In class one day we were told to choose a topic on which we would give a speech. There was a list of things that would be considered bad or sinful, things that shouldn’t be happening in this world. Homouality was one of those things on the list. Many people in this room right now might cringe at the word, thinking of how disgusting it is. Well, I stand up here today to tell you that I do not think it is wrong for someone to love someone else of the same gender. You can tell me things like “It’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” That doesn’t tell me why gays or gay marriage are wrong. Maybe God was thinking that this person fit the half of Adam to make him whole and this person happened to be a woman. In Acts 10:34 it says: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons”. Here it is saying here that God doesn’t hold any person higher than the other, straight or gay. Love is love and to suddenly put a label on it as wrong because of whom people have feelings for based on the of a person is unjust.

Now back to the list. It was obviously shown to the class. The class was told what the list is supposed to be about and if you don’t remember let me remind you: THINGS THAT ARE WRONG AND SINFUL, THINGS THAT SHOULDN’T BE HAPPENING IN THIS WORLD. What if someone in this room is gay and you don’t know it? Do you know how alone he or she may feel in the world? Do you think showing a list with his or her uality on it and telling the class this is known as bad is right? Gay or not, no one likes being told that what they feel is not normal. To be labeled a horrible thing. Doesn’t that seem a little heartless to you? It saddens me that people out there, even here right now are thinking, “Why of course that’s just and right.” That sickens me. No matter the uality of a person you should have respect for he or she and not put that person down for who he is or wants to love.

 I actually have someone who is very important to me that is gay. Of course it wasn’t obvious at first about his uality but I am not one to judge a person on who he wants to love. I kind of guessed he was gay and once I knew I never treated him any differently. At times he does feel alone and he doesn’t feel okay with himself. It honestly hurts to hear him say that or even just think it. I want him to always know that there is nothing wrong with him. Although it's hard for him to stay "in the closet", I hope one day he'll spread his wings and be himself, even if he'll get treated discriminated against.

Other groups faced discrimination based on , race and had restrictions put on what they do. Blacks for example were slaves for the longest time; getting beaten, even killed, and no one would bat an eye about it. After slavery ended, African American’s were separated from whites.  Women too had to go through not having equal rights. Women were supposed to be in the house, cooking, and taking care of the children. We treated women and blacks horribly. Gays are treated the same way. The “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” act was the United States policy on gays serving in the military. The act prohibited people or persons from being open about being gay or biual. If they did speak about being gay or engage in homoual acts, they were to be discharged from the military. Also, the “DADT” prohibited anyone from prying into people’s life about any homoual things or even asking about it. Though the act is repealed now it was one restriction gays had, not being able to be open about who they are. A big topic now is gay marriage, which is another thing gays are not allowed to do in SOME States and parts of the world. There are arguments out there like “Why do they have to get married to spend the rest of their lives together? Can’t they just live together forever?” Well, sure they can and I am sure some do but it’d be nice to get married. Gays should be allowed the same rights any straight person has. Would you like it if someone said you weren’t allowed to marry to the person you love? I didn’t think so. It is never okay to discriminate against people.

We are all human and it is not okay for someone to be mean to someone else based on race, uality, gender or religion. People have feelings and are sensitive to hurtful things. Respect is a big thing people seem to forget when it comes to gays. Standing in front of a class full of kids that you think you know but may not know that well and telling them that homouality is sinful, isn’t right. To my best friend, I hope one day he will come out and be proud of who he is as so many others are. I learned in history classes that discrimination has never been okay. But suddenly now it’s okay to pin point a uality that doesn’t fit your terms of “normal”? I really don’t understand that.  As Kelly Clarkson says in her song “People like Us”: “We come into this world unknown, but know that we are not alone they try and knock us down but change is coming, it's our time now. “