热议是否该给同性恋多一些宽容
上周，美国数百万的同性恋男女都忧心忡忡。他们担心在同性恋权益问题上，美国会朝着全然相反的方向发展。MILLIONS of gay men and women in the United States spent last week worrying over whether the country might move in the opposite direction in the matter of gay rights.
上周四，加州最高法院表示，可能赞成去年11月通过的那项颇具争议的提案，反对同性恋结婚。
The Supreme Court of Califonia indicated last Thursday that it would uphold a controversial proposition passed last November denying homosexuals the right to marry.
早在去年5月15日，该州最高法院就立法推翻了同性恋结婚禁令。
Earlier, on May 15, the state Supreme Court had made a ruling that overturned a ban on same-sex marriage.
于是乎，加州的同性恋情侣们便纷纷迅速结婚。
Gay couples quickly lined up to marry in California.
然而，在世界范围内，同性恋权益仍是个颇具争议的话题。
Homosexual rights remains a controversial topic all over the world.
一些科学家们努力证实同性恋纯属自然现象，而另外一些人则认为那是基因上的畸形。
Some scientists have tried to prove that homosexuality is natural, others that it’s a genetic deformity.
目前，包括加拿大、荷兰在内的一些国家已经宣布同性恋婚姻合法，但有些国家仍视同性恋行为为不道德行为。
A few countries like Canada and the Netherlands have declared same-sex marriages legal, but some countries still see homosexual act as immoral.
即便是在像美国般自由、宽容的国度，公开表示同性恋倾向仍然意味着将受到不少压力和挑战。
Even in liberal, more tolerant societies like the US, coming out means one can face a lot of pressure and challenges.
出于兴趣，让我们一起来看看在英国比较子有的地区人们如何看待同性恋问题，同时了解一下，在美国同性恋们又要面临怎样的压力。
Out of interest, let’s just take a look at what the situation is like in liberal parts of Britain, and what kind of pressure gay people face in America.
《21世纪英文报》专家查理：在美国，同性恋者比之前更为社会所接纳。
Charlie Shifflett 21st century staff：GAY and lesbian Americans are living in a more tolerant time than in the past.
但是，由于美国是个大国，在一些地区，同性恋者仍然会觉得自己是个局外人。
But the US is a big country and, in some parts of society, a homosexual can still feel like an outsider.
2008年CNN做了一项投票调查，结果为55％对44％。结果显示，大多数美国人仍然认为婚姻应属于异性恋者。
After all, according to a 2008 CNN poll, the majority of Americans still believe that marriage is reserved for heterosexual couples – by a margin of 55 to 44 percent.
从某种程度上讲，美国对同性恋的这种宽容源自基督教和《圣经》的影响。它们将“不道德的性行为”定义为色欲、通奸以及同性恋等等。
America's tepid embrace of homosexuality stems – at least in part – from the influence of Christianity and the Bible, where "sexual immorality" is defined as lust, adultery and homosexuality, among other things.
然而，在非洲裔美国人等群体中，同性恋群体仍然遭到反对。
But gays and lesbians have also met resistance from other segments of society, including the African-American community.
“同性恋即新的黑人”这个标语将同性恋所处境遇比喻为黑人们过去至今所面临的人种偏见。
So, the slogan “Gay is the new black” likens the plight of homosexuals to the racism experienced by blacks in the past as well as in the present.
但是这种断言却冒犯了那些非洲裔美国人们。
But this assertion is one that many African-Americans find offensive.
专家大卫：距离伦敦约1小时车程的海边城市布莱顿通常被称为“欧洲同性恋者的首都”。
David Bartram21st century staff ： BRIGHTON, a city by the sea about an hour’s drive from London, is sometimes described as “The Gay Capital of Europe”.
该市有个很大的同性恋社区。在那里，人们见到同性恋情侣一点儿也不足为奇。
The city has a large LGBT community and most people don’t bat an eyelid when they see a gay couple together.
在布莱顿，每年都会举办一次“同志大游行”。这个同性恋社区的节日会吸引10多万人前往。
Every year, Brighton has a “Pride Parade” – a big festival for the LGBT community that attracts over 100,000 people.
游行的组织方还会提供其他支持，包括保健建议和咨询服务。
The organization that runs the parade also offers other types of support for the LGBT community, including health advice and counseling.
他们为同性恋者们开辟了一片远离偏见的天空。
Their work has helped gay people find a place in society without facing prejudice.
据悉，布莱顿市13％的人口是同性恋社区的一分子。
It’s been estimated that 13 percent of the population of Brighton is part of the LGBT community.
但是确切数字很难量化。
However this can be hard to quantify.
例如：如果你只是喝多了亲了一下你的朋友，那么你算是个双性恋么？
If you drink too much, for example, and give your friend a kiss, does that make you bisexual?
在布莱顿，即便是在那些通常不赞同同性恋的社会团体中，同性恋几乎完全被接纳了。
Being gay is almost fully accepted in Brighton – even among sections of society that are not always known as being open to the idea.
也正是因此，同性恋们特意前往布莱顿加入这个团体，强化社区的感觉。
As a result, gay people move to Brighton especially to join the crowd, reinforcing the sense of community.
事实上，该社区已经和社会的其他社区完全融为一体，它的成员也很少被区别看待。
That community is in fact fully integrated with the rest of society and is rarely considered any different to other people living in the city.
除了布莱顿，世界的其他城市也有大型的同性恋社区。
Brighton is not the only city in the world with a large LGBT community.
位于荷兰的阿姆斯特丹以及加州旧金山的同性恋社区同样出名。
Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and San Francisco in California are two others with similarly prominent gay communiti
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