Equal Rights?

The links below are all from the last five weeks. And most of them were originally found from one major news networks home page. If you were to read one of the gay publications that are online, like The Advocate or Out, you'd probably find a lot more stories about the continuing discrimination against the gay population. And none of these stories even touch on the issue of bans on gay marriage or don't ask don't tell, the two most glaring examples of legalized discrimination in place today.

There are those who claim that gays have the same rights as heterosexuals. That any laws that grant us "additional rights" are granting us special rights.

Tell that to the women in two of the stories below who are fighting for the right to even see the child they helped raise since birth and who know them as mom.

Tell that to the gay couples in Florida who are in danger of losing the kids they've raised since birth because Florida has a ban on gay adoptions that, despite having two courts rule it unconstitutional, the state is fighting to keep in place.

Tell that to the people who were dropped by their insurance company for having HIV— and not all of them were gay! But HIV is considered a "gay disease" in the minds of many because it decimated the gay male population when it first appeared in the US.

Tell that to the gay teenagers who just want to experience the magic of senior prom but can't because their schools ban same-sex couples from attending.

Tell that to the many gay men who would love to donate blood but are not permitted to because of an outdated policy based on fear of getting HIV when today more than 40% of HIV transmission occurs due to heterosexual relationships or IV drug use among heterosexuals. Yet heterosexuals are not asked to not donate blood!

So let's not kid ourselves that gays have equal rights in this country. Let me rephrase that. Gays DO have equal rights in this country because we are just as entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as heterosexuals. But states and the federal government have unconstitutionally prevented us from exercising those rights. And unfortunately, it's going to take enacting a law to prevent them from continuing to do it. The passage of ENDA would be a step. Repeal of Don't ask don't tell would be a step. Allowing gay marriage would be a step.

If you support the Constitution and don't support taking those steps, you're acting like a hypocrite.