Not only do most Bible Belt gays lack domestic partner benefits, lesbians and gay men can still be fired from some places of employment in many regions of the Bible Belt for being a homosexual. While some areas of the Unites States have made tremendous progress in securing rights for gay people, Bible Belt states lag behind. In the Bible Belt, it’s common to see bumper stickers that claim One Man + One Woman = Marriage, church billboards that command one to “Get right with Jesus,” letters to the editor comparing gay marriage to marrying one’s dog, and nightly news about homophobic attacks from the Family Foundation. 2013 Finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards, LGBT Studies categoryīarton argues that conventional Southern manners and religious institutions provide a foundation for homophobia in the Bible Belt
