Many Official Statements Made by Religious Organizations have spoken out condemning discrimination and violence against homosexual people. Although studies show that more and more people think it is wrong to discriminate and believe that homosexual individuals should have basic civil rights, people are generally unaware of the threat of discrimination and violence lesbian and gay people live with, or the indirect violence they face every day. Despite gradual improvements over the last few years, the problems described below are still serious and widespread. Although there is clear evidence that homosexual people are discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, this discrimination receives little publicity. Thus, there is little public awareness of the problem.
People lose jobs for being lesbian or gay.
People are denied housing because they are lesbian or gay. People are denied access to public accommodations such as restaurants because they are lesbian or gay. People are physically attacked because they are lesbian or gay. Studies done by the State of Pennsylvania, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and others have made it very clear that systematic discrimination exists against gay and lesbian people. In most places, there is no legal protection against this discrimination.