What is love? Who do you love? What would you do for them? Picture that person or those people. Now, what would it be like if someone told them you were not allowed to love them? Sadness, agony come to mind? Wrenching heartache? Hold on to that feeling. With those emotions, now imagine that someone is holding you back and saying that your love is a sickness, that you should not love them. You do not have a right to. There is something wrong with you. Of course you think, “but that is my child” or “that is my significant other” or “those are my parents.” They say that you are terrorizing the public with your love. Maybe this is not connecting with you because this is not how society works, but this is what life is like for at least one group of people. The LGBTQ people are told that same-sex interest is a disease. They are pedophiles. They recruit others to be gay, or bisexual, or lesbian, or transgender, or queer. Transgenders and lesbians have been put through “hormonal treatment,” “corrective rape,” “honor killings,” “widow burning” and “female genital mutilation” (Clinton). On the other hand, there are good things that have happened recently. On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court declared that states cannot ban gay marriage because it is protected under the US Constitution, and Mormons have started to accept LGBTQ initiatives along with the United Methodist and Unitarians (Mormon and Davidoff). Now, only Christians, Catholics, Southern Baptists and other evangelicals do not agree with homosexuality rights (Mormon) and many still do not agree with same-sex marriage. We have to understand that these ideas did not all come from here. In Kenya, hatred is spread all over, even in medical clinics. In Botswana, they say it is against the law to be LGBTQ. In Uganda, it has been declared that selling condoms to LGB is going to be assumed as supporting homosexuality, therefore breaking the law. All over Africa, many LGBTQ advocates and people of African organizations are being detained and restrained for spelling out their views and showing that these rights are part of their Legislation and Constitution (SALC). Even though many people think that relationships should only exist procreate, religion should not restrict LGBTQ relationships and marriages because people should be able to have their human rights from in community, be able to feel comfortable about themselves and be able to have the same rights as other marriages would.

While some people think that LGBTQ relationships should have equality, some people believe that relationships should only be straight and/or marriages should only be there to procreate. Many LGBTQ are not given legal recognition because other people’s self, political, cultural, and religious beliefs stand in the way (Clinton) . A large group of people say that the bonds of love should only be between a male and female (Davidoff) and LGBTQ relationships are not a sin but when you act on them it is (“Mormon Church Backs LGBTQ Rights”). Even though Mormons now back LGBTQ rights, about 66% of Mormons still oppose LGBTQ marriages and believe that their followers should be able to sell the products and perform the procedures they believe are correct (Mormon). Some governments in Africa (Botswana, Kenya, and Nairobi) see LGBTQ sexual attractions as opposing the order of nature and going against their personal beliefs (SALC). LGBTQ are not even accepted in many health facilities in Kenya and Nairobi (“LGBTQ Rights”) because of their sexuality. It is obvious that many people think that heterosexuals should be the only one to get respect. They think that their followers should have the freedom to practice what they believe and that cuts across everything else (Mormon). They religiously believe that LGBTQ relationships should not be allowed at all because they cannot procreate by themselves, even though some straight couples cannot procreate either. They believe all LGBTQ are pedophiles and will create a biblical lands called Sodom and Gomorrha where heathens will reign. This issue also is affected in politics to. Many republicans believe that same-sex marriage should not be legal and some governors have lied about things they will do because they believe the same (Davidoff). Religious people think that “this commandment and doctrine comes from sacred scripture” so they are not able to back LGBTQ marriage. Religious people say that all homosexual relationships are “contrary to the laws of God” and Jesus separated people that were different so followers will too (Mormon). These are the kinds of reasons that governments say allow them to hurt gays, to declare it to be illegal to be gay, to not focus on LGBTQ and enforce their human legal rights (Clinton). Their acts are justifiable because God made humans so we can procreate and that is more important than anything else. If parents do not teach their children their religious beliefs, then we will become heathen society. Their children should believe the same way that they did, because they believe that it is right. “Some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others” (Mormon). For these beliefs, religious people have been oppressed, disengaged from their jobs, given the feeling of helplessness and have been asked to resign from their position because they did not support LGBTQ rights. Many church goers are asking why they should support LGBTQ rights if they are not receiving their own rights too. LGBTQ should stick to these codes of life because everyone should fit in their community.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, many people believe that religion should not interfere with a LGBTQ’s human rights in their family and community. Firstly, in the US, many LGBTQ are detained, harassed, intimidated, killed, refused jobs, denied academic direction, and dismissed from healthcare, rights, and property. Because of these things, many LGBTQ die from harmful acts and illnesses and do not feel secure in their neighborhood (Clinton). “No matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we are, we are all equally entitled to our human rights and dignity”. Human rights are for everyone and are a way to define yourself, your thinkings and your image (Clinton). This is something that no one should be able to take away from us because we should all have the right to be educated, independent individuals. We all have the right to be healthy, to be in a safe place, able to speak our minds equally and get respect from others. We should all get this chance because we all have a say in society and all outside views put together makes another person’s stronger. Listening is one of the most important things people can do. Secondly, fewer than 33% of states have legal acts shielding LGB and even less shielding transgenders from hateful words, comments and violence (Mormon). A lot of states were smashing same-sex marriage before the US court made same-sex marriage legal (Davidoff). “No matter how strongly held moral and religious beliefs may be, they cannot be a basis for limiting rights” (SALC). Religion and culture should be ways of showing care and love to others and they often do not have good reasons to oppose LGBTQ rights. Human rights need to start in our streets, neighborhoods, and cities (Clinton). We need to put ourselves in their shoes and ask ourselves, “What it would be like to not be allowed to marry who we choose?” How would it feel if you could not raise children because the government had declared it against the law to love who you love? (Davidoff). How would it feel to be disrespected by your country’s laws and told that you can not do this because of something they believe. We need to start showing compassion for the others around us (Clinton) and show that we will support their choices in life. We need to trust they know what is best for them and allow them to do what makes them happy. Happiness is important for everyone to have. We need to share these stories of happiness so more people can understand LGBTQ feelings (“LGBTQ Rights” and Clinton). It is all of our jobs to work together to create the solutions to this problem. We all have responsibility in giving all people their human rights (Clinton). This is essential to do because when people are given their rights, they are more comfortable with who they are from that respect.

