Gay Celebrities in Interracial Marriages and Relationships

Interracial marriages occur more frequently among gay couples than they do among their heterosexual counterparts. Data from the 2010 census reveals that 20.6 percent of same-sex couples are interracial. That’s more than two percentage points higher than the amount of unmarried heterosexual couples (18.3 percent) in interracial relationships, and more than double the amount of married heterosexual couples (9.5 percent) in such relationships. Given the prevalence of cross-cultural relationships in the gay community, it’s no wonder that many of the celebrities who’ve come out as gay in recent years have partners of a different race. Learn more about the gay celebrities in interracial marriages and relationships with this list rundown. Robin Roberts and Amber Laign Robin Roberts came out as gay in a Facebook post in December 2013, making her arguably the most famous black lesbian in the country. The co-host of â€Å"Good Morning America† has fought breast cancer and a rare blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome in recent years. One of the reasons she chose to finally come out is to recognize the support she’s received from her longtime girlfriend, Amber Laign, who is white. â€Å"At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude,† Roberts wrote. I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health. I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together. I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.† When Robert identified Laign as her girlfriend in a Facebook post, the couple had been involved for a decade, according to reports. Roberts and Laign live in an apartment together in New York, and their relationship was known to the ABC News staff. Roberts may have decided to go public with the relationship because she’s writing a memoir, to be released in April 2014, about the health problems she’s overcome. Mario Cantone and Jerry Dixon After 20 years together, comedian Mario Cantone, an Italian American, and Jerry Dixon, an African American, wed in October 2011. He announced his nuptials to the musical theater director on ABC’s â€Å"The View,† the chat show where he frequently serves as guest co-host. â€Å"We’re older now. We’ve been together 20 years,† said Cantone on   the talk show. â€Å"After 20 years you’re like, ‘Thanks for the anti-climactic honeymoon, government!’† Cantone, of course, was taking aim at the government for preventing same-sex couples from marrying. On a more serious note, Cantone revealed that his family members attended the wedding and that Jay Bakker, the son of late evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, conducted the ceremony. Wanda and Alex Sykes Comedienne Wanda Sykes, who is African American, wed her white wife, Alex, in 2008. The couple has two children together. Before her marriage to Alex, Sykes was married to a man. Sykes remarked on â€Å"Oprah’s Next Chapter† that she didn’t come out to her mother until she was 40 years old. It took several years for her mother to accept Syke’s sexual orientation, the comedienne told Oprah Winfrey. Sykes also said that as a black woman and a lesbian she faces three different forms of discrimination. In addition, she finds objection to same-sex marriage to be peculiar. â€Å"I don’t understand why people really get upset about something that doesn’t affect them,† she said. â€Å"And I say, do you know how many people got married yesterday? Neither do I and I don’t care.† Alec Mapa and Jamison Hebert Actor Alec Mapa of â€Å"Half Half† and â€Å"Ugly Betty† fame married filmmaker Jamison Hebert in 2008. Mapa is Filipino and Hebert is white. The two have an adopted African-American son named Zion. Mapa has said that he still faces discrimination because of his relationship. He recalled the time he and his family entered the United States after a jaunt to Mexico and a customs agent behaved rudely toward them. â€Å"He was really brusque — he said, ‘You know we don’t recognize this federally, it’s the United States,’† Mapa recounted. After the customs agent spotted the couple’s young son, however, he relented. George and Brad Takei Actor George Takei of â€Å"Star Trek† fame married his husband, Brad, in 2008. Takei is Japanese-American and his husband is white. The couple had been together for 26 years before tying the knot. They married when the state of California finally allowed same-sex couples to wed. Takei’s husband, born Brad Altman, decided to take his last name, legally changing it after the marriage ceremony. â€Å"I argued with him on that,† Takei explained to â€Å"Access Hollywood Live.† â€Å"He wanted to become a Takei.†

Music Essay on Beethovens Heroic Style - 1993 Words

Moira Loh Loh 1 Ms Yang Tien Music Historical Overview 3rd September Beethoven and the heroic style Early eighteenth century marked the beginning of the middle period, which was said to be the most productive period out of his three compositional periods as some of his most magnificent works were produced during this time (Lockwood, 194). In this paper, I will examine the heroic style - why it came about, what are some characteristics of ‘heroic’ music and through the analysis of a ‘product of the times’ (Taruskin) , compare the differences between the music of the heroic style and that of before. The middle period is also known as the heroic period from 1803 – 1812 is after the Viennese period and before the Late†¦show more content†¦An example of these dramatic passages would be on page 2 system 2 measure 1 – system 3 measure 2 of Beethoven’s string quartet Op.59 No. 3 where in the system two, a fast, rhythmically and harmonically dense melody is played and suddenly in the end of system 2 (meas ure 6) the first violin has a measure long segmented high violin solo. The sudden change in harmonic rhythm and density make this measure eye-catching already but the fact that it is in an extremely high register makes it more jarring and immediately transiting into a more melodious section, which leads to theme II in the expository section. Comparing it to the first movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet in F major Op. 18 No. 1†¨- Allegro con brio, where all the phrases are smooth in texture and run from one phrase to the next without sudden unanticipated stops. Looking at page 1 system 3 measures 3 – 8 where there is a musical conversation between the first and second violins. However, these phrases are still connected unlike in the heroic style many phrases like this are separated and the accents on the rhythm are very different. Another habit of Beethoven when composing his pieces in the heroic style would be to insert warlike themes and motifs into his pieces. Some of these themes include death and victory. Loh 4 ‘Conspicuously dramatic features in the music must be heardShow MoreRelatedRomanticism in Music Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesRomanticism in Music Romantic: of, characterized by, or suggestive of an idealised, sentimental, or fantastic view of reality#8230; concerned more with feeling and emotion than with form and aesthetic qualities. The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Eighth edition, 1991. The term romantic first appeared at sometime during the latter half of the 18th Century, meaning in quite literal English, romance-like, usually referring to the character of mythical medieval romances. The first significant

