Possible Solutions to the Achievement of Full Rights

I believe it would only be appropriate to begin with ideas on how we can better improve the quality of life for the younger generation of lgbt youth and future generations of youth that have yet to come. I believe that the first thing that needs to be done is to start in the classrooms. Schools in my opinion must begin to create no toleration policies. First of all these policies must be complete with strick rules against students using verbal attacks on their fellow gay and lesbian students. Maybe a three strike system on verbal attacks would do. For example, the first strike would be some detention, the second strike could be so many days suspended from school, and the third strike could be a new class on why they are doing so much harm by what they are doing and an even longer period of suspension.
School student who are committing violence against their fellow students on the account of them being of a different sexual orientation can not be tolerated. The school should immediately recommend to the student and his or her parents to file charges against the individual who committed the offence. Also new laws should be created so that the schools across America can implement and inforce a permanent suspension. Some would naturally say that this to much and in some ways it is, but overall this is a blessing for the potentil victims who's only crime is trying to receive an education without being tormented day after day just because they are gay. So to be completely fair and so that it could actually happen, after the offender is kicked out of school, they will be sent to an intermediate school. I thought we were suspose to be imbracing diversity in this country.
After tackling the hatred in schools we should move on to after school and summer youth organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts of America for all of its history has enforced policies of discrimination based on sexual orientation. The organization has a policy preventing homosexuals from becoming scout leaders and has intensely tried to keep gay children from taking part in their organization. This is totally unfair and can not be tolerated any longer. It does not stop at the door of the Boy Scouts of America, many other organization are just as guilty of seperation and pure bigotry. We are better than that as a people and as a nation.
Another solution to some of the bigotry in the youth of America and to be completely fair to those students who would be the potential offenders in the schools, who will later claim they didn't know what they were doing was discriminatory among other things by creating awareness programs. Awareness programs will allow students to witness how hurtful some potential actions on the part of a person can be to another. Awareness programs that not only show bigotry, but also racism and the transparency between them. The awreness program should be taught through text books, video media, And graphs. It should be set up similar to the modern day school health classes. The program should include not only the effects that these crimes has on the victim, but also the consequences of the person who commits them.
Probably the biggest step would be to create comprehensive hate crimes legislation at the federal level of government in which the potential solution in youth that I have laid out in this chapter could be a part of. The hate crimes legislation should cover a wide area. Hate crimes legislation that has been created over the history of the United States have almost always targeted African Americans, it is my opinion that it is now time to truly broaden the defininition of hate crimes at the federal level.
The hate crimes legislation could include a provision on requiring colleges across the country to add hate speech and violence in their campus displinary code and find new ways of inforcing it. For instance, A man is walking home from the campus library and three guys either say something inappropriate like, "you fag", or violently attacks the man over the same motive. It is my belief and the belief of many that everybody no matter what their creed deserves an fair chance at a college education and this proposal would be in the best interest of everyone.
Another part of the hate crimes legislation would be to allow judges to bypass current statutes and add more severe punishment to people who have been proven committed arson against someone's property on the account of their sexual orientation. In the old south some tragic events happened. One was the bombing of a church that resulted in the murder of two small girls inside at the time and there can be no argument that this was an act of violence against people of color and therefor is nothing less that a hate crime. But this was in no way an isolated incident. You probably could not even count how many homes, Businesses, And buildings of social gathering was burnt to the ground on the account of pure hatred of people just because they were of another color. What truly concerns me about these types of arsons is the fact that you know that many people died as a result of them.
We need to add to laws to the books that singles out potential perpetrators. Hate crimes legislation would not be in anyway comprehensive without it. These new laws should seek out individuals who are targeting people from vulnerable groups. Such as the lgbt community, which is probably one of the most vulnerable. Another way could be to create new laws that would make it a federal crime for a person who may have intentions to victimize another individual on the account of their sexual orientation, but of course these laws will have to also state that law inforcement has to have adequate proof (evidence) that a crime happened, or that a person was infact planning these types of crimes.
When it comes to inforcing future hate crimes laws, we need to take a good look at those in law inforcement who will be responcible for carrying it out. There has been many cases where police officials have out right ignored violent hate crimes. There has been cases where police and other emergency assistance has contributed to a persons death because of that person's sexual orientation. Also there has been many cases where members of the police department have been the perpetrators of these hate crimes. In order for any new hate crimes legislation to be comprehensive, we must give the justice system new tools in punishing our own law enforcers for neglecting, Or otherwise perpetrating these offences. This must be stopped not later, but now. It is one thing to have to fight these crimes on the streets, but it is another thing when the very people who are suppose to be protecting us are the ones who are persecuting us.
