions are very poor.

E.g: According to the Australian survey, 2006 LGBT Australians, compared to the
general Australian population, were much more likely to have no religious

affiliation, much less likely to be affiliated with a Christian denomination, and
more likely to be affiliated with a non-Christian religion. These examples clearly
show that religions create gender discrimination. As mentioned above religion is a

sociocultural system and it is highly linked with human life. When it comes to
religious norms there is a particular way of behavior for them according to their

religious teachings.

4.2 Marriage and Gender Discrimination

Gender roles in marriage represent a kind of social norms. It’s a variety of behavioral
norms for men and women. Various countries, communities and societies have their

own distinct vision of the functions and responsibilities of each marriage partner.
The provision of food and other necessary goods is the traditional role for husband.
Still the man is considered to be the breadwinner of the family (the person who earns

money to support a family), even though both husband and wife are employed and
earn money together. Sometimes contemporary women earn more that their

husbands. However, majority’s belief is that the household chores should be done by
wife. Therefore women are often unable to work and they have to depend on a man
for financial support. “Cultural norms, attitudes and gender ideologies frequently
regard women as subordinate to men, or dictate that men should control women,”

said Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. (United Nations

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