Critical Analysis of Journal on Motivation for Ten Specialized Terms

Question: Write about theCritical Analysis of Journal on Motivation for Ten Specialized Terms. Answer: Main Theme The journal is based on the study of link of money with motivation and the ways by which this affects the operations of the organizations. This research is mainly related to the study of the compensation systems in the organizations and their effects on motivation. Self-determination theory is used in this research to analyse the connections between pay provided to the employees and motivation. Another theory that is considered in this article is economic agency theory which further promotes the relationship between performance and motivation. The theory states that if more pay is provided to the employees in the compensation system, then the employees are also motivated to perform in the way the organization requires. Supporting Facts The research has shown that the self-determination theory and economic agency theory depict contrasting views on the human behaviour. The self-determination theory mainly differentiates the various types of motivation and also suggests that greater pay does not always relate to better performance of the employees. The theory states that the employees are mainly motivated by a positive working environment and not money. The use of monetary motivation and rewards do decrease the effect of intrinsic motivation for the employees. Most part of the research is based on the relationship between intrinsic motivation and monetary rewards. Another concept that is taken into consideration for analysis is related to pay satisfaction and pay justice. The justice is an organization refers to the perception of the employees regarding resource allocation. The psychological needs of the employees are also a part of the self-determination theory. Self-determination theory relates to the interpersonal environment in the organizations which needs to be supportive in nature and also should understand the needs of the employees. The results of the research suggest that the interpersonal climate of the organization has an effect on the compensation related variables. The amount of pay provided to the employees and the justice of distribution does not relate to the intrinsic motivation of the employees. Ten Specialized Terms 1. Self-determination theory Self-determination theory of SDT is a theory related human personality and motivation that deals with the inherent tendencies of growth and the psychological needs. It is mainly concerned with motivation behind the choices that the employees of an organization make without any interference or external influence. This focusses on the degree up to which the behaviour of an individual is self-determined or self-motivated. SDT also involves the comparison of the extrinsic and the intrinsic motives. The various types of motivation are described with respect to the degree up to which they are internalized. Internalization mainly refers to the attempts of transforming an extrinsic motive into values that are endorsed personally. SDT is focused on the belief that the nature of humans shows positive features that are persistent and it depicts the levels of agency, effort and commitment. 2. Motivation Motivation can be defined as the process of stimulating individuals to achieve their goals. The creation of willingness among the employees in the organization is one of the major task of the management. The leaders play an important role of arousing interest among the employees so that they can perform well in their jobs. The motivation process mainly consists of three major stages, a drive or need, a stimulus where the needs are aroused and the last stage is the satisfaction or the accomplishment of the goals. The major benefits that are provided with the help of motivation are as discussed further. Motivation helps in the achievement of goals, helps in building friendly relationships, leads to the stability in the work force. 3. Organizational justice The concept of organizational justice is mainly related to the ways by which the employees judge the behaviour of the company which ultimately impacts the behaviour of the employee. Fairness or justice is focussed on the idea that whether a decision or an action is right on the moral grounds. This can be decided by taking into consideration the fairness, ethics, law and equity related to the organizational policies. Individuals or employees react to the decisions taken by the organizations on a daily basis. The perceptions of the employees about the decisions and whether they are right or wrong can further impact their behaviour in the organization. Fairness plays an important role in the operations of an organization as it can have implications related to the perceptions of injustice of the employees. 4. Role of pay in motivation Payment and monetary compensation play an important role in the organizations. Payment offered to the employees helps in increasing the motivational levels. Although monetary rewards and pay not the only factors important for providing motivation, it however is a major factor that helps in attracting talent to the organizations. Competitive rate of pay is an important way that can be undertaken by the organizations to attract fresh talent. The takeaway that an employee excepts from an organization is a huge motivating factor for the employees. The employers always try to develop fair and effective strategies related to payment, however the monetary attraction also a limit up to which it can help in retaining employees. 5. Psychological need satisfaction Satisfaction of the psychological needs of the employees is an important function of the management of an organization. As explained by the self-determination theory, the psychological needs of human beings are mainly divided into three components, which are, competence, relatedness and autonomy. Once these needs are satisfied in the organization, the employees are catalysed to be goal-oriented and motivated. Need related to autonomy deals with the sense of self-initiation instead of coerced or pressured feeling. Need for the competence is related to the sense of self-effectiveness instead of helplessness and passiveness. Need for the relatedness deals with the perception of the extent of love and care from the people who are close to him. The satisfaction related to these three needs can further have a positive impact on the self-growth of the individuals. 