Southeast Missouri State University
SC 105
Speech Writing
The LGBTQ civil rights movement began around 95 years ago when Henry Gerber founded the first gay rights organization, The Society for Human Rights. Henry was a homosexual committed to a mental institution for having a condition known as homosexuality. After overcoming that battle, Gerber made his way to Chicago, where he urged other homosexuals to understand that homosexuality was not an illness or a psychiatric condition. This was not unnatural, and once they found their sense of identity and self-respect, they could unite to fight discriminatory legislation. When you step back and look at the reasoning behind this movement, it is all about fighting for a form of love. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer are all just different forms of it. One hundred years ago, interracial marriages were discriminated but now they can. Marriage is based on love, not color, race, or gender, so why determine someone's idea of love? The LGBTQ community is not requesting special treatment; they want the same treatment and respect as those not part of the LGBTQ community.
Furthermore, this topic is complicated because gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and sexual behavior are hard to understand. No gender orientation machine can make us feel what it is like to be attracted to the same sex. All these things can be in line for one person but out of whack for another. Gender identity is how you feel inside and how you express those feelings through how you act, talk and dress. Sexual orientation or attraction is your romantic or sexual feelings towards others. Sexual identity is how you label yourself (lesbian, straight gay, bisexual, etc.), and sexual behavior is whom you have sex with and what kinds of sex you like. The LGBTQ community is fighting for equality across all boards compared. The right to marry whomever you want without consequences, the confidence to be protected by our government from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and the right to privacy no matter sexual orientation are just a few significant battles members of this community are fighting and demanding.
In 2015 the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all fifty states, but unfortunately, couples still face daily issues. They are still fighting against the post-marriage backlash. Same-sex couples often must document their relationship to a hospital before they can participate in their partner's care, unlike opposite-sex teams who do not typically have to show proof. Another issue society often raises regarding same-sex couples is whether they are fit parents. Yet, a vast majority of scientific studies have directly compared gay and lesbian parents with heterosexual parents and have consistently shown that same-sex couples are as fit and capable parents as heterosexual couples. A recent study even found that children of same-sex couples do just as well...
