Gay Rights by Catherine Rost

The issue of gay rights is not one of minimal importance, affecting only gays or small communities. Rather, it is a topic concerning American society as a whole. The issue spans from marriage laws to hate crimes. The homosexual community, generally accepted as LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) has been fighting for equality for many years. Their efforts and goals affect not only them, but also their friends, family, communities, and networks.

            The struggle for gay rights parallels the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In both cases, people were denied basic rights based on who they were, something they could not and cannot change. The gay community is a minority, and is discriminated upon as such in the professional field, real estate, and many other various aspects of daily life.  Throughout American history, accepting a minority group has always taken time. Negative attitudes and conflict between groups is common. However, it is appalling to me that these negative attitudes are reflected and encouraged by our legislation.  Although Florida is one of many states that has not legalized gay marriage, it is one of only two states that has not legalized gay adoption. Why are we not doing more to change this? One prime example of these unfair laws that always comes to mind to prove how unjust they truly are is a case in Florida in 1996. An eleven year old girl was taken away from her lesbian mother and custody was given to the father, a convicted murderer and accused child molester. The judge ruled that this man was a better-fit parent than a lesbian. How could this happen?

            The solution to the issue of gay rights is simple: equality. Homosexuals should not be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. They are a minority group that is not receiving equal rights. The solution to this problem is to give them the rights they deserve. Allow them to serve in our military, legalize marriage that includes the benefits that heterosexuals receive in marriage, include violent acts against homosexuals in hate crime laws and subsequent punishments. Just as people of various races should not be judged based on their skin color, people should not be judged or discriminated against because of who they love. Sexual orientation is part of a person, but it does not and should not define them, and thus they should not be treated differently than anyone else.

            Research proves that sexual orientation is not a choice, hence why it was changed from sexual “preference” to “orientation” in 1982. The common reasons for discriminating against homosexuals include religious reasons and beliefs that homosexuals molest children or have an agenda that includes taking over the country. Although the Bible does say that laying with a man as one lays with a woman is an “abomination,” it says the same about eating shellfish. People who eat shrimp are not prevented from getting married or discriminated against in any apparent way. There is also no evidence that suggests there are any more homosexual child molesters than heterosexual, and there is no evidence or claim by homosexuals that they have an agenda that involves anything other than equal rights. Research also shows that although gays have been continually discriminated against throughout history, the have been gaining support and momentum as time goes on. Studies show an increasing acceptance of and comfortableness with homosexuality. They also show that interaction with homosexuals positively correlates with acceptance. The numbers supporting gay marriage are also increasing.  As many fighters in this battle have said, including politician Harvey Milk, if every homosexual came out, the battle would be over. So for all of those that are still in the closet, we need to open our mouths for them and fight for their rights. America was built on freedom and the pursuit of happiness, so we should all want to fight to get back to these ideals. For justice and equality.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Convicted+killer,+not+lesbian+mother,+awarded+custody+of…-a018341036

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.fgcu.edu/hww/results/results_single_ftPES.jhtml

Gallop Poll News Service May 27, 2009

This entry was posted on 11. November 2009 at 19:20 and is filed under Social Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.