In my issue brief, I will be extending my research for my civic issues blog by addressing the need for increased protections for the LGBTQ+ community in America. It is my sincere belief that our country’s foundational values of liberty and equality should be extended to all regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. No one should have to hide who they are in the medical field, in an academic field, or in a professional field out of fear of being discriminated against. Since visibility for the LGBTQ+ community has increased over the last century, debate has been ongoing between conservatives and progressives regarding the legitimacy and equality of LGBTQ+ individuals. There are a variety of questions that surround this topic. Should LGBTQ+ people be considered equal citizens? Should they be given equal legal protection? Should state governments or the federal government regulate LGBTQ+ protections?
The lack of universally guaranteed protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals has been caused by an intentional lack of action in the past. While progressives heavily favor new legislation that would ensure full equality for LGBTQ+ people, conservatives have always been in opposition to this type of reform. Conservatives and religious conservatives have prevented policy change in this area of government for decades. In addition, conservatives have enacted legislation that purposefully discriminates against the LGBTQ+ community.
In order to create sweeping reform, system changes need to be accompanied by capacity builders. Hate speech and discrimination in all areas of society need to be made illegal. At the same time, educational programs and effective communication need to be put in place to explain the urgency of protective legislation for LGBTQ+ people. Persuasive public service announcements often feature anecdotes from individuals who have suffered due to a poor choice or lack of action. It may prove beneficial to highlight stories of discrimination that real people have faced as a way of proving the necessity of such legislation. Also, federal laws need to be passed so that protections for the LGBTQ+ community are universal. In the United States, there should be zero inconsistencies in the equal rights of all citizens.
Julia Jakuboski
March 16, 2021 — 10:17 pm
Hi Maddie!
This is a really important topic. Your civic issue blogs have been thorough and thoughtful, I cannot wait to see what you do with this in a policy discussion. The passing of the Equality Act gives me hope for the future of the LBGTQ+ community, but it was also disheartening to see 206 Representatives vote against it. Only three Republicans voted yes. How can we increase protections when we have people in office voting against their basic human rights? We do need system changes to protect the LBGTQ+ community on a national scale. I look forward to seeing your work!
mgh5303
March 17, 2021 — 5:26 pm
Thank you for your comment Julia. I am also hopefully for the passage of the Equality Act. New legislation will be a large focus of my issue brief.
Christian Franke
March 17, 2021 — 3:21 am
I think this will make a good issue brief. I can see you care a lot about this topic. Im looking forward to leaning more about how we can improve the rights of the LQBTQ+ community.
mgh5303
March 17, 2021 — 5:27 pm
Thank you for your comment Christian. I am glad that my enthusiam for equality comes through in my writing. In my issue brief, I hope that my enthusiasm can translate into passionate writing.
laa5448
March 17, 2021 — 4:30 am
Hi Maddie! I love the topic of your issue brief and because you and I both have very similar civic issue blogs, I was even thinking of doing something regarding LGBTQ+ right for my issue brief as well. I think you have a great foundation/direction for where you want to go with your piece. The only SLIGHT issue that I could see forsee is the broadness of the topic. Unfortunately in our society, LGBTQ+ Americans lack the same equal rights that other Americans do in MANY areas of daily life. So I would just keep in mind that some parts of the issue brief (such as employment, healthcare, hate crimes) may need to be emphasized more than others to maintain a focused path for the work. I can’t wait to see the work that you bring 😀
mgh5303
March 17, 2021 — 5:29 pm
Thank you for your comment Lindsay. You addressed my main concern regarding my topic which is specificity. I will try to focus on discrimination in the workplace and in the public sphere such as discussing the prevalence of LGBTQ+ hate crimes.