If you are black, a woman, or christian do you think there are laws that protect you from discrimination in the workplace, or getting fired because of who you are? The answer is yes. If you are being bullied at work or in school because you are a woman, black, or christian there are laws that you can find that will protect you. Unfortunately, not for gay people. There are only 19 states that have anti-discrimination laws in place for gay people. This means that in 31 states it is possible to be fired for being gay. This is bad and is leading gay people to not want to come out and be who they truly are. In schools kids can not find legal protection, so they get bullied repeatedly which can lead to depression and suicide. This is why we as a nation need to put laws in place to protect these people.
Suicide is a big issue among people being bullied. SPEAK article says, “About 30% of completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis.” This statistic is overwhelmingly based on almost all teenaged aged kids. The discrimination does not end with kids, it happens in the workplace too. The Center for American Progress says, “Eight percent to 17 percent of gay or transgender workers report being passed over for a job or fired because of their sexual orientation.”
We see protest everyday for many different things including, black lives matter, equal pay, and recently marriage equality which is now legal. The problem of anti-discrimination in the workplace and schools has not been addressed as much. I believe more people need to have their voices heard. You can do this with support, protest, and petitions. If enough people are speaking out for equality and anti-hate, it will change. Anti-discrimination needs to be a federal law, that you can find legal help if you are being bullied for something you can not control. It could be hard with our government right now. Many of our government officials do not believe in equality for all people. This could be a reason not to do anything until we have government officials who believe in equality. Some may say it would be too hard to get something passed, or it would take too much time and we have more important things to address. To them I say yes, it may be difficult. 19 states have already passed laws in place providing this safety, and many others show support. I am sure that if we bring this to a federal issue we can make a change. If majority of society speaks up against this hate there will be a change.
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Unfortunately, many kids feel insecure and take it out on kids who are not “normal.” CNN reports a story of a young boy who was bullied. They report, “11 year old Jaheem Herrera woke up on April 16th acting strangely. He wasn’t hungry and he didn’t want to go to school. He went to school anyway…and came home much happier than when he left….A little later, when his younger sister called him down to eat, Jaheem didn’t answer. Jaheem was hanging by his belt in the closet.” This young boy had complained about being called gay repeatedly, Jaheem didn’t even know what it meant. There is such hate surrounding this word, so much that some can not handle it anymore.
Although we are getting to be a more progressive country, there are still many people stuck in a white, straight, male supremacy set of mind. It is hard for us to see this living in a blue town and overwhelmingly liberal state that does allow people to find legal help if they are being discriminated against. Many of the white, christian, straight, males who don’t believe in equality say that it should be legal to fire someone for being gay. Recently, there was a woman named Kim Davis whose job is giving marriage licenses. When a gay couple went in to get married, she denied them the license. If somebody walked in and had brown eyes, and you had something against people with brown eyes would you say they couldn’t get married? Even though it is your job to hand out marriage licenses?
Living in the U.S we sometimes feel like we live in the perfect nation. Sometimes we think that there is no racism, sexism, or other types of discrimination against people. Although we are better more progressive nation this still goes on. Recently more progress has been made for transgender and gay rights. Many people think that this is a new thing, but people have been discriminated for this forever. In the holocaust one of the major groups that were sent to camps and killed were homosexual men. Then in the AIDS crisis homosexual and transgender people were pushed away for untrue and unclear stigmas. Even today there is still discrimination. Only recently was gay marriage legalized, and transgendered people are fighting now to use the bathroom of their choice. Though many groups are discriminated in the U.S, the LGBTQ population is one of the most throughout United States History. This is done with stigmas, propaganda, and lack of education. This shows why so many people have not wanted gay marriage to be legalized. The LGBTQ community has expirenced so much stigma and bias from history.
The AIDS epidemic was devastating for the gay community. It built walls and separation with the straight community. I believe that if it had not happened, same-sex marriage would have happened sooner. Many LGBTQ people were blamed, persecuted, and ignored. In 1980 first news of death and diseases of many gay people started coming in. As more and more reports started coming in that trans and gay people started getting sick and dying from this new disease that no one could cure, discrimination started. Since this was a new disease they needed to name it something. They were blaming the LGBTQ community for this disease so they decided to call it GRID(Gay-Related Immune Deficiency).
The disease got its final name which is AIDS(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Because of the name GRID more and more stereotypes and stigmas started against these people. Since being gay and or transgender was not accepted many of these people would meet in “Bath Clubs” where they would have sex with many people without protection.
There was lack of education because no one talked about it in society. They felt that these clubs were they only places that they could be who they are and that was special to them. Sadly because of the unprotected sex with many people the new disease was spread even quicker. Some of the symptoms and characteristics of AIDS/HIV are weight loss, hair loss from chemotherapy, and kaposi’s sarcoma which are purplish spots on the skin. So now even with the discrimination against gay and transgendered people they couldn’t hide if they had AIDS.
