Equal Rights For Americans? By Astra Moon

By @Astra Moon
POSTED: 22 Dec 2010 16:55
CATEGORY: Miscellaneous
FEATURED: Yes (@JABINATOR)
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In the 21st century, America pretty much lives by the phrase 'Equal Rights For All' but, if you look deeper into that one little saying, you find that it's not necessarily true. I'm going to nitpick at just 1 topic today. Gay Rights....If all American's are equal, then shouldn't we be allowed to get married? Shouldn't we have the same laws & right that a heterosexual couple has? There are some states that allow gay marriage but the list isn't as large as some people think. It's actually quite small considering that countries like Canada & others have legalized gay marriage universally throughout their area. But yet, there are some areas here in America where you can still be FIRED for being gay, & guess what? It's completely & totally legal. One such state is Florida. In Florida, if you are gay, your boss can legally fire you for it. You can do nothing about it. Here are some lists that tells you just how limited America actually is:

States allowing IN STATE Gay Marriage:
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Iowa
Vermont

States recognizing Gay Marriage performed in another places:
New York
California (note: A new law in effect (as of 8/2010) prevents gay marriages from legally taking place in the state.
Rhode Island
New Mexico
Washington, D.C.

states protecting against LGBT discrimination:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Hawaii
Illinois
Iowa
Ohio
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
District of Columbia

States protecting against gender expression & identity:
California
Colorado
Illinois
Iowa
Ohio
Maine
Minnesota
New Jersey
New Mexico
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington
Washington, D.C.

Each list above, if you look is surprisingly short. Only 21 states actually protect you from discrimination if you are gay or lesbian, & only 13 of them states protect you from being discriminated against if you are transgender. Only 4 states PERFORM same sex marriage & only 5 states recognize same-sex marriage if you leave the state, get married, & come back. Personally, if you ask me, when I look at those lists, it makes me sick. How can ANYONE say America is a free country when they look at that?

We love the same way, we cry when our heart is broken, fall in love, face the same problems with relationships. The only difference is WHOM we date. Why is it that congress has this INSANE urge to separate us from what they consider the 'normal' people?

Face it....America is not as free as claimed.

+2 -0

@Doggy433
02 Oct 2011 11:56

I wasn't surprised not to see my hometown South Carolina here.

@plainoldme1
15 Jan 2011 17:15

marraige being religious, anyone can marry anyone, screw laws i'm an gay, furry, anarchist :3

@Astra Moon
23 Dec 2010 03:06

it's slowly getting better....Today, on the news I saw the official announcement of the DADT repeal.

@HullBreach Premium64

23 Dec 2010 02:37

The problem is that the word "marriage" is already taken. It's a religious term referring to where souls are bonded in the flesh for the purpose of procreation. "Gay marriage" is an impossibility.

With that said, government special interest groups on both sides of the spectrum politicize an issue that should be private and have nothing to do with government at all. In the United States, the progressives of the early 20th century passed the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, that allowed the income tax. This further opened government to dictate that married couples would get a special tax bracket to not be charged as much. Government has no place to say this because families are not always nuclear in nature. This bring me to civil unions...

A civil union is effectively a business contract for the purpose of government (or other) recognition. This is secular in nature, so it can take any form. A civil union can be a straight couple, gay couple, polyandrous group, polygynous group, domestic roommates, business associates, extended family, or whatever other form people want it to be. Let's say someone in the civil union is in a car wreck and must stay in the hospital to recover. This person should be able to dictate who can visit, be that a parent, lover, child, business partner, roommate, etc.

Aside from all this terminology, what people want to do on their own property is their own business, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. If government steps over the 4th Amendment (no illegal searches and seizures) to prevent this, then I can see an uprising in no time.

@PORKStheMEATofKINGS
23 Dec 2010 00:04

COME TO CANADA, WE HAVE GAY MARRIAGE AND MAPLE SYRUP!

@The Ram
22 Dec 2010 23:23

True. Well, hopefully the list grows this year...

@The Ram
22 Dec 2010 22:53

Illinois, I be in. If I remember correctly, I think Quinn was supposed to pass a law allowing Civil Unions in Illinois.[Civil Union not same as Legal Gay Marriage]

@The Ram
22 Dec 2010 22:52

It's not just Congress, but religion also has a small bit of religion, as well[I don't mean to always blame it, but you know it usually have a role in these things] Think, it all comes down to what the Governor believes, then, if they can get past it[if they disagree w/ it] and think of the majority.[I'm not up-to-date w/ the legal system, so That may not be exact].

@Astra Moon
22 Dec 2010 20:05

Annie, was it in California or Florida? In Florida, that's perfectly legal.....there are no laws there to protect us (the GLBT community) from that type of discrimination.

@Jack10
22 Dec 2010 19:02

(Lives in Georgia) Sad...

@Lucas7
22 Dec 2010 18:44

Iowa! That's my state. But yeah.... America is not as free...

@Annie01
22 Dec 2010 18:36

Move to Canada. We accept everyone for who they are. I think if we love someone for who they are, same gender and all, That they should be allowed to get married.

When I was in Disney Land I saw a Lesbian couple who were holding hands, got kicked out. They were crying and I said Good luck.

What has our world become?

Equal Rights For Americans?

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