Human Rights.

The world is full of predigest and discriminating beliefs, and through the course of human history there have been struggles to stop such beliefs to bring equality to all human kind. Even though in parts of the world things have gotten better, they are still not perfect. For example, The Women’s Rights movement brought America much closer to ending Sexism. Women have a lot more rights that men have had, but Sexist beliefs and Gender rolls still can be found in the minds of individuals. Just the other day I was driving my Boyfriend and my Father (who had had a beer or two so he did not want to drive) into town. I needed to stop for gas so I did so, hopping out into the cold snow to fill up my tank. Seeing as it was my car and that I was driving, I thought it was my job to fill the tank. Apparently my father would disagree. I had been out in the cold for only five dollars worth of gas when my boyfriend hopped out and said he would pump the gas. I started to say that it was alright and that I could take care of it, but he insisted. Something in his eye told me to just let him. Seeing as it was quite cold, I got back into my car where my father told me that pumping gas is a man’s job and any time I have a man in the car with me I am to make him get out to pump gas. I told him I know how to pump gas, that I do it all the time throughout the week, but he insisted that I let the men handle it unless I’m alone or with only other women. I held my tongue, but I was really tempted to yell something about his sexist mind-set and hop back out of the car telling my Boyfriend to get back into the car. Looking back, I think I should have done just that instead of holding my tongue just to keep my father happy.

But Sexism isn’t the topic I meant to get on this week, neither is Racism. This week I would like to talk about Homophobia. In Linda Stout’s fourth chapter of Bridging the Class Divide, she talked about her peace group, the PPP, and how they all agreed on the subject of homophobia. One of the members of the group was a Lesbian, and the group all agreed that should the woman be targeted because of her sexuality, that they would all “come out of the closet” during the meeting that the issue would most likely be brought to the for-front. The PPP may not be a group to focus on Gay Rights, but they were all able to get over homophobia and stick together if the topic looked to threaten the group. One man had asked Linda what she would do if the group died because of the choice they made on the issue, and she said that if that were to happen, that they would simply start over. They chose not to back down just to keep there group from growing.

Gay Rights is currently one of the largest controversies America faces when it comes to Discrimination. More Homosexual and Bisexual people are “coming out” and are fighting for all of the rights that Heterosexual people have. Stories of extreme Violence against Homosexuals and Gay Rights activists seem to be on a rise as well. In the LA times, January 27th, 2011 news of an international Gay-Rights activist, David Kato’s murder was released. He was found beaten to death in his home. Poliece think it was simply a robbery but many others, including President Obama, disagree.

“LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights.” -Obama.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/01/kato-david-david-kato-uganda-lgbt.html
Gay Rights is an issue I feel strongly about. whenever the topic is brought up with me I find I have a lot to say and debate on the matter. Many points have been fired at me again and again on the subject, and for each of them, I have an answer, though I don’t always  voice it when the person(s) seem to be simply looking for a fight. I apologize in advance if any of this seems attacking. it is simply me getting my thoughts out for others to read. I am not trying to offend anyone.

“Gay marriage destroys the American family!” or “Gay Marriage will not destroy the American family”
Heterosexuals have done a fine job of this already. We have the highest divorce rate in the world. The number of children born out of wedlock is almost 40 percent. The number of marriages in which a partner is unfaithful is remarkably high. The incidences of child abuse, sexual abuse, abuse against women, etc. are epidemic, and this has led to a huge number of dysfunctional families. Also, it will not destroy the American family, because if gay marriage is open, it doesn’t mean everyone in the country will marry the same sex. Men and women will still marry each other and have the traditional family.

“The Bible condemns gay marriage and gay people are going to Hell.”
To think that the people who say this consider themselves to be good Christians! The Bible condemns divorce, living together before marriage, eating pork, dancing, working on the Sabbath, borrowing money, lending money, women speaking in church (or out of place when among men), drinking alcohol, adultery, taking the Lord’s name in vain, wearing clothes made of many fabrics, etc.. And in my humble opinion, God loves everyone and the only people who are going to Hell are those who are primarily evil. I would never presume what God would do and refuse to pass judgment on others. I believe that we should love sinners (that would be all of us!) Is God not Love? Does he not forgive? If it is a sin to love members of the same sex, what makes that sin any different from any other sin that is forgiven? Frankly, If god was not a loving god who forgives and would condemn someone for such a thing as falling in love and wanting to spend there life with the person, I don’t think I’d want to go into his so-called heaven.

“Gays cannot adopt children because the child will be teased, screwed up, become gay and become an outcast. A child must have a father and mother or they will suffer an “imbalance.””
Well, I just don’t buy this. A child is lucky to have ONE good parent. What about all the children of single parents or divorce? Are they doomed, too? And how many straight people are HORRIBLE parents? There is no evidence that children raised by gay couples become gay themselves. And children are cruel to everyone at that age. Love is love. Weather the child gets it from a man and a woman, or two men or two women. The children aren’t stupid and wont grow up thinking that just because he has two daddies he has to marry a boy too. They’ll be open to there own sexuality, and I imagine, they’d be even more open to whatever is right for them even more than a child who has a mum and a dad. Ridiculed, just because a kid has two loving fathers, or two loving mothers? What about the ridicule that the children of strait parents go through? The children with only one parent? The orphans who have no one? Children are cruel to children. And they find reasons, or make up reasons. I know what that ridicule feels like. Though I have a mother and a father, I was ridiculed from kindergarten to the end of my high-school days. I have no idea why I was chosen to be ridiculed above others who did have things in their life that others could have jumped on. But they didn’t. They choose at random. The reality is that the parents of a child isn’t that much an influence over other children choices.

