We Arent Monsters

Corey Barnes

LGBT HUMANS are being

shoved to the gutter here in the US.
From Bill Clintons Dont ask, dont
tell rules on gay soldiers, his signing
of the Defense of Marriage Act,
which denies same-sex unions the
right to be federally recognized, to the
lynching of Matthew Shepard, the 21
year-old man who was murdered in
Wyoming with the words When push
comes to shove, this is what we have
in mind for gays. (Lacayo 1) These
people do NOT deserve this. Many of
the people committing these crimes
like Matthew Shepards murder are
adults, they very same adults that
raised myself and others. The very
reason this world is disgusting.

out of 10 LGBT teens in the US have

claimed to have been bullied at school
in the past year because of their
sexual orientation. Almost half of
those teens have also reported being
physically

harassed and another quarter had

been physically assaulted. (Bullying
Statistics 1) All of these factors
contribute to the fact that many of
these teens end up committing
suicide. About 30% of all completed
suicides have been related to sexual

Why is this happening?

Homophobia is the very cause
of these problems within the US and
most of the world. People are not yet
able to accept that gay people exist,
and it is part of human nature. But,
many of these people are unwilling to
accept that. Homophobia causes hate
crimes and teen bullying. For example,
Matthew Shepards death was an
example of a hate crime. He was
murdered because of who he was, and
how he lived. Hate crimes have
become very common in the US. Many
LGBT are raped, murdered, attacked,
and harassed because of who they
are, and who they love. Homophobia
and these hate crimes are also
associated with teen bullying. About 9

identity crisis. (Bullying Statistics 1)

These humans are taking their lives
away because they cannot cope with
the Hell they are being put through by
other human beings in this world.
According to the graph below, 46% of
homeless LGBT youth are homeless
due to rejection from their families.
43% were forced out of their homes,
and 32% left due to physical or
emotional abuse at their own home.

Any other causes?

Religion is another main cause

for problems many LGBT people face
today. There are many religions that
do not accept LGBT people, and think
they are choosing to live how they
live. Its sad that they cannot be
themselves without others trying to
prove they are wrong with their
religion. Many faith groups base their
policies on four points:
1. How leaders of their faith
group have interpreted their
holy book.
2. Traditional teaching within
the religion.
3. Personal experiences.
4. Scientific findings.
(Religious Tolerance 1) But, not ALL
religions use these four factors. For
example, Conservative religious
groups like fundamentalists tend to
focus on points one and two, most are
anti-LGBT. Another example would be
Mainline Denominations which are
split between same-sex marriage and
human rights. Many of their members
are experiencing splits of their beliefs
on those two points/ideas. Religion
highly impacts the way people are
treated because of how the
abusers/helpers religions taught them
to act. Many religions are against
LGBT people, many religions tell them
to accept others for who they are and
not for what they do, or have done in
the past. But, at the same time, many
religious groups are the cause for

much of the hate LGBT people

are/have gotten.

Why is this allowed?

The last main factor for how
LGBT people are being treated in the
US is the federal laws. In many states,
it is illegal or same-sex couples to
marry. It is also legal for private
schools to allow expulsion for being
gay, or preforming Immortal acts.
No immortal act or identifying
statements concerning fornication,
adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism,
bisexuality, or pornography will be
tolerated, warns the Cherokee
Christian Schools in Woodstock,
Georgia. Such behavior will constitute
grounds for expulsion. (Morris 2)
These laws make LGBT people feel
unwelcome in their states,
communities, maybe even their own
homes.
All of these examples really
show how humans, not just LGBT
people, are being shoved to the gutter.
They are not being accepted because
of a small detail that is a part of them,
their sexual preferences and sexual
identity. It is unfair for them; let them
live how they wish to live. We are all
human.

Works cited:

Gay Bulling Statistics. Bulling Statistics. N.P., 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

http://www.bullyingstatistics,org/content/gay-bullying-statistics.html.

The Impacts of Religion on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

(LGBT) Community. The impact of Religion on Homosexuality and
Bisexuality. N.P., 01 June 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu3.html.

Lacayo, Richard, et al. The New Gay Struggle. (Cover Story). Time 152.17
(1998): 32. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Jan. 2015.

Http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio&db=aph&AN=1191070&si
te=ehost-live.

Morris, Alex. The Hidden War Against Gay Teens. Rolling Stone 1193
(2013): 74-92. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Jan. 2015.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio&db=aph&AN=90486161&
site=ehost-live

"The Impacts of Religion on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

(LGBT) Community." The Impact of Religion on Homosexuality and
Bisexuality. Religious Tolerance, 01 June 2014. Web. 08 Feb. 2015.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/homosexu3.htm

"The Gay Enemy Threat In The Christian Home." Camels With Hammers. N.p.,
21 May 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/camelswithhammers/2014/05/the-gay-enemy-threatin-the-christian-home/