There were now characteristics that people could see. Gay people who had AIDS would sit down at a restaurant and people would whisper and move away from them. Sometimes they would not let people in if they had these characteristics. After many years these stigmas got less and less, they are not completely gone but they are better than they were.
Although gay marriage was a big issue, now it is the bathroom issue for transgender people. Over the last 20-30 years transgendered people have been more accepted to be who they are in society. Sadly many people said they did not want transgendered people to use the bathroom of which they identify with. This was overridden by President Obama. Sadly President Trump took this away and said states will decide. This is sad because many states will not pass this, so this will leave these people to not be who they are or move to a more accepting community. If people keep fighting for these rights it can and will change.
Kim Davis who was sent to jail, but was later freed. In a Fox News interview Kim Davis talked with show host Megyn Kelly. David Ermold the man who was denied a marriage licence asked Davis, “ Under whose authority are you not issuing licences?” Davis answered, “Under God’s authority.” Megyn Kelly asked Davis, “And yet what if your child was gay or lesbian?” Davis responded, “I wouldn’t write them a licence, no way.” It is the views that people have like Kim Davis that is sparking this discrimination in the workplace and schools.
The other side of the argument for gay marriage is that Kim Davis was in the right. Many right wing religious people believe that gay people should not get married. Kim Davis who was jailed for five days for not giving a marriage license to a gay couple; was later released of all charges. She wrote a book called “Under God’s Authority” about her side of the story and why same sex couples should not get married. Many people stand behind her including most of our government at the moment.
I watched a documentary called “The Case Against 8.” It is about the battle for same sex marriage. It shows the side of equality. I stand with this side, it makes more sense. People are people and others shouldn’t have a right in deciding who they can be with.
It can clearly be seen that the legalization of same-sex marriage has turn from a moral right into a civil right. Same-sex couples have the right to the very same benefits that heterosexual couples do. They are both human. Legalizing same-sex marriage has helped the relationship of gay people become more respected in society. Just as important, the legalization of same-sex marriage also has a spiritual significance, it shows that the society respects all people and protects for all citizens. There is no doubt that all citizens contribute to society, so they have the same rights. Marriage is not a privilege of a certain group of people, everyone has the right to marry.
Straight people have the right to be married, then there is no reason that gay people do not have the right to get married legally. Concerns for same sex marriage around the world are that no government has the right to say someone can’t get married. Why does it matter if two people who care and love each other get married? Who does it hurt? Before legalization same-sex couples freedom was broken because they were not able to marry their partner who they love. The U.S. government officially allowed same-sex marriage on 27th June 2015.
‘Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else…America should be very proud’ President Barack Obama said. The legalization of same-sex marriage in America has created hope for for LGBTQ people all over the world that there will be a day they can marry to the one they love in their own country. Many countries have followed this and have legalized gay marriage in their countries too.
We can not let these people make us take steps back in what we have already accomplished in equality. As a gay person seeing that it took this long to get same-sex marriage legalized is sad. Not too long ago interracial couples were not aloud to get married. I believe that if we speak out we can get a federal law passed. If people so that the people in our future do not have to deal or worry about being who they are. No one should have to be fearful at the work or in school that they are going to be bullied. Marriage is between two people, it doesn’t concern others. People like Kim Davis have an issue with this should shut the hell up and mind their own business. We live in a world and have a government that makes people think it is okay to put others down. Instead of worrying about bigger issues. The focus on what a fat, racist, homophobic slob in a red hat and long tie has to say. Our president is giving bullys like Kim Davis a voice where they are “right.” We as the MAJORITY vote can have our voices heard louder as long as we stand together and speak out.
Work Cited
- A.Peterson, Wally. “Why Kim Davis Was Right – And Is A Hero.” Off The Grid News, 13 Sept. 2015, www.offthegridnews.com/religion/why-kim-davis-was-right-and-is-a-hero/.
- CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
- Davis, Kim. “Under God’s Authority.” 26 Feb. 2018
- Discrimination and Harassment.’ Center for American Progress. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
- Grinberg, Emanuella, and Dani Stewart. “3 Myths in the Transgender Bathroom Debate.” CNN, Cable News Network, 8 Mar. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/health/transgender-bathroom-law-facts-myths/index.html.
- HBO “The Case Against 8.” 18 Jan. 2014
- “HIV Stigma and Discrimination.” AVERT, 9 Apr. 2018, www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-social-issues/stigma-discrimination. ‘ .’ Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
- ”Kelly File’ Exclusive: Kim Davis Speaks out about Time in Jail; Couple Denied Marriage License Shares Their Side.’ Fox News. FOX News Network, 23 Sept. 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
