When I was in about seventh grade, my parents sat me down and had the birds and the bees discussion. Oh, yes, the wonderful and inevitable conversation that each pre-teen will endure. So as I sat down on the couch and embraced the dreaded sex talk, my parents went over more than I was expecting. They explained how love is vital for human existence, how it’s a right for everyone, but how we sadly live in a world where people are shunned and labeled as sinners for their sexual orientation. My parents sat me down, talked about the birds and the bees, and told me it was okay if I was gay. I remember being frazzled, confused, and yelling, ‘I like boys!!!’ They smiled and told me that liking boys was okay too.
Diversity is wonderful and should be celebrated, and I have genuine friendships with people who have polar opposite political beliefs than I do. The key for humanity is respect, which is why this past week I have been trying to fathom how and why it is so difficult for some of our elected leaders of this country to understand this simple concept.
Mississippi’s governor Phil Bryant has recently signed a law which fully discriminates against the LGBT community by preventing them from retaining fundamental human rights and allowing businesses to deny them services. According to Mark Berman in The Washington Post, he further explains,
“The new law states that it protects ‘sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions,’ including the belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman and that sexual relations should only occur in such a marriage. It also says that businesses can determine who is allowed to access bathrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms.”
I am left speechless, wondering if governor Bryant comprehends the effect his implications have left in the state of Mississippi and our country. Almost sixty years ago, people were segregated in bathrooms, dressing rooms, locker rooms, and much more for the color of their skin. If you can recall, Governor Bryant, it was the civil rights movement. Our country once judged a person’s character, intellect and value by their race. Now history is clawing its way back through the sealed doors we tried to lock forever in the 60s. Unfortunately, racism is still a prevalent issue in society, along with sexism and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. All three issues start from the root of equality. It is obvious Governor Bryant’s intellect is not completely capable of grasping this issue. The governor has made claims that this bill will now give people religious freedom. Freedom is a right that our country prides itself on, which is why it is funny to me that Governor Bryant has the audacity to take away freedom from the LGBT community just because he believes that this is not something in which God believes.
I am a follower in Christ, because I believe that God created man and woman with hearts that are capable of showing respect and love to all mankind. He would not condone hate, and he would certainly not condone discrimination between any race and gender. Being gay is not a choice, but acceptance is. Our nation has a plethora of diversity, and no wall or bill is going to erase and shame those who make our country more cultured. Religious freedom is the right to choose what you believe in, which means governor Bryant’s beliefs are not superior to anybody else’s. Unfortunately, Mississippi is not the only state that is amplifying discrimination within our borders. North Carolina recently passed a similar law that is under much scrutiny. This issue is not going to go away over night, but if we don’t turn a blind eye away from it, then we have the opportunity to help more people recognize the importance of these rights.
Equality. It is a simple concept that I was able to understand at the age of twelve, but Governor Bryant and many more bigoted leaders have not yet learned. Our generation has the chance to not unlock the doors to our horrifying history. Parents, reach out to your children, show them love and accept them, because if they do not feel accepted, our nation will never grow up.