“Being gay is a choice and people have to live with their choices.” Or “The act of homosexuality is there choice or desiese that they choose to put themselves in…”
So, people can choose their sexuality? My response to this is always the same: What person in his/her right mind would CHOOSE a life that is so incredibly difficult where intolerant and nasty people will treat them so unfairly and with such cruelty? Who’d want to risk exposing themselves to hate crimes? Do straight people choose their sexuality? No. The act of homosexuality? An act? Oh, I am sorry, but I don’t think it’s an act. To them it’s natural. There are even homosexual animals out in the animal kingdom. If being gay was all an act, an illness, or unnatural, why would there be homosexual animals? If homosexuality is an illness, then I say Love is an illness, and we are all infected by it.

“Since I am a Christian, I am against homosexuality.” (also) “As a Muslim, I cannot approve of homosexuality.” (As I have seen recently and my Christian references applies to that too)
I always cringe when I hear people start with “I am a Christian, so…” The problem here is that all Christians DO NOT think alike. Many Christians are against gay marriage, many are for it. Many are against abortion and many are for it. Many are for capital punishment, many are against it. You get the picture, right?
See, I have friends who also a Christian, but they support gay rights! So really, the “I’m a Christian so I think Homosexuality is wrong.” Type comments just irk me greatly. They bring such a closed minded reputation to all Christians.

Separation between Government and Church! Just because Christians say marriage should be between a man an d a woman only doesn’t mean its right. What if because of some religion they talk about making the eating of pork illegal? Or something like that?

“I don’t want to see gays making out with each other in public.”
Okay, I don’t want to see ANYONE, gay or straight, pawing each other in public. Get a room, please!

“I don’t want gays hitting on me.” (This is something usually only men say.)
Okay, get over yourself! Do you think you are that hot? This assumes every gay guy, because he is attracted to men, cannot control his hormones and must hit on every guy. Does every straight woman hit on you? Of course, I am amused by the hypocritical attitude many men have of homosexuality. They are so intolerant of gay men but seem to love “hot girl on girl action.

So, my opinion in a nutshell:

I think the Argument for gay marriage (which I whole-heartedly agree with) is the fact that all people are equal and should be treated as such. It’s wrong to take away the rights of one group of people just because they are different. While the arguments against Gay marriage is that it endangers the “traditional American family.” The arguments against it seem to usually be connected to religion, which, I think, is unfair, because we do have the separation of religion and state, therefore we shouldn’t use religious beliefs in our government issues. Also, when we say we have the right to choose our own religion, yet we cant choose to follow our hearts if we are gay and aren’t aloud to marry the man or woman we love just because we are of the same sex, it seems hypocritical.

When it comes to Civil Unions, I just don’t see it as the same as marriage. And it’s just a way to deny a group of people from their right, only making it sound nicer. Marriage is NOT just a Christian thing. It is used all over the world by all groups of people.  Why should non-Christians abaid by a Christian “rule?”
I do not think that Gay marriage will destroy the traditional American family, because men and women will still marry each other and have children. If anything, it is divorce that destroys families, not Gay marriage. Is America ready for gay Marriage? Honestly, I don’t know. A lot of people are so closed minded and irresponsible when it comes to this topic. But I think we should have it anyway. There was a time when a person of “color” and a person of “white” couldn’t get married without dealing with other people who had issues with it. Yet they wed anyway and now it’s more accepted. I think there is a pattern here. Blacks and whites could not marry in most states until the late 1960’s! It is a SAFE bet that people who are against interracial marriage are also against gay marriage!

Gays should be aloud to adopt. There are way too many children in need of a loving family to be denied it just because their parents would be both the same sex. And its cruel to both the child and the couple to deny them family. Over all, if I found someone in my family was gay, I wouldn’t care. They are still family. And I’d accept openly whomever they choose to marry.

I thought all people were EQUAL! If this is truly a country where all people are equal then WHY are we even talking about taking away the rights of marriage for the homosexuals?

Finally, if two consenting adults are truly in love, they are fortunate in so many ways and I can only be happy for them. I see marriage as a bond between two people who love each other enough to take the steps to spend the rest of their lives together. And Marriage isn’t always in a church. They are also in courthouses, so it doesn’t have to be a “holey bond of marriage” Marriage isn’t just a Christian thing!
It’s an issue of Human Rights, not what’s “right and wrong.” After all, Homosexual, Bisexual, Heterosexual.... we are all sexual, we are all human.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -Martin Luther King Jr.