Another crucial part of an comprhensive hate crimes bill would include anti-stalking rules specifically against those who are stalking an individual on the account of his or her sexual orientation. You see, most anti- stalking laws rely heavily on restraining orders. But these do not always include people watching you from some distance, calling your phone of the hook, Or sending messages to the individual via-email, Or other written messages in other forms of receival. These are all in most cases legal and do not address pending restraining orders. Nor are these restraining orders ever hardly inforced by law enforcement. These restraining orders are also usually only available sufficiently against other family members and that in itself must be addressed and subsequencely changed. We must start including these unaddressed stalking issues in all state laws across the country. Because until these proposals are written law no one will ever be protected against people who would commit a hate crime against a person from a minority group.
The FCC must create new rules on the use of hate speech in the arts. Such as movie and theatrical scripts using the word fag for instance in an anti-homosexual way. This kind of negative that will be heard in all the theaters in the United States and even across the world. The question we must ask is whether this is going to help the situation with hate crime, Or descency in America itself, Or is it going to put even more influence and ideas in some peoples minds to commit these types of crimes. I personally feel they do and they will. Not to mention the fact that hundreds of thousands of LGBT community members who will be emotionally hurt, Or scarred by these disgraces commited by their fellow man.
Hate crimes legislation overall is a hard bargain. When states propose enhancing sentences beyond their normal boundaries if it can be proven that the motive was a motive of hate.They say it violates the equal-protection clause and even sometimes these people claim that hate crimes legislation violates the mental privacy of the perpetrators and because of that, they should be sentenced by the normal guidelines. I have heard some really quarcy reason why not to support hate crimes, but that takes the cake.
We should have a national hate crimes law, such as those of Europe. It is going to take some hard work on drafting such a bill, but in the words of great America, "it can be done." Much research will have to be done. Not only on solutions, but why some people would even wont to do these horrible acts and how to prevent that from happening to individuals of the future generations. For instance, a black man, A gay man, And a asian man is at overwhelmingly at risk for hate crimes than that of a white man. study that and find a reason and then find a solution, an antidote if you will. We can do this, we were all told that America was capable of doing anything because that is what makes us great.
Some would say that the gay and lesbian rights movement has nothing in common with the civil rights movement of the sixties. They ask, "where is the segregation?" Well we could start with the military. The military has a strick polict called "dont ask, dont tell". Sure this was compromise policy from an even harsher one, but it has produced some of the same results. Service members were being dishonorably discharged for being homosexuals. The dont ask, dont tell policy basically says that a superior can not ask someone under his or her command question about their sexual orientation and the service member dosen't have to answer, But this all it covers. If you are caught in the act, you are essentially fired from your job in the military. It really makes you think, I always thought that the military was the heart of our democract. The organ of our government that pumps freedom in the heart of not only Americans, But a beacon for the world to take notice upon. Men and woman can not be themselves in the military, they must stay in the shadows, inferrior in the eyes of the chain of command. This is not right, this is one of the reasons our military is breaking. When you fire thousnads of well educated gay and lesbian service people from the military, who are well trained in many areas, you have a shortage in key areas of personal. It is not good for the nation and before people draw comclusion on the subject, they should look into it first. Dont ask, dont tell was simply a stepping stone for today.
I have met normal people just like me who have been fired for who they are. Or better yet for their sexual orientation. Sure they were hired easily, I mean after all big business doesn't wont to have a law suit on their hands right off the bat. One man I know worked hard. I mean he truly worked hard everyday. He showed up on time and left long after he should have. Then he gets his last check and a simple, "it just ain't working out." Sure that happens to people everyday, but they most people dont go through the day getting whispered about and verbally attacked with some of the most crual rhetoric you can imagine. This isn't local, Its urban, its everywhere. We have to face these challenges in the workforce because that is what our people has been doing for over a century. We have always looked for better pay because we deserve it after a hard days work. We have always wonted better working conditions. Theodore Roosevelt, a republican had a leading role in ending child labor. Because he saw it as the worse thing to ever happen to labor. He also ended monoplies. No longer can companies have sole control of a single market. Like I said, this is what we do. No matter how hard it may seem, No matter what you political convictions may be, we must look forward to out children's generation and decide if this will binifit them. Because I can garuntee every person in America that they will have a close family member who is gay, Or lesbian and it will be that way forever. We must always look back on the history of change in our nation and I promise you that it will guide us into the future.
