yes, exactly we';re talking about the 'western world', oh you haven't? it is more subtle nowadays, but right up till abut 1970's yep we sure have, I recall when i was a child (about 7 years old) my uncle wouldnt let me lpay with my cousin for the fear of my deafness would spread and them sick to be deaf!, this is in nineteen-seventies !!, not THAT long ago, however i think it was also a period when alot of people are still supersitious, must be something to do with influnences of cross-generational cohorts (still alive at that time) as well as those adults were spooked up kids from the 40s-50's...hell even UFO were "new" in the comics to the young readers wherein it was 'consumed by adult intellectuals in the 1920-30's...) see how 'slow' the ideological/ideational transition took place - i wish i knew of a book that would trace all that history of the changing public perception of Sci-fi,fantast and superstitions - one might argue the 1960's when LSDs was legit and widespread it may have done some irreversible changes, but anyway back on to the topic......
Deaf peoples arses ARE getting kicked, its much more subtle now, low education, translates to low employment, this is 'one time when it is obvious - when you look at the statistics' , Hearing people dont scoll, or demean to deafs as much but they still do, while MOST of them now just politely 'leave you alone' which is in turn another form of exclusion.....(sometimes I wonder if the misinformation of distorted understanding of Deaf culture have contributed to this).
Whats GLBT? do you mean Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual and Transexual?
of course as I said above we're talking about 'western countries', however i see your points here, and yes other countries are indeedly so backwards, or even worse, fiercely indoctrinated by their dominateering religions. (which is why i think I understand Elton John's hatred of religion , - and I kind of agree with him, to think it should be banned) he thinks more for the gay reasons, whereas I think it more for the much broader reasons like, comsuption, wealth, greed, that manifests society's behaviour to condone mass oppression (thats where I disagree/dislike him), funny you saying they are 'willing to pay for surgery, hmmmmm, do you mean to 'correct' the gender orientation of such individuals (and that's also to disregard or even to push the gayness under the carpet by doing them a 'favour' to jump the gender fence?
If so then it is well is the SAME thing here with the Deaf, many countries's government are willing to pay for Cochlear implant surgeries to 'correct' the deafness - according to the hearing ideological preceptions to 'help' deaf to jump the fence to be 'hearing'.
funny you say this too, about 120 years ago, at the time around the Milan conference and shortly afterwards for about 20-30 years eugenicists envisioned to ban marriages between deaf people too, to wipe out (genocide) the deaf community/people. But it never eventuated because A.G. Bell believed it oralism is strong enough to do the damage (and probably cheaper too, while though it was so compelling and would have easily have happened if he agreed. honestly I am not even SURE why he refused. (this is just one example of why politics are NOT to be trusted, they say one thing and do another).
Here is the link about Bell's contribution to eugenics, to carry out control to wipe out the deaf race...while NOT actually enforcing marriage ban but could have easily so...
Through Deaf Eyes . Deaf Life . Signing, Alexander Graham Bell and the NAD | PBS
Good to see some humor about this issue. 