The War on Fear- Mark Walsh

Equality is a goal that people have struggled for since the dawn of man. These social equality movements have made huge gains in the last two hundred years. At the onset of this glorious Republic that we call the Land of the Free, nearly half of the state of Virginia’s population was enslaved. Women would not get the right to vote for another 124 years.

We have come a long way, but we have a long way to go

Women and minorities get paid significantly less than a Caucasian male does to this day!

The latest social equality movement to hit the mainstream is the LGBTQ rights campaign. I know that you have all heard about this, but I really need this grade and this is the topic that I could think about. You all know exactly what I mean, I can see the dark circles under your eyes.

Anyway, back to the topic of my speech, LGBT rights. The fact that this is even an issue is perplexing to me. I guess I just never really understood bigots, and I never really understood unfounded hatred, but that certainly seems to be what plagues the world at this time. The people that constitute the LGBT community in America are Americans, they have jobs, they have families, and they pay taxes and go to church. For Christ’s sake, they even have favorite colors, and read their children bedtime stories.

They do not however have the same rights as someone who is on paper exactly the same as them. By law, sexually active Gay men cannot donate blood, only twenty two states and territories in the United States including D.C. and Puerto Rico have laws protecting LGBT rights in particular, Only twenty states and territories have laws that protect fair housing rights based on both sexual orientation and gender identity, and you can only add three more to that list if you only look at sexual orientation. Many LGBT persons in the thirty four states that do not protect them from workplace discrimination find themselves fired because of their gender identity or sexual orientation and having no legal recourse. Until recently, same sex couples regardless of gender identity, could not marry, or even adopt children.

Why? You ask

Fear.

Yes, unfounded fear of people who are perceived to be abnormal, the same sickness that put a hold on the other civil rights movements before, such as the Aferican American Civil Rights movement. Fear grasps the minds of the common man and the corporate elite alike. Fear is universal.

How do you end the fear that cripples our nation? You ask

The only way to end fear is to embrace the minority. Watch shows that star African Americans in roles that aren't stereotyped. Elect Gay officials. Make bigots like Donald Trump a laughing stock. Talk to your local officials about discrimination. Become a member of your local GSA, I am a prominent member of the Henry Clay GSA, and I strongly suggest it. Show the TV executives that LGBT characters are not too controversial to show on TV. You get the picture. We need to destigmatize the differences in people that make us individuals.

In order to make equality a reasonable goal, we must eradicate fear.

Works Cited

“LGBT Equality and Civil Rights.” Jared Polis 2^nd District of Colorado, Congressman Jared Polis. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "The American Revolution Statistics." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

"LGBT Rights in the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Web. 13 Dec. 2015.