Of course, I'm not talking about everyone here. Sure, there will be people who are indifferent; not everyone who chooses to stay silent means that they're really conceding. Maybe, there's just not enough time in the day to deal with equality.
Homosexuality. A word we've all heard of, be it from the news or from friends. We don't like to consider taboo subjects simply because it's different. We don't want to be put in the spotlight, we want to stay in the gray zone, where we don't stand out. To seek acceptance is our goal, yet at the same time we ourselves are not accepting.
Imagine. You wake up one morning but you are not allowed to go to school. Maybe not that. But you can not visit your sick friend at the hospital or your paycheck is less than the employee who works below you. Or, after serving tirelessly in the military, you do no receive the benefits. That is a nightmare more than 6 million in America deal with every day. It's true that discrimination still goes strong in today's world. Homosexuals and bisexuals are constantly persecuted in several environments, be it in the medical sector or in the armed forces. And hardly any protection is provided. Thirty-two states in the United States provide no protection for this persecution. That is a large number, considering the size of the states that do give some haven.
Our country was founded on equality. The fact that we are all born human, and that we are ensured equality means that there should not be any discrimination. What is difference? Maybe you are wearing red, and I am wearing blue. We are marked by what we do, but at the end of the day we all need sleep. We all are humans who function the same way. So then what gives people the right to laugh at other people and call them wrong? Just because you are sexually oriented a different way, whose to say how you can or can not live your life?
America is known for its freedom. People have traveled to these United States of America over time to find freedom and opportunity that is lost in other places. The Declaration of Independence lists life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as inalienable rights of man. How can we take away from people who are not harming others? We do not discriminate between a man and a woman like today. We should not discriminate based on whether you are homosexual or straight. When we reflect on what we have done, can we still truly call ourselves Americans? People who rise every day knowing they have the freedom of expression, thought, and assembly. This destroys the definition of America. This injustice must end. We, as humans, do not have a right to harm others. Homosexual people are not "weird" or "creepy". They are people, just like us, that want to live their lives with acceptance and love. A woman or a man may just be trying to buy milk on a typical Sunday. They are jeered at because in their other hand is a person of the same sex. We can not even allow a fellow being to buy milk anymore. Some people can not even set foot into a store.
Homosexuals are a helpful part of our society today. Statistics report that 60 percent of homosexuals are college graduates, compared to a relative 18 percent nation wide. Forty-nine percent of gays and lesbians work in professional and management jobs, compared to 16 percent nation wide. Looking at these statistics, these are a decent fraction of the people who will lead our future. However, gays earn 11 to 27 percent less than straight men, while lesbians earn 6 to 14 percent less than straight women. Why does this ceiling in earnings continue to exist? We already oppose the glass ceiling on woman's earnings compared to men, so this case should not be any different.
Some of the policies in this nation that are damaging to homosexuals include the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy enforced by the U.S. military. Essentially this does not allow homosexuals to come out of the closet as compared to their counterpart heterosexual soldiers. "It's hard enough being gay in an already intolerant world. Recently, Army recruiter Sgt. Marcia Ramode, with the Brownsville Recruiting Station in Brooklyn, N.Y., contacted and tried to sign up a man by the name of Corey Andrew Powell. He asked if the Army would accept him despite the fact that he is gay. Ramode allegedly responded via her military e-mail address that he could not join because "being gay is disgusting and immoral" and added "you must be a total idiot and so stupid to presume that you do not know what gender you are" and that he "should leave the United States.""(Marine Corps Times, Fort Worth).
Why can't the United States actually be proactive and allow all to join, despite sexual orientation? We have fought many wars all against intolerance, thus serving as a beacon for other nations to emulate. Yet we house that same ego in our armed forces, amongst men and women who have committed themselves for their nation? Britain, Israel, and Canada allow open arms to all, despite orientation, and still have strong armed forces. Are not all people created equal?
Analyzing the injustices that exist today, companies and public services should not discriminate based on personal beliefs and orientations. That ego is just as bad as restricting a Jew or a Muslim for entering a mall because the Jew wears a skull cap and the Muslim wears a hijab. That is the absolute restriction of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And it is on this note that, as Susan B. Anthony says, we propose to fight our battle-all peaceably, but nevertheless persistently through to complete triumph, when all United States citizens shall be recognized as equals before the law.
GAY STRAIGHT BLACK OR WHITE, MARRIAGE IS A CIVIL RIGHT!
A speech recently given at a high school. It extracts the meaning of what we see, though we may be unaware.
And the beautiful quote that started it all:
To sum it up, I do believe in this cause, that nobody, nobody, should be discriminated against because of difference.
I am straight but I am not narrow.
Our country was founded on equality. The fact that we are all born human, and that we are ensured equality means that there should not be any discrimination. What is difference? Maybe you are wearing red, and I am wearing blue. We are marked by what we do, but at the end of the day we all need sleep. We all are humans who function the same way. So then what gives people the right to laugh at other people and call them wrong? Just because you are sexually oriented a different way, whose to say how you can or can not live your life?
