How Different Are They? | Teen Ink

How Different Are They?

March 30, 2010
By Pokejack9 BRONZE, Holland, Michigan
Pokejack9 BRONZE, Holland, Michigan
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
Age is compulsory but wisdom is optional


Human? Yes. Different? Yes! Does this mean they should be treated differently? They are just as knowledgeable as anyone else, you, me, the stranger across the room. There all around you, yet many people are mean to them. Are they afraid? Afraid of change, or catching it as if it’s a disease. Being homosexual is a life choice that should be respected, not criticized. I hear people saying that people are queer, or a fag. Do they really realize what they’re saying? It shouldn’t have to be a problem; gay people shouldn’t have to hide as if they’re monsters waiting to be aroused. What makes people not like them?

I was in my friends house, waiting for them to get there shoes on. I look around their old dusty kitchen. I came across a picture of their son next to another guy. When my friend came into the kitchen I asked who it was. Their reply was tentative but finally it came out as, “Jamie, you might find this a surprise but my son is gay and that’s his boyfriend”. “Cool” is how I replied. I know people who would immediately erase this person from there contact list as if the could become gay just by having them on their cell phone. Gay people are stereotypically people with high voices; mostly hang out with girls, and like musical theatre. I’m all of those things, does this make me gay? As I write this I’m listening to a musical! Why don’t people understand that you can never read a book by its cover? There is so much more once you start the book, maybe not on the very first page, maybe not on the tenth or fifteenth but then on the twentieth, you find something. You find that they are actually a nice person or book.

Are you forced to hate gay people? I find that the most influential book is the Bible. I know someone who doesn’t like gay people because of the Bible. Yes, believe in the Bible, is what I say to them, believe in what you want but to remember that this book was written many, many years ago. Stay with the time, don’t harp on something so big it’s gotten people killed. The bible states Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. What do you think this says to the believers of the Bible? It also says:
If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. Kill those unlike yourself. Should we kill the dyslexic the mentally challenged? Hate the sin not the sinner. These quotes have to things wrong with them, one, it is saying to hate the sinners, two, is being homosexual a sin? It’s not the person’s fault, if anyone is to blame its God, or at least in the religious sense. 95% of Catholics think that it is wrong for someone to be gay, while only 45% of atheists think that it’s wrong. As you can see religion plays a major part in this decision. In the first amendment it says freedom of speech, religion and press. If people have the right to practice a religion then the homosexual should have the right to choose who to marry and spend their life with.




There are many famous homosexuals. One of them who is popular today is Adam Lambert. Lambert was American Idol’s runner-up in season 8. Did people know he was gay, probably not. Did anyone care? No! He didn’t harm anyone; people liked him because he could sing. That is what people should look at, not if someone is gay, but see who they are. Another person is Elton John. Very, famous. He has written a lot of music. He is also gay but people don’t care, and why should they?

Thankfully the acceptance of homosexuals has greatly increased. At this point it’s 50/50, half of the United States accepts them, the other half doesn’t. In 1982 only 34% of people accepted gay people. There was a big jump from 1997 to 2001, from 42% to 50% respectively. One thing that is nice to see is that 62% of teens accept gay people which means that the acceptance of gay people will keep rising but only 42% of people from 60-79 accept them. The acceptance rate is lower in Africa and the Middle East than any place else. Why is that?
I think gay people should be able to live their life peacefully with out harm. I think that the people who don’t like them would loose every argument they participate in about this subject. After all that I have said, what do you think?


The author's comments:
I have been called gay many a time, I'm not but it shouldn't matter if I am or not. It has bugged me that people think that calling someone gay is an insult when it really isn't, it's a life choice that shouldn't be judged.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.