Personal Opinion Essay:The New Civil Rights Movement: A Fight for LGBTQIA Rights in the United States

The New Civil Rights Movement: A Fight for LGBTQIA Rights in the United States

As a United States citizen who was born in the new millennium, I was brought up with the idea that, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This statement was one of the main sources of fuel for the Civil Rights Movements in the mid 1950’s/60’s in the United States. Minority groups have often been mistreated in the United States culminating in movements much like that of the women’s suffrage movement, civil rights movements and now a movement toward equality for the LGBTQIA. In the last few decades a new minority group, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and allies, and their struggle to attain their right to the pursuit of happiness. This small makes up roughly 4 percent of the US population. Though many say that gay marriage will weaken the moral foundation of our country, it should be legalized, not only because banning it is unconstitutional, but also because strips people of their human rights The LGBTQIA community has faced strong opposition from groups falling outside this minority for years, primarily conservative and religious groups. This phenomenon is not particular to the United States, but spans hundreds of countries across the world. Religious leaders in varying religions not only oppose the act of marriage, but often times oppose the actual act of homosexual behavior. Often religious oppositionist will cite religious text, like the Bible as a means of opposing the LGBTQIA lifestyle. One of the most blatant oppositions to homosexual b...

... middle of paper ...

... what can be considered one of the most forward thinking countries in the world. The longer we hold out on allowing homosexual couples to marry, the further we will fall behind in the world. We cannot continuously look down upon other countries degradation of particular minorities while we continue to do the same thing in our own country. Gay marriage it simply gives another minority the opportunity to express their love. Being married involves legal matters, and religion is simply something that we have added to it. The ideals of marriage have been ever-evolving and we as Americans, the pillar of modernization, the ever futuristic mainstay, should be open-minded enough to evolve even more to benefit the homosexual community. If not open-minded enough, look at the laws: America established itself upon the ideals of equality for all. We should follow our own rules.