“It’s not right. The way they walk around like they’re not doing something wrong. Like what they’re doing is normal” one of my friends mother said this to her after seeing a gay couple walking in the mall, hand in hand. My friend then asked, “Why is it wrong, what makes them bad people, what makes you think they can’t express their love like we do, what makes you think there not like us?” Her mother’s only reply was that God created men to love women and women to love men, and that it’s a sin to do otherwise. Now I am not the most religious person but, isn’t God supposed to love all men, women, and children no matter who they are, what they’ve done in the past, or where they came from? And why should God factor into the equation of gays having the right to marry or not?

Our U.S constitution clearly states that “all men are created equal”, but it took us forever to finally get what the word equal really means. It took us years of protesting for women’s rights, a civil war, years of segregation protesting, and more protesting for equal rights among all types of people and issues. One of those issues arose in 1977. A man named Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man who was elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. He wanted to change the way we perceive gays. He said “once and for all, break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions.” Harvey Milk was an amazing speaker and gave a big push to the way we see others, but unfortunately, Milk was assassinated after just a year in office.

People argue that gays can’t marry because state constitution says only a man and a woman can marry. People also say it will corrupt young minds, and an outbreak of gays will occur. Outbreak and corruption? I would be more concerned about my child watching half naked rich kids running around on MTV or a violent video games corrupting their minds. I wouldn’t care if my child saw a gay couple getting married, kissing, or hugging; because it is just two people showing love for one another. Who is to deny a person the right to marriage? That is no one’s business, not the voters, not the states, not even the President of the U. S. A. It’s no one’s business but the person who is getting married. No one should deny a person’s marriage gay or straight. Marriage is a sacred, commitment, between two people who love each other and anyone who wants to be able to show that should have the right to show that. Others shouldn’t always decide for others.

Not only am I saying to allow gays to have the right to marry but, I am also saying to not judge them, or anyone for that matter. My mother always told me never to judge a book by its cover. So if the cover is covered with rainbow doesn’t mean we know what’s inside, if a cover is covered black, white, yellow, or purple doesn’t mean we know what’s inside.

Hopefully in the near future gays will have the right to marry, but for now we have to wait. If you feel the need to help, join your schools GSA club, talk to you piers and parents about it, or participate on The National Day of Silence, which is a day to silence out the anti gay bullying and name calling in schools. Help make a difference in the way we look at each other. The National Day of Silence is April 16, 2010. Make a difference.