Hannah and her friends took me to an equality march in Washington D.C. where we marched for LGBT rights. It seems strange an unfair to me that this country has groups of people who are denied the privileges of citizenship simply because of their identity and who they love. Even still, this rally was an amazing thing to see because there were so many different kinds of people coming together for one cause.
One thing that was immediate though was the hostility between the marchers and many religious groups who came to protest our rally. As we approached the main area, we heard lots of screaming and chanting and cursing. We didn't know what was going on until we reached a clearing, where we saw people holding signs that said things like "GOD HATES FAGS." We were immediately told to turn back and that God was going to send us to hell because we were an abomination. Some of the protesters yelled back, some smiled, others started crying. But regardless of how reacted, we were very aware that we were hated. This hatred towards the LGBT community is called "homophobia". It can be caused by a religious upbringing, fear, misunderstanding, or simply the belief in heteronormativity (that heterosexuality is the natural and right orientation.) Although this group was definitely an extreme example of homophobics, lesbians and gays are often discriminated against for their lifestyles, simply because it is not what the majority of the population identifies with.
Hannah and her friends told me of multiple times they have been threatened, verbally abused, and even discriminated against in the workplace. All these things seem very strange to me considering the fact that i thought America was such an advanced country. But how advanced can this place be if certain citizens don't even have the rigt to get married?
No comments:
Post a Comment