America is known for its freedom. People have traveled to these United States of America over time to find freedom and opportunity that is lost in other places. The Declaration of Independence lists life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as inalienable rights of man. How can we take away from people who are not harming others? We do not discriminate between a man and a woman like today. We should not discriminate based on whether you are homosexual or straight. When we reflect on what we have done, can we still truly call ourselves Americans? People who rise every day knowing they have the freedom of expression, thought, and assembly. This destroys the definition of America. This injustice must end. We, as humans, do not have a right to harm others. Homosexual people are not "weird" or "creepy". They are people, just like us, that want to live their lives with acceptance and love. A woman or a man may just be trying to buy milk on a typical Sunday. They are jeered at because in their other hand is a person of the same sex. We can not even allow a fellow being to buy milk anymore. Some people can not even set foot into a store.
Homosexuals are a helpful part of our society today. Statistics report that 60 percent of homosexuals are college graduates, compared to a relative 18 percent nation wide. Forty-nine percent of gays and lesbians work in professional and management jobs, compared to 16 percent nation wide. Looking at these statistics, these are a decent fraction of the people who will lead our future. However, gays earn 11 to 27 percent less than straight men, while lesbians earn 6 to 14 percent less than straight women. Why does this ceiling in earnings continue to exist? We already oppose the glass ceiling on woman's earnings compared to men, so this case should not be any different.
Some of the policies in this nation that are damaging to homosexuals include the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy enforced by the U.S. military. Essentially this does not allow homosexuals to come out of the closet as compared to their counterpart heterosexual soldiers. "It's hard enough being gay in an already intolerant world. Recently, Army recruiter Sgt. Marcia Ramode, with the Brownsville Recruiting Station in Brooklyn, N.Y., contacted and tried to sign up a man by the name of Corey Andrew Powell. He asked if the Army would accept him despite the fact that he is gay. Ramode allegedly responded via her military e-mail address that he could not join because "being gay is disgusting and immoral" and added "you must be a total idiot and so stupid to presume that you do not know what gender you are" and that he "should leave the United States.""(Marine Corps Times, Fort Worth).
Why can't the United States actually be proactive and allow all to join, despite sexual orientation? We have fought many wars all against intolerance, thus serving as a beacon for other nations to emulate. Yet we house that same ego in our armed forces, amongst men and women who have committed themselves for their nation? Britain, Israel, and Canada allow open arms to all, despite orientation, and still have strong armed forces. Are not all people created equal?
Analyzing the injustices that exist today, companies and public services should not discriminate based on personal beliefs and orientations. That ego is just as bad as restricting a Jew or a Muslim for entering a mall because the Jew wears a skull cap and the Muslim wears a hijab. That is the absolute restriction of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And it is on this note that, as Susan B. Anthony says, we propose to fight our battle-all peaceably, but nevertheless persistently through to complete triumph, when all United States citizens shall be recognized as equals before the law.
GAY STRAIGHT BLACK OR WHITE, MARRIAGE IS A CIVIL RIGHT!
A speech recently given at a high school. It extracts the meaning of what we see, though we may be unaware.
And the beautiful quote that started it all:
"Why is it, that as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns, than holding hands?" - Ernest Gaines
To sum it up, I do believe in this cause, that nobody, nobody, should be discriminated against because of difference.
I am straight but I am not narrow.
Wow, all this is so true. I mean, we don't think about it much, but it's a great issue in our society. I think that although changing the perception of difference in our culture is a difficult task, just the fact that we can see our problems signifies hope in a new direction.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well written article on a widespread social issue. Basic respect dictates that we must respect other people's beliefs, regardless of what our own beliefs are. The least that we can do is respect homosexuals beliefs and allow them to enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else does.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe America is so far behind in its own principles. When we are given these same rights, why are they not given to others? When the majority cannot see the unfairness that they embody, we, the people that see it around us, must do something to advocate, and to enforce the rights that we are given.
ReplyDeleteI just keep re-reading this over and over again. I hope that if some homophobic person reads this, it can change their mind and their views, and then then they can pass it along to other people, and soon this big chain reaction will start, and the world will be a better place because you decided to blog your speech.
ReplyDeleteWrite some more. =]
nice analysis and statistics on the issue of homosexuality. it's true, the persectuion of homosexuality is no less than the persecution of african-americans and other races, and it needs to be resolved in the US. i think what can strengthen your stance is by responding to potential arguments of your opponents.
ReplyDeletesince i was raised in an anti-homosexual family and i know some of the arguments. the main crux people use to back their anti-homosexual positions is the bible. however, the main fallacy with this argument is that the bible never mentions homosexuality as a sin. all the prophets never mentioned it, yet people are twisting the truth of the bible. until somebody clearly identifies one legitimate piece of evidence stating that the bible condemns homosexuality (the old testament doesn't count. there aremney things we know are wrong in the old testament, such as polygamy and slavery), then these protestors have no right to use religion to back their arguments. after all, it was the misinterpretation of religion is what leads to many atrocities in history. the roman catholic church sold indulgences, which were basically tickets to heaven, and now the Jihad uses religious motives to justify their acts of terrorism, despite the qu'ran clearly states the condemption of murder. it's disgusting how people distort religion, and people need to clearly understand what they say before they take a position. i hate myself for originally being a homophobe, and i still have traces of the feeling inside me. thanks for sharing this excerpt and i hope there will be a sense of justice in this world.