President Obama has made history in more ways than one. He has now officially signed, and passed through Congress, the Matthew Shepard and James Boyd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The act is an extension of the 1969 United States Federal hate-crime Law and now thankfully includes crimes motivated by a victim's gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr where both murdered. Matthew, a student, was tortured and killed in 1998 because he was gay, and James, an African-American, was dragged from a truck until dead because he was black. In both states, Wyoming and Texas respectively, there were no hate crime laws for either minorities.
The new Act could not have come at a better time. Gay hate crime has reached a record high here in the UK. Across the pond it isn't much different. The problem, I think, is ignorance. Something that comes as natural as being man or woman to some people is seen as such an alien thing to others. Being straight is not a choice you make, much like being gay isn't either. You're born male or female. You're born gay or straight.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, we live in a country which, to an extent, promotes freedom of speech. However, when opinion spills over into action it is time to worry. How can anyone think they are given the right to verbally or physically abuse someone because of who they are attracted to or who they love? You seldom hear of straight hate crime - that's because we accept straight people. Imagine if it was the other way round?
Me and my boyfriend sat next to a guy on the tube not long ago. My boyfriend put his hand on my knee - someone call the police! - and the guy got up, walked to the other half of the carriage, sat down, and proceeded to stare at us. I mean COME ON. You won't catch gay, don't worry. They guy was Indian, imagine if we were racist and moved seats because of it. Plain ignorant.
It's time society grew up a bit. I'm not asking for a miracle - there will always be people who hate on others; whether they have more money, longer hair, are attracted to someone of the same sex - I'm not naive. The simple fact is, gays exist. We are human. We don't have a different currency. We don't automatically fancy every straight guy out there (most of the time!) so pipe down, get off your boxes and wise up to the fact that we ain't going anywhere.
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr where both murdered. Matthew, a student, was tortured and killed in 1998 because he was gay, and James, an African-American, was dragged from a truck until dead because he was black. In both states, Wyoming and Texas respectively, there were no hate crime laws for either minorities.
The new Act could not have come at a better time. Gay hate crime has reached a record high here in the UK. Across the pond it isn't much different. The problem, I think, is ignorance. Something that comes as natural as being man or woman to some people is seen as such an alien thing to others. Being straight is not a choice you make, much like being gay isn't either. You're born male or female. You're born gay or straight.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, we live in a country which, to an extent, promotes freedom of speech. However, when opinion spills over into action it is time to worry. How can anyone think they are given the right to verbally or physically abuse someone because of who they are attracted to or who they love? You seldom hear of straight hate crime - that's because we accept straight people. Imagine if it was the other way round?
Me and my boyfriend sat next to a guy on the tube not long ago. My boyfriend put his hand on my knee - someone call the police! - and the guy got up, walked to the other half of the carriage, sat down, and proceeded to stare at us. I mean COME ON. You won't catch gay, don't worry. They guy was Indian, imagine if we were racist and moved seats because of it. Plain ignorant.
It's time society grew up a bit. I'm not asking for a miracle - there will always be people who hate on others; whether they have more money, longer hair, are attracted to someone of the same sex - I'm not naive. The simple fact is, gays exist. We are human. We don't have a different currency. We don't automatically fancy every straight guy out there (most of the time!) so pipe down, get off your boxes and wise up to the fact that we ain't going anywhere.