While watching television one day I saw a commercial for a campaign called “Give a Damn.” It was created to promote equality among all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Americans. People of all ages are dealing with hate crimes, work-place discrimination, inequality, suicide, rejecction, and a lack of respect just because they are “different,” just because they choose to love differently. These issues absolutely break my heart. A person is still a person no matter who they choose to love, no matter how they choose to love. I saw the commercial and immediately had to go to the campaign’s website [http://www.wegiveadamn.org] and sign myself up; I give a damn, and I want the world to know it.
It’s as if every time we seem to get over one form of discrimination, be in sexism or racism, society finds another outlet for their hatred. Why must this be the case? Is it so difficult to love someone just because they are slightly different, because they are more open to all kinds of love? Any and all love should be treated equally.
You may or may not be aware that I am bisexual. I believe this has been the case all of my life. I’m not sure if I believe that sexual orientation is something predetermined or if it is a learned characteristic, but either way I don’t feel it makes me, or anyone else, any less of a person. Would you respect me less if I loved a woman instead of a man? Would that make me a bad person? I don’t believe it would; and I wouldn’t respect you any less if you loved another of the same gender. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone (that I know of) who is transgendered, but I wouldn’t love that person any less either.
Another thing I am unsure of is how us, as human beings, got to this planet. But if in fact all parts of ourselves were created by God that means he created these differences in sexuality. So does that make Him wrong, as well? If God is an all-accepting being, as so many believe, does that mean he loves the LGBT community any less because they are different? I cannot see an “all-loving” God thinking any less of his children because they choose to love differently. I was brought up Christian, so I would like to say that the part of me that is still the Christian girl I went to Sunday school to become doesn’t think God would love any one of us less than another. If we were, in fact, made in God’s image, then wouldn’t that make Him all of these things as well: gay, straight, transgendered?
I’m not so naive to think that all should be “fair.” Life is unfair, I’ll be first to admit to that. But that doesn’t mean a person should be loved any less than anyone else. No matter how lost, angry or different a person is, they still strive to love and be loved in return. You want that as well, don’t you? So why should you take your love away from another person just because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation? I’m not one to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but maybe you could take my words, and the words of this incredible organization, to heart and really think about life: Do you want equality for yourself? Do you want to be treated equal to others? I’m willing to bet the answer to both of those questions is YES.
So please Give a Damn along with me and so many others.
To all those who think you are alone in this life, who think you’re alone in this struggle: YOU ARE NOT. There are people who love you just as much as they love anyone else. I want to give my love and my hope to you: YOU inspire me to be who I really am. Let’s fight this fight together, let’s get through this, win this battle, and show the world that all love is equal, that we all deserve to be happy, to be treated as well as the next person.