"The harsh words flood his mind as he's sitting on the bathroom floor, with his mother’s pills in his hand, wondering why God made him this way."


Discrimination has been around for centuries and even though there have been many improvements in the way society deals with discrimination, we still have a very long way to go. Gay and lesbian youth are two to three times more likely to commit suicide than other youths and 30% of all completed adolescence suicides are related to sexual identity. Parents, teachers, students – everyone needs to be more open about homosexuality and there should also be an understanding that being gay or lesbian is perfectly fine – as long as their happy, you should be too.
Well, let’s face it, no one is born homophobic. When straight men and women show public affection no one cares or stares. But when homosexuals do, someone is sure to make a hostile comment. I admit it; everyone is prejudice in some way or another, yes. We all judge to a point, it’s useless to deny it. But, simple things such as two men or women holding hands or a brief hug can set some people off or “gross them out.” Everyone has seen a heterosexual couple holding hands, and most of the time we don’t even notice it because it’s such a common thing. Images of heterosexual P.D.A. have been implanted into our minds since many of us were old enough to watch television. If we all agree that a minor display of affection such as hand holding among a straight couple is perfectly acceptable to society, why shouldn’t it be the same for same-sex couples? We all need to show affection. It’s our outward statement of love – a right most of us take for granted.
Homosexuals are just ordinary people who happen to love the same sex. Anti-gay and lesbian discrimination tends to be particularly brutal and nasty. There are many arguments that homosexuality is filthy and that most gay individuals are pedophiles when in fact, over 90% of all reported molestations are carried out by heterosexual males. Some even consider homosexuality to be a mental disorder – even though it was declassified as a mental illness in 1973. Homosexuals are victims of prejudice for multiple reasons. Homosexuality contradicts some religious beliefs, traditional family, and “out of the norm” behavior. They run into problems with getting married, getting jobs, getting and giving education, adoption and much more.
About 59% of people believe same-sex relationships should be accepted, however, the other 41% still believe it is morally wrong. 97% of students in public high schools report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peers or even teachers. Nearly half of all gays or bisexuals have said that they have been teased or put down by family members. With such negative feelings being thrown around and into their faces, you can only imagine how discrimination grows and the pain leaves scars on innocent people.

Judging someone because of their sexual orientation is no different from judging someone because of their color – and we all know that’s wrong. I mean, we’re taught not to judge people because of their race or origin; we grow up learning and practicing it. I feel that if we all work together to stop the hate, we can save those 3 in 10 people who commit suicide because of their “unaccepted” sexual identity. So, let’s not victimize others because they’re gay, or bisexual. It’s not fair because love is love and we’re all only human.