Mason+K’s+2018+OpEd+Article



Over the last few years, the LGBT+ community has received more recognition and rights than ever before. But really, our situation hasn't improved by much. And yes, I used "our". That's because I'm bisexual. Surprise. Unfortunately, that means that I won't be able to get cakes from some shops anymore now that more of you know.

Now that introductions are over, lets begin. I'm going to start this at 2015, where the Supreme Court decided that it was legal to marry someone of the same gender in Obergefell v Hodges. //However//, there is no federal law outlawing discrimination nationwide other than from federal executive orders which have a more limited scope than from protections through federal legislation. So while yes, we are now allowed to marry one another, we are still discriminated against, and it's very apparent if people choose to look and see for themselves.

All you really need to do is open Instagram or Twitter, follow an alt-right account, and boom, hate against the LBGT+ community.

From people insulting the LGBT+ community, to calling us ”stupid” and telling us to read a biology book, I say what does it matter to you? Why do you care so much about how other people run their lives? Why do you feel the need to ruin other peoples day with your senseless and hateful comments?

And it doesn’t stop there. No, no. We’re far from over. People from the LGBT+ community are discriminated against on a daily basis. From not being able to buy a wedding cake to being put to death. From our vice-president believing in shock therapy and gay correction facilities, to being scared of walking around on the streets holding hands with another boy.

You know what this reminds me of? Reconstruction. Politicians making a half-assed attempt at fixing our society, only to eventually move on to other issues, all while minorities are left to fend for themselves. Especially with our current administration. Passing legislation such as only needing to address other representatives as “Senator”. What a slimy move that was. Now old, white males in Congress don’t have to call a transgender person by their preferred pronouns. Now, they can call them //senator.//

And the bathrooms. Oh lord, the bathrooms. Think of the //children.// All those innocent children, left all alone with someone “pretending“ to be a man/women. Anti-LGBT+ arguments don’t even make sense anymore. If someone wanted to rape someone else, they would just do it. Making gender inclusive bathrooms doesn’t effect this at all.

Not only do LGBT+ members have to deal with things like that, think of all the social stigmas that are attached to those words, like bisexual. Just because I like both boys and girls doesn’t mean I’m more likely to cheat in a relationship. What does my sexuality have to do with my moral integrity? That’s right. Nothing.

But what makes this even better is that you have massive institutions like religions hating on gay people too. Saying things like “gays deserve to die” or “you‘re going to hell because you‘re gay” are things I would not expect from the mouths of people trying to spread the message of loving everybody. No sir. And if that’s what your god advocates for, then that’s no god. What kind of god would want the suffering and deaths of his own people?

And now, you have police turning a blind eye to this as well. Recently in Toronto (January 2017) members of the LGBT+ community have been going missing and re-appearing - dead. The police there claim to be working on it, but it’s clear that they don‘t really care. We are left to fend for ourselves, so I’m sorry if I want to conceal carry a handgun to protect myself when government institutions fail to adequately address problems like this.

How are we to survive as a species throughout the ages if we can't even do something as basic as letting people love whomever they want to? Exactly, you //can't.// We as humans need to sort issues like this out. We are gifted with reason, and opposable thumbs. To think that with a civilization as advanced as ours, with the ability to remold the planet to our needs and desires, to kill millions of each other with a single stroke of a finger, to launch ourselves head-first into the vast unknowns of space, and meticulously recording our history, the sad fact is that people are hateful of each other. As of now, we are the only known planet with life. How are we to carry out our duty of preserving life if we can't agree on fundamental issues?