This country is not called the land of the free for nothing. The constitution states the rights of every citizen regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity; therefore homosexuals should be afforded the same equal rights and protections. The Civil Rights movement was meant to destroy hatred and discrimination. Unfortunately these citizens are being beaten, battered, and bullied because of their beliefs. Americans are ours; everyone that belongs to us deserves freedom from all discomfort and discrimination. So why is it that these living, breathing, mammals are shunned for their life styles? Some people argue that homosexuality is inhumane and disturbing. This same statement was about African Americans in one place and time as well. Did they stop fighting when they got beat down? No! America is a land of people who fight for what they believe and don’t stop until their voices are heard. Its time to stand up and create a new civil rights movement that fights for everyone who is homosexual, heterosexual, black, white, male or female. Everyone deserves equality. In reality we all have hearts that beat the same, lungs that breathe the same, and brains that think the same.
There is not only one religion, one church, one race, one gender; so why should marriage only be between one man and one woman? Marriage signifies love, beauty, commitment, and honor. It is two souls merging into one as they meet in the middle for eternity. Everyone has their own beliefs, and some people just cannot be won over. With that being said, how is saying homosexuals should be able to marry any different than saying heterosexuals can? Is it fair to give one couple the right to spend their lives in holy matrimony and deny the other? Americans today have choices. They have the choice to believe, understand, and encourage, but they also have to choice to hate, deceive, and brutalize. Which choice would you want our country to make if you were the one suffering?
In today’s religious world homosexuality is shunned. Christian churches believe that marriage is solemnly between one man and one woman with no exceptions. It is not to say, though, that I do not believe Christians are entitled to their own morals. It is written that Jesus Christ died on the cross for every man, woman, and child’s sins. He forgives those who have sinned against him, and it is his place to judge those who come before him after death. So what right does any human being have to judge and ridicule those who believe their own way? Everyone sins. Why must religion and sexuality come together in these ways? How is it anyone’s right to preach what may, or may not be, sinful to those whose lives are lived separately from religion? At the end of the day, they are both a way of life and should be treated as such. Freedom of religion is practiced in every state; though some refuse to accept the truth of it. These freedoms should be expressed by extending the “equal rights” for transsexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, and heterosexuals alike.
The homosexuals are not completely at a loss in the fact that in some states homosexuality is accepted. States like Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York embrace the life style choices of their citizens. It is amazing to say that these people have all their civil rights including sexuality. Now, I dare to prick your mind; if these states can get along successfully while granting everyone equal rights why is the other states of America any different? This small space on the planet that we call the United States of America means more than a simple home. United means joined together as one. Each state should come together and make this right legal for all. Nationwide rights for all homosexuals will low the suicide rates, and bullying rates.
The reason children are being a bullying is because they are being interrogated. They are listening to the words of hatred from others that are against homosexuality so they think it is wrong. This is a tragedy because they should be learning to be whoever they want to be, and to be comfortable in their own skin while accepting others in theirs. The bullying of young homosexuals has been on the rise and, consequently, so has the suicide rate in these age groups. Homosexuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are five times more likely to commit suicide due to bullying than anyone else. In 1993 there were 4,960 completed suicides among the United States’ youth, who were ages 15 to 24 years. The numbers have increased dramatically since then. In today’s world about 9 out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LBGT) teens have reported being bullied at school within the past year because of their sexual orientation.
Bullying, however, is not just going on in schools. Wars rise against rights when the Mormon religion stepped in to put in their thoughts about gay rights in America. "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained from God.” (Site this THE NEW RELIGIOUS RIGHT). As previously stated, the Mormons, as well as any other religious ethnicity, have a right to their beliefs. Why is it okay for homosexuals to be denied that right? Mormons and Christians do not agree on much of anything, but when gay rights are brought up they both seem to take up their wooden crosses. Mormon churches believe that men are entitled to have more than one wife. Now, it is important to also understand that Mormons have some of the same religious views has Christian’s. Christians live by the Ten Commandments, one being “thou shall not commit adultery.” Is having more than one wife not committing adultery? To conclude, it makes sense to say that Mormons are committing more of a sin than homosexuals are. Their beliefs are logical to some extent, and have some grasp of sentimental value, to which they are completely entitled to. There are verses in the Bible which state these beliefs plainly; they destroy the ideas of freedom, justice, peace, and happiness. Christians, however argue that the only way to find happiness in matrimony is between man and woman. An unknown understanding is that if religious parties are allowed to believe what they believe in every aspect of themselves then it is not perfectly human to allow everyone to believe in whatever it is they believe. In some cases it is not even just gay rights that have been denied there rights it is almost everything that the church does not believe in. It is more than safe to say that the churches are influencing the turmoil behind the right of freedom to believe whatever you so choose.
Some citizens just feel that homosexuality is disgusting and vulgar. They, as well as everyone else, have a right to their own thoughts and feelings. However, homosexuals do not go around protested that a man and a women should not be allowed to marry because it disturbs them. This ends up being the beginning of the horrible accusations of homosexuals and sexually transmitted diseases. The pandemic of AIDS is just as mortifying as the rumor that “gays caused aids.” It has been proven that people who do not associate with the same sex are just as likely to contract any sexually transmitted disease as a person who is gay, bi or lesbian. One in every 8 people contracts a sexually transmitted disease in a life time. This statistic does not separate homosexuals and heterosexuals this is a combination of the two. Some people are even born with a sexually transmitted disease and they might not ever be homosexual. It’s sad that people put homosexuality and sexually transmitted diseases hand in hand when in not all cases this is a fact.
Some people discriminate because they do not understand the beliefs or characteristics of a certain person. In order to decide for yourself if you believe homosexual should have equal rights try to understand who they are. It is also important to have an understanding for what they are asking for. Homosexuals are human beings. It is as simple as gender. A lesbian is a female who is completely attracted to other females. A gay male is the same except with another male. It gets more complicated when you get into the ideas of bi-sexual and pan-sexual. A bi-sexual is attracted to both males and females. A pan-sexual is probably the most complicated yet most easy to understand. They are attracted to personality. The gender of a person does not affect the attraction. They are simply viewing the soul of a person without including the gender. In a nonromantic aspect America should be pan-sexual. They should stop looking at gender at the same time they are looking at love. Love does not know any gender, race, or ethnicity. Would your feelings change if you knew someone who was homosexual? Watching a friend suffer from discrimination because they are homosexual put it into a different aspect. What if the women at the bank who cashed your check could have a wife at home? How about the mailman who has delivered your mail for eight years who is engaged to another man? A homosexual can be anyone, but not anyone can be a homosexual.