Second to post, not bad

Here, you have a young man. He tries his best at school and is nice to everyone he meets. Yet he constantly gets harassed, bullied, and even threatened by his peers. He does his best to tune out the constant persecution he receives; but eventually, he can’t take it anymore and ends his own life. He was gay.

Countless stories like this have been reported over and over again throughout the nation, where entire communities rejected people due to their sexuality – homosexuals are possessed by demons, because the bible said so. The words “gay” and “homo” have degraded to the point of being used as insults. I have caught myself using them as such many a times.

I inquire, how is this any different than how the blacks were treated during the civil rights era, when they were persecuted because of the color of their skin? How is this any different than how the Jews were treated during World War II, when they were persecuted because of their religious beliefs? There is absolutely no reason for this kind of discrimination in this time and age, in a society as advanced and sophisticated as ours. I implore the people to look past their prejudices, and accept gays as members of this diverse society.

Homosexuality is not a choice. A person does not wake up in the morning and think to himself, “You know what, I feel like being gay today”. In the same way that straights are attracted to people of the opposite sex, gays are attracted to people of the same sex; there is no conscious decision involved. As studies have proven, homosexuality results from a mixture of biological and environmental factors. Yet still, they’re being attacked, physically and mentally, for something that they have no control over, something that they didn’t choose. But do you know what is a choice? Being homophobic. Being afraid that someone else is different than you. Being prejudiced by choice against a group of people over something that the group has no choice over. That is a choice, and a poor one at that.

Homosexuality is not a crime. We have grown past the age where we believe in magic and monsters. Yet still, the friendly neighborhood Fundamentalist insists that gays are possessed by unholy demons and are agents of the very devil himself. To condemn a group by accusing them of being satanic creatures is unfounded and absurd. They are people just like you and me, just like the millions of other people in this nation, not some diabolical creature out of a silly book. The only difference is that they value different things, surely something that does not make a group “evil” by definition?

Homosexuality does not ruin lives. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Studies have again and again shown states that ban gay marriages have higher divorce rates. Marriage is between two people who love each other, regardless of factors like race or social status. So why should gender matter? Why should two people who truly love each other not be allowed to wed? If gay marriage is legalized, families would not be destroyed, the sanctity of marriages would not be defiled, a third World War would not break out. A little more equality would just be created.

I’m not ashamed to say that I won’t be voting for Rick Perry, but you don’t need to watch the news every night to know that there’s something wrong in this country when politicians can openly spew homophobic, bigoted rhetoric and still gain support.

This country established itself on the principal of equal treatment of all. The path towards that dream has already been paved; many states have already legalized gay marriage. Yet on the same hand, many still refuse to. People still view gays as some sort of inhumane creature. In the same way that other minority groups have won equal rights in the past, it is now the homosexual community’s turn to receive their proper treatment. It is long overdue to correct this injustice.

Bibliography

"Divorce Rates Lower in States with Same-Sex Marriage - US News and World Report." US News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals, and More. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .

For the Bible Tells Me So. Dir. Daniel G. Karslake. First Run Features, 2007. Film.

"N.Y. Students Suspended after Gay Teen's Suicide - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .