For many years, President Obama has been very open about his passion for furthering LGBT rights and equality. In 2011, the eight-year president declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, and demanded that the Justice Department refrain from fighting for the law in the courtroom.
Then, this month, the compassionate politician expressed his support for transgender individuals to be able to choose which bathroom to use according to their gender identity. One of the issues the president highlighted during the interview was adults’ responsibility to prevent the bullying of children who are “different.”
“We’re talking about kids. Anybody who has been in school, in high school, who has been a parent should realize that kids who are sometimes in the minority, kids who have a different sexual orientation or are transgender are subject to a lot of bullyizng, potentially … They’re vulnerable.”
This month is LGBT Pride Month, and today Obama has proclaimed his undying determination to make the world a safer and more fair place for LGBT people,
“Since our founding, America has advanced on an unending path toward becoming a more perfect Union. This journey, led by forward-thinking individuals who have set their sights on reaching for a brighter tomorrow, has never been easy or smooth. This month, we recognize all they have done to bring us to this point, and we recommit to bending the arc of our Nation toward justice.”
Along with discussing providing cost-effective and friendly housing to aging LGBT people, Obama also emphasized that promoting equality within communities means allowing people to be themselves, instead of making them resort to harmful alternatives such as conversion therapy.
In addition to fighting discrimination towards LGBT individuals, Obama’s administration has made strides to generate an effective HIV/AIDS strategy to decrease infections and to improve sick people’s quality of life.
Although America has made progress in its mission to advance LGBT equality, as the president points out, there is still a lot of work to do:
“There remains much work to do to extend the promise of our country to every American, but because of the acts of courage of the millions who came out and spoke out to demand justice and of those who quietly toiled and pushed for progress, our Nation has made great strides in recognizing what these brave individuals long knew to be true in their hearts — that love is love and that no person should be judged by anything but the content of their character.”
Although I may not agree with everything Obama has done during his presidency, it makes me proud to be a citizen of a nation ruled by an open-minded individual who is eager to find ways to improve people’s well-being. As a millennial, treating people fairly seems like a no-brainer.
What is the point in treating people differently if they are members of the same human race? We are all unique individuals who deserve to be who we want to be.
In the past, LGBT people did not have a chance at being themselves. Now, (some) important political figures are taking notice and recognizing that there is a great need for change. During LGBT Pride Month, I hope people take a second to analyze their treatment towards people different from them and reevaluate how they view them.
In the end, we all are seeking acceptance, and we shouldn’t single out groups of people just because they may not be within the lines of what we consider “normal.” Normal is boring; no “normal” person ever made a name for himself.
It’s the people who are different that truly make a difference in the world.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons by Pete Souza under public domain.
