Vedika S. Texas

LGBT Rights: Why we must preserve and extend them to others around the world.

Persuasive letter to the next President advocating the preservation of LGBT rights in America, and extending these liberties to LGBT members located in anti-LGBT nations.

Dear Mr/Mrs.President:

Conceptualize an object so rare yet so controversial, that it’s like a piece of gold in danger of being stolen. The precious element being described is the term equality, and it’s something America has been struggling to achieve for the past 240 years. Many minorities across the nation are striving to gain their fair share of equal rights like many other American citizens. This can be said for the LGBT community, a vast network of gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and queers seeking acceptance into modern society. Sadly, this has not always been the case. Discrimination against LGBT members has been expanding, such as transgenders needing to use the same school bathroom as the gender they were born with, and not the gender they have associated with. Also, many countries who are anti-LGBT have severely limited human rights to these unique beings. So, Mr./Mrs. President, it is requested that you proceed to inform the three governmental branches to ratify new and improved laws to help defend LGBT rights in this country, and for the US to work with other nations as to expand human rights to LGBT members located in anti-LGBT nations.

Discrimination against beings of race and skin color was a serious crime committed back in the 1960’s. Yet, the same conflict continues to occur today, only this time with LGBT citizens. Segregation against LGBT members continues to happen around the country. Examples of this include: students who are transgender forced to use the school bathrooms as the gender they were born as, and violence over gays due to religious matters. Because of this, current LGBT rights are at risk. Recently, Girl Scouts announced they were finally accepting transgenders into their clubs. This had seemed pretty fair, only, instead of joy, the event was met with controversy. Many parents held mixed opinions about transgenders mingling with their own girls. This significant event Girl Scouts committed indicates how tensions built up between transgenders being accepted in the community and parents having varied thoughts about it. Another example of discrimination consisting of LGBT members is gender biased school bathrooms, often known as the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2). Involving mainly transgenders, numerous schools across the nation contain sexist restroom policies. The reason why this is a huge conflict is because transgenders wanting to be the gender they desire are forced into using the correct restroom based on their true gender. Many students detest the policies, and even though most states governments have repealed the act, multiple still plan on returning to sexist restrooms in schools. So, the government must pass checks every now and then in order to not only keep an eye on equality levels, but also on preserving current LGBT rights and freedoms here in the United States.

Refugees pouring in from war torn Syria and other striving countries have been fleeing to European countries, including the United States. Among these refugees appears to be a small population of LGBT members. These members who have lived in solitary modes throughout their whole lives are now able to speak out about themselves and feel unobstructed from their rights. But, why would these LGBT members feel the need to celebrate their freedom? Hadn’t they already obtained their own basic rights back home? Honestly, no. These LGBT refugees have fled countries where they didn’t have basic human rights. This is most likely because they arrived from a country that is anti-LGBT. 76 of the world’s nations are anti-LGBT. These nations include: Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, and parts of Nigeria and Somalia. In these nations, LGBT members are offered very few civil rights, unlike other civilians. Practicing LGBT rituals in anti-LGBT nations offers multiple punishments, including death. Whether limitations of human rights in these nations are due to religious beliefs or biased opinions, it can still be clearly observed that LGBT beings are being discriminated against as their own rights are being downgraded in their home countries. So when refugees arrive here in the US, they immediately obtain basic human rights, something not achieved in their home nations. In order to extend human rights in anti-LGBT nations, US officials must prepare necessary meetings with other LGBT hating nations, comparing levels of equality in the US and other nations. This way, other officials will realize the importance of LGBT liberties.

With their own rights at risk, it would be exceedingly rare to miss the observation that most individuals believe nothing has interfered with LGBT rights at all. For example, in the Declaration of Independence, it was listed, “ We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that 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.” Since the quote from the Declaration of Independence above explains that “All men are created equal” with “certain unalienable rights”, it would only seem as if the LGBT community contained an equality level as high as other individuals. As a result, it would be the opinions of others that all LGBT members are treated fairly and not isolated against, including the possession of the same inalienable rights as others. However, taking a closer look at modern society, these opinions are completely incorrect. Discrimination has clearly taken a toll on present LGBT liberties in the US as conflicts such as sexism continue to germinate. In order to combat this, like mentioned above, the federal government should legislate laws preserving current LGBT rights so that influences against LGBT privileges won’t interfere with the LGBT community’s freedom.

LGBT rights are at stake. Here, in America, LGBT rights have slowly been downgraded, as discrimination continues to grow ever so slowly, threatening the well being of the LGBT community. And this is not just occurring in America, but around the world as well. Countless regions in the Middle East and Africa have severely limited LGBT freedoms solely on the basis of religious belief and mixed opinions. However, all these conflicts have the ability to be resolved. One solution to preserving current LGBT liberties is for the government to pass laws stating nothing should be altered to present LGBT freedoms. In pursuance of expanding human rights to LGBT members in anti-LGBT nations, US officials can interact with officials from these nations, pressing them into believing what is best for LGBT citizens in those nations. As what can be observed from these solutions, Mr./Mrs. President, it can clearly be detected that LGBT members have been struggling for acceptance into modern society, and this is increasingly due to discrimination against these unique beings and lack of human rights for LGBT refugees fleeing from anti-LGBT nations. So, when you have successfully won the election on Tuesday, you will be able to invent these solutions in order to benefit the well being of the LGBT community in the near future.

Sincerely,

Vedika S.

Works Cited

"About LGBT Human Rights." Amnesty International USA. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

By. "Governor Says Won't Repeal North Carolina Transgender Law." Newsela. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

By. "Mass Shooting at Florida Club Prompts Debate on Terrorism, Gun Control." Newsela. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

By. "Mazy Is Learning to Be Herself, with the Support of Her Family." Newsela. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

Leon, Erwin De. "LGBT Organizations' Role in Progress." Urban Institute. 12 May 2015. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

Leon, Erwin De. "What about LGBT Refugees in the United States?" Urban Institute. 15 June 2016. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

Cedar Valley Middle School

Ms. Collins' students

These are the wonderful ideas of my 8th grade students and their advice to the next President of the United States.

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