The Greatest Social Injustice in the World

In America, we consider our country "the Land of the Free". We pride ourselves in our freedom of self expression, and our set of morals and ethics. We open our arms to men and women, blacks and whites, Asians and Europeans, mentally or physically disabled. It is utterly frowned upon to make fun of these groups. However, one group in our country, and the whole world in general, has been mocked, shunned, and persecuted since the beginning of humanity. These people make up 10% of the world's population, but most of them are forced to hide their identity in fear of being resented. These people, homosexuals, are the most tortured group in the whole world, and nothing has been done to prevent this.

If you walk across a hall at Wissahickon High School, you are likely to hear the word "gay" used in a derogatory fashion. This adjective has gained such a negative connotation that anyone who actually fits the description is now looked down upon. It is used as an insult on television, in movies, in writing, and music. Homosexuals have done nothing to elicit this negativity, and yet new phrases are penned every day, creating more ways to destroy a person's self-esteem.

Think about the right of marriage. Drug dealers, murderers, and racists all are able to tie the knot. The menaces of American society have this right, yet hardly anywhere are perfectly innocent lovers who happen to share the same gender are not permitted to wed. When people say that it isn't natural for people of the same sex to be in love and wed, that is not so. Their identity as a homosexual is in fact a natural occurrence, something that these people are born with and have no control over. Their chemicals in their body cause them to feel affection for the same sex, so in what way is this not a natural occurrence?

From the Stonewall Riots to Harvey Milk, gay pride has attempted to fight for its existence. More and more homosexuals are feeling more comfortable to come out. Icons such as Ellen DeGeneres, Ricky Martin, and Neil Patrick Harris have all come out recently, realizing that their stature may help the process of gays embracing their personality.

There is still a long way to go. Gay teens every week are committing suicides fueled by self-loathing and regret. Hopefully, one day, homosexuals will be accepted and embraced in American society.