Quest for LGBT Equal Rights “Far From Being Over”

The first statement of Brenda Levy’s letter is absolutely correct. We homosexuals have made great progress in our endeavors for equality. However, this fight is far from being over. This fight will not be over until all homosexuals in this country cease to be treated as second-class citizens. Labels such as “hateful” or “homophobic” or even “bigot” are not intended to silence. They are intended to challenge. They are intended to point out the senseless hate of our world.

You pose another question: “Who is being invasive here? Who is demanding constant change and not leaving us alone?” Not being left alone? When LGBT hate crimes stop, when all homosexuals are given marriage rights, and when all homosexuals are recognized as equal you will be “left alone.” To deny these essential human rights is inhumane. Love is love. Why should two homosexuals being married or committed have any bearing on your life?

Now I must address “societal norms.” If you are so opposed to concepts such as change and also would like to uphold societal norms, then are you not degrading your own gender? As you may know, women haven’t always been treated as equals in this country. If it weren’t for change of societal norms you wouldn’t have the right to vote, nor would you have much of an opportunity to express your extreme opinion. This would also imply African-Americans should be stripped of their rights and we should revert back to puritanical ideals and slavery to function as a country. There would be no Barack Obama, no Martin Luther King Jr. If you’re so eager to repress change and stick to societal norms should you not stick to the philosophy, “women should be seen, not heard.” I feel incredibly uncomfortable with those ideas and I would imagine that you would too.

I find your comments to be astoundingly ignorant and rather insensitive, especially in an age where one can find reports on LGBT youth suicides in the news on a weekly basis. Please remember that your words have a much deeper impact than you think and when hate is put into society it can only have negative results.

Nick Artrip
Richmond

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