I put this in my writing, but... by d-faith-k

I am in full support of all human rights. I feel that every PERSON deserves the same rights to life and equality. How is it that our country focuses on each individual’s rights to liberty and equality, but when those limits are tested our society as a whole doesn’t follow through? It has been seen through our history in slavery, racial discrimination and the women’s rights movement.
I’m sick of seeing our country run by middle aged, white, close-minded, catholic males. We say “separation of church and state” but we mean domination from church to state. It has been seen time and time again; religion always plays its role in controlling the norms and “rules” of society. Are L.G.B.T. people not deserving of every day rights? Now they may not be persecuted, and their “lifestyle” may not be against the law, but it might as well be that way. Ask anyone what their life goals are. I can guarantee you that marriage is near the top of the majority of people’s lists of things to accomplish. Everyone deserves as much as to be able to fulfill that goal. If nothing else sexual orientation shouldn’t be a factor in how someone is treated in the world and the rights that they are entitled to. Murder may be a determining factor in the line of discrimination, but definitely not who you fall in love with. They should never have to settle for whatever is given to them, but they deserve at least that much.
Back to religion; what I don’t understand is why religion and religious beliefs have anything to do with the how the government handles same sex relationships. Out country is based on the Constitution not the Bible. Even so, the Bible says homosexuality is wrong (in so many words) but the Bible also says a lot of other things that society doesn’t agree with anymore. People base their arguments on homosexuality purely on the Bible, when they are ignorant of its actual teachings. For instance Jesus himself has never mentioned anything about same sex behavior anywhere to be found, and only about seven verses of the one million in the Bible even mention homosexual behavior. None of these references speak of homosexuality as people see it today (Rev. Mel White). The Bible preaches the practices of shunning leprosy, interracial relationships, divorce, yet supports slavery, prostitution, polygamy, and many more smaller references. You can’t base every belief you have on a book that was written tens of hundreds of years ago. A book written in such conditions, as so, also written by an unknown amount of figures, has little validity to me. If I haven’t made it clear the Bible’s purpose is not to tell man what he can and cannot do, it is there to tell the story of the life of God. I’ve grown up as a catholic and still am, but I do not now, nor will I ever agree with many of the things the church preaches. It isn’t so much the religion; it’s the church and the people in it. You would expect a little more from people who pride themselves on being forgiving and understanding. Its mind boggling to me that catholic college students can be denied an education because of who they are. The documentary Equality U is all about this topic and it opened my eyes to something I hadn’t even considered. It seems we’ve taken a step back in time history. We had all hoped that Little Rock would be the last demonstration needed in education to prove the necessity for equality. But the prejudice persists. If you take notice it is always the religious groups (not only Catholicism) that run the anti-homosexuality protests. Once again – religion has no place in the way our country is run. Everyone is deserving of human rights, (just like in racism) and there should be no questioning those rights in a case such as this.
Maybe I’m the one who isn’t being understanding. It doesn’t make sense to me that people can be so close-minded. What I don’t understand is what the problem is that people have with homosexuality. What is the phobia to be had? Homosexuals are people; they don’t strive to destroy the world. Though I’m sure they wish the world would be more accepting. I can’t understand why people are so concerned with others’ lives. They care so much about the “lifestyles” of people they don’t even know. Are they hurting you? Personally, do you feel threatened? If you are certain in your sexual orientation then you shouldn’t feel threatened at all, there should be no need to worry. So mind your own damn business. Some of the excuses people come up with for their homophobia are related to an actual fear. People fear that traditional marriage is “under attack”, by saying God’s sole purpose for marriage is procreation. What is that? How is that considered valid? Isn’t marriage about love and wanting to be with a person for the rest of both partners’ lives? If that is true then, once again, I don’t see the problem people have with whom a person loves and wants to spend their life with. If marriage was about procreation then why is divorce so taboo? Parents fear that if their children are exposed to homosexual behavior then their children will think its okay to be gay. The problem I have with this is – if your child is gay, then it should be okay for them to think homosexual behavior is acceptable. Why is it not okay? Give me one valid reason? It’s because you don’t want to be embarrassed or inconvenienced in any way. Well guess what, you’re not the one who has to deal with people like you, your child is. No one should be stifled for being who they are. That attitude is what causes homosexual teens to feel they have no one to talk to, and that it is never going to be okay for them to be who they are. Those are the kids that have nothing else to resort to but suicide. 33% of gay youth attempt suicide (Education Youth Risk Behavior Survey 1999). This is unacceptable, especially since that’s four times the amount than in heterosexual teens. People deserve respect and guidance, and their orientation shouldn’t be what determines if they get it or not.
I can only hope that one day all discrimination will be extinct. But it will never happen unless we fight for it. Freedom is a right, we shouldn’t have to fight for something that should be given to all, but if that’s what it takes I would be happy to join that army. I don’t feel the need to tell you my sexual orientation, because the opinion presented to you shouldn’t change either way. But just know that just because Abraham Lincoln stood up against slavery doesn’t make him black, and it doesn’t mean he deserved to be persecuted for his beliefs or way of thinking.
Love is not a right, it can’t be taken away, and you can never define it. In the same respect marriage is a blessing, and it should be available for whomever wants it.