Opinion: GET OVER IT!

For those of you who are not aware, February of this year played host to LGBT month (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), a time which aimed to bring about equality and erode discrimination targeting those who fall under the LGBT category. The cause is supported by a majority of pupils and teachers here at LaSwap who display their backing by wearing the trademark ‘some people are gay, get over it!’ T-shirts. Unfortunately however, not everyone is on the same page and displays a positive attitude towards the global equal rights revolution for homosexuals or people suffering gender issues. Regrettably, the struggle continues for LGBT’s to gain equal rights; Unable to obtain domestic violence protection orders against a partner or former partner or even to visit their partners in the hospital due to not being considered “family”...if this type of discrimination were to affect any other minority group surely there’d be an uproar? Thinking back, the time in which black or other coloured people were forced to sit at the back of a bus or stand for a white passenger was clearly racist and now is looked back on in disgust, women not being able to vote only 80 years ago was undoubtedly sexist and now disapproved of by the majority. 

 

Despite this LGBT’s weren’t even able to give blood until very, very recently - a policy that quite obviously was discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and in other words - homophobic, was accepted until last year. In the year 2012, of the 21^st century LGBT’s are still struggling to get the same rights as others, so where will they go from here? Currently there are initiatives and petitions flying about as LGBT’s try to attract attention for their equal rights campaign, advocating their ideas at the huge parade down Oxford Street for ‘Gay Pride’ day. Despite LGBT’s still being unable to acquire the equality everyone deserves, I believe the open-mindedness of our generation and future ones will eventually give them equal opportunities and the freedom to be who they want to be! If you support the campaign for equal rights for LGBTs please step out and say ‘NO’ to the bullying and hate crimes homosexuals and bisexuals are facing today, and if you’re not in favour… with the direction we seem to be heading in, you may just have to ‘Get over it!’.

What are your views on this issue? 

E-mail the LASWAP magazine at fourmagazine_laswap@hotmail.com with your opinions and reasons for them and we’ll try to give you a mention.  
Words by Jadene Squires