Brandon Yam:You And The World (YATW) Gay Rights Blog Post #1

My name is Brandon Yam and for my english project, I was told to choose an issue in the world, research about it, and make a change. There are many issues in the world, but the one I’ve chosen to do was Gay Rights. Now, I’m not saying that the other issues aren’t just as important, it’s just that I feel I’d be able to tackle this issue much easier. What I want to achieve through this is educating others about the world around them and how issues like this can affect them. I want to teach you, the readers, that we can make a change if we work together. We are the ones who are going to take the first step in this journey of a thousand miles. Click here for more information.   Gay rights is a big and problematic issue we’ve had on our hands for a while. Many people are discriminated because of their sexual orientation and some are even stripped of their rights. For example, in the United States, only five states permit same-sex marriage; that means forty-five other states don’t permit it. Can you imagine how bad some people feel knowing that they won’t be able to marry the one they love because they are the same sex? The five states that permit it are Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. In addition to that, transgenders are not protected in thirty-seven states. How can we be so cruel and still have the nerve to say that we treat others equally? 

Just recently, the Roman Catholic Church funded $2 million in an attempt to further discrimination against LBGT people during the election cycle in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington. Of course, the attempt was unsuccessful, but it still shows how desperate people are to deprive others of their rights. This surprises me because I thought a church was a place where love and the understanding of god took place, not discrimination. Some say that to be gay is a sin, but isn’t it a sin to discriminate others? Click here to read more about the Roman Catholic Heirarchy case.

 
Photo that was provided in the article of the event


One day I was on Facebook and I saw someone post as their status something along the lines of this: “I don’t understand why guys hate gays. Aren’t they just giving you less competition with girls?”. I thought to myself, that is true and I’m still not sure as to why people hate them. I support gay rights to the fullest extent. I’m straight, but I can’t imagine how I would feel if I was going through the same things gay people were. It’s just absolutely horrible. Many are beaten and mistreated for their sexuality. An example is John Bosco Nyombi, who was beaten and bundled on a plane by the security staff. Yeah, you read that right. By the security staff. I believe security is there to help, save, and protect others, not beat them up. Click here to read the article.


 
Photo of John Bosco Nyombi


I believe we are moving forward with the issue little by little. I’ve just read that a Utah School was sued because of restricting a book about lesbian family’s. A lot of people are now openly supporting this movement. Some celebrities are officially gay such as Jim Parsons from “The Big Bang Theory”, Adam Lambert from American Idol, and many more. I’d say there is a good amount of people who disliked them after hearing that and some who actually supported them as well. It was equal on both sides, but their rights still aren't the same. That’s what we want to change. We want equality for all, not just a certain group. 

 

Photo of certain celebrities announcing that they are gay.


I'm still left with the question, can we obtain equal rights for everyone? If so, how long will this take? I would like to know the answers to these questions, but only time can tell. What I would like to learn about as I go on is the status on gay rights. I would like to know what things get passed and which are on hold or even denied.
 
Click here for the pros and cons of gay marriage. 
Click here for a list of sources used in this blog.