6. Managerial need support The support provided by the managers play an important role in providing motivation. The managers can motivate the employees to improve their performance and productivity. Motivation can be provided to the employees with the help of proper incentives, fair treatment and compensation. The management plays a vital role in motivating the employees so that they can show their best performance. The managers can understand the needs and the goals of the employees and align them with the goals of the organization. The alignment of the goals of employees and that of the organization requires communication and strategic planning. The managers can motivate the employees by understanding their needs and supporting them to fulfil those. The needs and responsibilities of the employees need to be assessed by the management. 7. Employee satisfaction Employee satisfaction can also be referred to as job satisfaction. The satisfaction levels of the employees are decided with the levels up to which they are happy in the organization. Employee satisfaction plays utmost importance for the employees to remain happy and deliver the best performance. The satisfied employees of the organization are the ones who seem to be loyal to the company. Employees always need to be passionate towards the role that they play in the organization and passion can only be developed with the help of satisfaction levels that they get from their work. Employee satisfaction can also lead to a positive ambience in the organizations. The employees seem to complain more and concentrate less on their work. 8. Intrinsic work motivation Intrinsic motivation in the organization can be derived from factors that are intangible in nature. Employers or managers can use the intrinsic motivation for the purpose of getting maximum productivity from the employees. This type of motivation can help the employees in developing their goals related to career development. The encouragement given by the management to help the employees in gaining knowledge can act as intrinsic motivation. Providing managerial positions to the employees can help the management in increasing their responsibilities. Responsibility provides intrinsic motivation to the employees. Employees can derive intrinsic motivation from the recognition and accomplishments provided to them. 9. Interpersonal climate A climate of communication can be created in an organization with the help of the network developed by interpersonal relationships. The communication climate created by employees in an organization fosters the healthy and open employee relations. The relationship should be healthy both among the employees and with the management. The managers and the workers need to respect and trust each other. It helps in creating a cooperative and effective framework that helps the leaders to implement the strategies effectively and efficiently. Interpersonal communication acts as an important factor in creating a positive climate in the organization so that they can increase their productivity. 10. Rewards and benefits Rewards play an important role in providing encouragement towards the positive behaviour and creating values in the organizations. The employers are constantly searching for much more innovative benefits that can be provided to the employees so that they increase their productivity. The human resource managers of the organizations need to think in a more creative manner so that they can provide benefits to the employees. The employers need to provide benefits to the employees so that they can meet the needs of the workforce. This also further helps the organizations in improving the reputation and levels of retention. The rewards and the benefits that are provided to the employees not only help in motivating and retaining the employees, it also helps in attracting and recruiting new employees. Benefits and rewards act as important factors for increasing the employee engagement in the organizations. The poor conditions in the workplace and too much stress can create disengagement in t he jobs. The low amount of benefits provided to the employees and the low salary range also act as factors of disengagement for the employees. The long-term problems that are faced by the management and other negative factors can also cause disengagement. Reflection According to me, motivation plays a major role in the organization and it can also influence the behaviour and the productivity of the employees. The amount of pay provided to the employees and the support provided by the management will also motivate the employees. The perceptions of the employees regarding the fairness of the pay provided to the employees acts as a major factor of motivation. The psychological needs of the employees are a major part of the entire motivational process of the organizations. The fulfilment of psychological needs of employees can help in increasing the levels of motivation so that they can provide their best performance. The organizational climate affects the performance and the profitability of the organization. The positive climate in the organization impacts the level of motivation and the ways by which they behave. The management needs to create a positive environment in the organization so that they can motivate the employees to perform in their j obs. The other most important factor according that affects the motivational levels of the employees are the compensations and rewards offered to them. The compensation and rewards that an organization can provide to the employees can also be non-monetary or intangible in nature. The research has further proved the organizational climate and other non-monetary benefits provided to the employees including, chances of gaining knowledge are able to impact the levels of motivation in the organization much more as compared to monetary benefits. The management can also motivate the employees by providing them with positive feedback. The company can promote motivation by providing them with monetary or non-monetary compensation so that they can improve their performance. The acknowledgement provided by the management to the employees also motivates them to improve their performance in the organizations. According to me, the employees can be motivated effectively by the rewards and the reco gnitions provided by the management. The management should therefore find more innovative ways by which they can encourage the employees to perform more in their jobs by increasing their levels of motivation. This will further help the management in increasing the productivity of the organization and increase their profits in the highly competitive business environment.