The duty of government is to respect other people's beliefs, ideas, And individual characteristics. This include most defininitly the gay community, The lesbian community, The Bi-sexual community, The liberal community, The conservative community, The right wing, And left wing. Also every other minority in this nation. America is a nation built on diversity, Yet so many disrespect this truth and it is nothing more than misleading. This truth goes beyond politics, beyond personal beliefs, Beyond anything imaginable. Because this is America, the land where everyone can live together and achieve their dreams together, this is what our nation is built on. Yes there is a white christian majority, But wouldn't it be bias not to let these groups in on Washington affairs because of it being most definatelt being their government to. It is also their say in what happens in their own government. This is what politician should respect and uphold now and forever. It is what is right and it will be a positive force in change, But so many of out nation's leaders do not live up to their presessors visions of America. An America that has leaders who actually respect Americans. Leaders who do not call thei constituients bad names and propose bad legislation that will hurt some Americans. Someone once said, government based popular opinion is not freedom at all.
I find it crititcal to the rights of the LGBT community to be able to fully participate in the adoption process. So many children are rasied in the foster care system and many turn out to be some of our country's worse offender, if they are not given a good stable home to grow all the way into early adulthood, just like any other child in America. Children who are raised in the foster care system become offenders of the law by the very nature of the evviroment they live in. They have no permanent family, They have no true home, They have hardly any guidence, They are constantly seeing state workers, And new faces. The sadest part of it all is the fact that this all could be avoided. If only the government would fully allow LGBT people to get in on building the family. It is astounding how many children could get a happy and loving home. If only the rules of the game were to bechanged nationwide. The number of children in the system who would otherwise have no hope of a stable home, Or family of their own could rise into the hundred of thousands. Not to mention the fact that serious crime numbers in this nation would ultimately drop in various area. If we have to, let the new laws let the children have the choice to live in a same sex family. After all it they are going to be the key to unlock the door to the house and walk into the home.
Gay men especially has it bad when it comes to making a family. Sure two gay men and two gay woman can get together and donate sperm, create a baby. So whats a wrong with that, isn't that satisfactory? I tell you now, only a few people do this and of those, there is terrible disputes that errupt over visitation, custody, And other things. In order for the vast majority of gay men who are in a long term relationship to start a family, it will require the full abilty to adopt a child. The vast majority of these couples are not pedophile, but descent law abiding citizens, who's only wish is to be able to start a normal family. For those who believe this would be immoral, then you go and adopt a child and raise them as your own. Because these kids can't help what has happened to them. As they say, put your money where your mouth is.
A lot of people has made the misperception that all church going people are evangelist. It is true that many christians in America are evangelist, but not all. A large minority of christians believe in progress and the fact that god made all people in his image, including homosexuals. There is more to the scriptures than what the churches will admit. For instance, Jesus Christ did not mention homosexuality for better, or worse. If you compare King David's son's rape of his sister to that of the attempted rape of the angels sent by god to Samom and Gamara, you find the sin to maybe be that of violence and violation. Also in Hebrews chapter eight you will find that the old testament might be just a testament for reading and for knowledge of the fact and illrelivant to christianity entirely, but that is just some people's opinion. You would have to read Hebrews chapter eight for yourself and decide for yourself. We need to point these facts and opinions out more better than we do. We must address religious belief in America. Because if we don't, we will not succeed in achieving our full rights as Americans.
This brings me to my next point, the republicans in congress use to be more moderate than you can imagine. Ever since Reagan, they have become one hundred percent more conservative than they were originally. To keep their seats in congress they will have to always take up arms against us in the congress and presidency, Or they will loose their strong base in the south. Change will possibly have to begin in the south just as the civil rights movements did. The south has a nasty habit of being the region of intolerance. You break that spell of intolerance, you will begin to see much positive change. Even if it is small, because it will be significant.
Last, But not least is the issue of gay marriage. Gay marriage would definitely be an amazing day in the history of gay America and yet another beacon of freedom for all the world to see. Although I believe that gay marriage in America is inevible. If you look at the latest trends on the issue, it has been very positive. So many states are now recognizing gay and lesbian relationships and are granting them marriage as they should. With Massachuetts leading the pack, it goes to show that in the heart of revolutionary America things are changing. I personally feel that gay marriage will be achieved nation wide within the next decade. I believe they are bigger fish to fry in the gay community than that of marriage. I believe it will end in the supreme court, than in a bill at congress. Gay marriage and civil unions in the various states that have already approved it shows that it is high tide and it is crossing the nation.
I will close this chapter on an unhappy note that comes from with community circles. The word "Fag" affends me very much and about every other gay citizen of America. What is interesting though is the more frequent use of this word withn the community. It is becoming ever so similar as the terrible use of the "N" word in the African American community. This is not the right direction the community should go. We should not be labeled and at the same time let the labeling be a double standard. We should dignify ourselves in the words of hate of others.