Human Rights at Home and Abroad: Past, Present, and Future
Human Rights at Home and Abroad: Past, Present, and Future
Human Rights at Home and Abroad: Past, Present, and Future
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Another form of support th<strong>at</strong> exists in the United St<strong>at</strong>es for homosexuals <strong>and</strong> gay rights is Pride<br />
Month (June). Pride Month was organized in order to celebr<strong>at</strong>e the movement <strong>and</strong> progression towards<br />
the equaliz<strong>at</strong>ion of homosexuals to heterosexuals. Secretary of St<strong>at</strong>e, Hillary Rodham Clinton, spoke <strong>at</strong> a<br />
conference during Pride Month <strong>and</strong> st<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> advances have been made in order to equalize rights for<br />
same-sex couples, however she also knows, ―th<strong>at</strong> there is still a lot of work to be done but th<strong>at</strong> we are<br />
moving in the right direction‖ (2010). Hillary Clinton is a very powerful <strong>and</strong> influence person in<br />
government right now <strong>and</strong> she has a big influence on people. It is refreshing to see th<strong>at</strong> not everyone<br />
currently in government agrees with the current discrimin<strong>at</strong>ion of homosexuals. However, she knows th<strong>at</strong><br />
the U.S. is on the right track to acknowledging gays <strong>and</strong> lesbians as equal American citizens <strong>and</strong> therefore<br />
they should be entitled to the same human rights. Sexual orient<strong>at</strong>ion should not be the reason why certain<br />
individuals are not allowed to have rights. Wh<strong>at</strong> does it m<strong>at</strong>ter who someone loves? America is based on<br />
freedom, so why should sexual orient<strong>at</strong>ion keep homosexuals from true freedom? It makes no sense but<br />
there are plenty of American citizens who believe homosexuality is wrong <strong>and</strong> with this they have<br />
organized h<strong>at</strong>e groups in order to try <strong>and</strong> stop with equality act.<br />
When it comes to the lives of homosexuals, people seem to be putting their own personal beliefs<br />
<strong>and</strong> opinions before the rights <strong>and</strong> freedoms th<strong>at</strong> should be guaranteed to all citizens in the United St<strong>at</strong>es.<br />
Even with acknowledgement of gay rights <strong>and</strong> its many supporters, many h<strong>at</strong>e groups still exist. Currently<br />
in the U.S. there are many h<strong>at</strong>e groups who try <strong>and</strong> diminish the progress th<strong>at</strong> has been made towards<br />
equaliz<strong>at</strong>ion of all people. Evelyn Schl<strong>at</strong>ter, the author of 18 Anti-Gay Groups <strong>and</strong> Their Propag<strong>and</strong>a,<br />
st<strong>at</strong>es th<strong>at</strong>: ―the Abiding Truth Ministries serves mainly as a launching pad for an intern<strong>at</strong>ional anti-gay<br />
campaign‖, in which founder Scott Lively believes th<strong>at</strong> homosexuality is linked to the Nazi Party (2010).<br />
Also, Evelyn Schl<strong>at</strong>ter explains th<strong>at</strong> another h<strong>at</strong>e group is the ―American Family Associ<strong>at</strong>ion‖ in which<br />
they ―seek to support traditional moral values, but in recent years it has seemed to specialize in comb<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
the homosexual agenda‖ (2010). It does not seem to m<strong>at</strong>ter the amount of progression th<strong>at</strong> is being made<br />
in the U.S., many h<strong>at</strong>e groups are continuing to exist <strong>and</strong> express their opinions <strong>and</strong> beliefs louder than<br />
ever. By these groups making their opinions <strong>and</strong> beliefs so well known it is no wonder th<strong>at</strong> gay rights in<br />
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