Sexual Orientation

When a small group of people is different from another, that group is sometimes discriminated against.  This discrimination is brought upon by the fact that they are simply different from the majority.  People seemingly don’t like different people, as they look down on them for their differences.  Aside from the obvious external differences such as skin color, there are differences that can be hidden, sometimes on purpose.  Sexual orientation is a major factor in people getting discriminated against just for being who they really are.  People who are part of the LGBTQ community have put up with hate and discrimination for centuries, and while the situation is much better today than the past, the discrimination is still very alive and real.

Homosexuals were originally normal in society, while in some places they were even encouraged.  Plato wrote that love between two males is the highest form of love, and that heterosexual love is merely “lustful and utilitarian”.  This view of homosexuals changed in the early centuries, as Christianity and the view of it being a sin spread.  As time went on, the punishments got worse, until sodomy was punished by death in many places around the world.  In the 19th century, countries began to decriminalize homosexual acts, and then by the 20th century, nations began allowing gay marriages to occur.

Since same sex marriage has been legalized nationwide, there has been a backlash against the fundamental right.  People say that marriage is a sacred bond, and that allowing gay people to get married would ruin the sanctity of marriage.  This mindset allows people to think that it is ok to deny same sex marriage.  People let their own beliefs influence how the treat other people.  Businesses also have been known to be against same sex marriage.  After the national legalization of same sex marriage, states began passing laws that allowed businesses to deny services to gay people.  One famous example of an anti-gay business is Chick-fil-a.  The CEO of the company is outspokenly anti-gay and the company gives millions of dollars to organizations that have anti-gay agendas.

Gay rights aren’t the only things being discussed, Transgender rights are recently a hot topic in the news, because of the North Carolina bathroom bill.  The bill disabled people from using bathrooms of which they identify as, rather they have to use the gender that is on their birth certificate.  The bill also nullified any local laws that gives protections to LGBT people and prevents local governments from passing any such laws in the future.

The bill sparked a nationwide debate that shows the dichotomy of America.  There is a split between the people that support those that are transgender and those that do not.  One thing that one must keep in mind, however, is that some people are for the bill because they are looking out for their children’s safety.  They believe that their children will be the safest if they are only with their same gender in the bathrooms.  While this is a very valid point, I believe that it is logically flawed.  Transgender people are not rapists just because they happen to not identify with their birth sex.  One could also assume that if a person is going to be doing such a horrible crime in the first place, then they are probably not going to follow the gender signs on the bathroom doors.

The LGBTQ community has come a long way in achieving equal rights.  Same sex marriage is now legal and some anti-discrimination laws are in effect to create equal rights, but there are still inequalities that live on in society that disable LGBT people from having the same quality of life as everyone else.