LGBTQ should feel comfortable with who they are without being pressured by religion. Firstly, some LGBTQ have 2 lovers (“LGBTQ Rights”) and hold back their feelings to conceal their sexual preference (Clinton). Sometimes there are even situations where, “the nurse found out [they were] gay she started shouting and asking [them] why [they were] was doing such bad things” (“LGBTQ Rights”). This is something that LGBTQ should not have to do because we should be able to feel comfortable with who we are and not have to worry that others will not accept us if we are different. I know that these social restrictions also raise divorce and cheating in America so if we are able to accept who our friends, neighbors and coworkers are, then we can make many people more happy. We should all have the opportunity to be gratified, especially with who we love because a relationship or marriage would go nowhere if you are not ecstatic to be with your significant other. Multiple relationships can lead to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Of course when LGBTQ do get HIV, researchers will not take the chance to learn from these cases because of their sexuality so we are slowed in the fight for a cure for HIV (“LGBTQ Rights”). In more extreme circumstances, transgender and lesbian women have been subjected to “corrective raped”, and have had to endure hormone therapy just because people thought that these ideals were wrong. Some LGBTQ have to escape from their community to a mental institution, sometimes even to stay alive. “How would it feel if it were a crime to love the person I love? How would it feel to be discriminated against for something about myself I cannot change?” (Clinton). I have experienced some of this myself and I can tell you from first hand that it does not feel good. The person you love is part of you (Clinton) and it is a personal right that should not be taken away from you. Your identity is something that you should feel proud of and others should understand whatever that may be. What makes you glad should make others glad too. They should, no matter what they personally believe, feel joyful that you are pleased to be the person you are. I had a friend that I was nervous about telling that I had a girlfriend because I know she was religious. When I did tell her, she told me that she was really happy for me and that she did not care that I loved someone different than she would have. She was a true friend. Respect from everyone towards your significant other is needed more because your love is part of your identity and marriage.
Religion should not have the power to take away the rights of marriage from LGBTQ. Most importantly, in LGBTQ relationships, the partners do not share health care, visitation rights, barriers from domestic violence, social security claims and veteran’s benefits, things that a married couple would receive. Because of this, LGBTQ relationships have to pay extra to have health assistance and death insurance. This would “take money away from families, or time away”. Even a 50 year relationship will not get you the equal rights as straight spouses (Davidoff). This means that even in a better and more stable relationship than some straight marriages, they can not receive equal treatment and aids. How would it feel to you if you were told that you could not see your mom, dad, guardian, grandma, grandpa, friend or any loved one when they were coming to their last breaths? How would it feel not being able to talk to any of these people in a time that they needed you? Why would we take something that profound away from a strong couple? Is it just because they do not have the resources to have children themselves? How could the death of a loved one perform the ability to procreation? Maybe you still would stand by the fact that the ability to procreate is more important than showing love and assistance in a time needed to the loved one. More specifically, before the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was legal in all 50 states, they put up an amendment that would not allow LGBTQ to adopt or bring in children from foster care and have rights for a home in a domestic partnership. When this amendment passed, Ohio, Michigan, and Utah rapidly put this amendment into action and forced many families to make a decision between getting aids for the family and themselves or staying unemployed and risk a health crisis. Furthermore, in Michigan, the governor told the public that this ban on domestic partnership would not affect their legal benefits, but later the governor pulled the benefits and said that schools and institutions could not give out further ones. It's no wonder that they are seeing more adoptive cases, where LGBTQ parents have more rights to their kids (Davidoff). The government is doing better now but before they were not helping with LGBTQ rights. Recently, I have heard many instances that states had called for initiatives like same-sex marriage to be the state's decisions. Families should feel comfortable with who they are and should not be pushed out by a state just because the parents fell in love with a different person than most people do. We should value and respect our differences and not discriminate because we all have the right to the pursuit of happiness.

In today’s society, we do not respect our differences and instead we discriminate against them. We still use slurs in our everyday language like there is nothing wrong. We still discriminate against these people without even thinking about how it would feel ourselves. Religions think that just because they do not believe in same-sex relationships and/or marriages that they should have the right to restrict LGBTQ couples. In reality, we should be able to express ourselves fully and not be weighed down by these things. We should have a free invitation from our community and religion for our human rights, security and an initiative to the same rights as other married couples. “The ban [against same-sex marriage] violates Christian and Jewish values of compassion and fairness” (Davidoff) and God is caring and compassionate and accepts the individuality of LGBTQ (Mormon). Some get the message though. About 500,000 religions in Wisconsin openly put down discrimination against LGB and Colorado had a bill on their ballot to give LGBTQ couples the same privileges as straight partners. In a recent position statement, Clinton said, “Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people when it is called for. It means standing up for dignity of all your citizens and persuading your people do the same. It also means that ensuring that all citizens are treated as equals under your laws.” She continues, “so if any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines. Every time a barrier to progress has fallen, it has taken a cooperative effort from those on both sides of the barrier” (Clinton). These things should not be taken away just because you love someone different or you dress a different way or you want to be defined in a different way than the person next to you. Differences are what makes you who you are.