So far whenever I’ve written an article for my Modern Problems class, I haven’t been filled with anger at the topic I’ve chosen. I try to stay neutral, but I think it’s time I take a stand. Because to tell the truth, the topic I’ve chosen today makes me very angry and disappointed in humanity.
I read an article about gay rights. It told the story of a man whose partner needed to go to the hospital. When they called the ambulance, the injured man’s partner wasn’t allowed to ride in the vehicle. Instead he had to go home to get some paperwork, and when he arrived at the hospital, he was informed his partner had died in the ambulance. “And he says that for the rest of his life, he’ll wonder if his partner woke up and wondered where he was.” (voanews 1)
Can you imagine that pain? That guilt? That never-ending wonder of whether or not you failed to be there for a person you cared about?
How dare the paramedics forbid the couple from being together? What does it matter they were romantically involved – usually couples are best friends along with being lovers. If my best friend needed to be driven to the hospital in an ambulance, I’d insist upon accompanying her. Was it because the men were gay? Why should that matter to the paramedics?
Honestly, straight people think gays and lesbians are screwed up, but what do they think about us? Don’t you think they think the same thing? They probably think just the reverse of what we do – “How could they possibly be attracted to the opposite sex?”
There was a demonstration in Moscow where gays protested the banning of having a Gay Pride parade. Homophobes gathered and actually – get a load of this – threw eggs at the protestors. (aljazeera) How immature can you get?! Gays don’t protest to straight people being together. They accept it because it doesn’t affect them in any way. What goes on in the bedroom at night is of no concern to anyone else.
Compare sexuality to religion. Why shouldn’t we have the right to practice what we believe? Where is there a difference in the two beliefs? Conservatives and Catholics “define marriage in the state constitution as the union of one man and one woman.” (voanews 2) They argue that a man and a woman provide a better household environment for children. Isn’t that subjective?
A) If gays aren’t allowed to be married, how can they raise a child together in order to prove the point above?
B) If they were married and allowed to raise children together, who’s to say they would be inadequate parents? Can anyone honestly say that all man and woman relationships are healthy? I don’t think so.
Anti-gays are teaching their children discrimination is okay. They aren’t setting good role models for their own children.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-10/2006-10-30-voa44.cfm?CFID=213330235&CFTOKEN=51036823
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A3C12783-2886-4A22-8A85-0405210215FF.htm
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-03/2007-03-09-voa30.cfm?CFID=213329470&CFTOKEN=45027153
8 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 26, 2008 at 1:40 am
carrotherst
Alright so my anti-gay side aside, I will agree that what happened with the whole ambulance thing was wrong. They shoulda let the dude ride with him, he ain’t gotta show documentation of nothing, he worried bout his “friend” let him worry bout papers later. On the other hand, I for one am personally sick and tired of gay parades and crap, who cares if you gay, if you don’t wanna be criticized for what you are, don’t be marching down the street yelling “i’m gay and i’m proud”. Leave what you do in the bedroom in the bedroom. Regardless whether gay marriage becomes legal or stays how it is, you still gonna get criticized. Equality between races is suppose to be how it is, but their’s still racism.
Also, I’d just like to say that gays have no right to protest straight marches because:
A) We don’t have to march down the street to beg people to accept us.
B) People already accept it.
C) It’s natural to be straight.
March 26, 2008 at 1:40 am
carrotherst
BTW, FIRST!
March 26, 2008 at 12:47 pm
babygaby187
I am against homosexuality, but I don’t think that people should discriminate against someone because of it. It seems like if in you’re article you are saying that people who are against homosexuality are discriminating against them and that’s not true. Ofcourse that people do discriminate against that and they always will but not all people who are “anti-gay” are like that. The purpose of sex is to reproduce. If you haven’t noticed two guys can’t reproduce and two girls can’t reproduce. The only way to reproduce is for a man and a women to have sex. That’s why I think it’s wrong. Just because I believe this it’s not going to keep me from being friends with someone who thinks that homosexuality is ok or with someone who is a homosexual.
March 26, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Reggie
The ambulance thing is sick. People get this all the time, because you’re supposed to be a relative or spouse in order to ride along with someone or visit someone in intensive care. Gay people can’t get married and so can’t ‘prove’ they’re in a relationship with the other person, thus they are barred from riding a long or visiting. It’s sick.
The egg throwing incident is precisely why we still have things like gay pride parades. GLBTQ people need to foster a sense of community among them-selves because they’re usually ostracized by society at large. Also, by showing people how many of us there are and that, yes, most of us are NORMAL, it helps create tolerance and acceptance. I find it sad that most of the people who participate in parades, or protests such as the day of silence, are perfectly normal, but the media only focuses on the more outspoken, or those who are different from most people’s concept of normal. They should be accepted too, but putting all the focus on them gives people the impression we’re all like that.
People don’t readily accept straight people because it’s natural, they majority of people accept it because the majority of people are straight themselves.
March 26, 2008 at 12:55 pm
paperheart896
You hear these types of stories all the time and I just don’t understand why people can’t accept the fact that some people are different. America was started because we wanted to be free and different, but when you hear about this, this country doesn’t sound all that great.
My opinion on the providing a better household for children: America’s divorce rate is incredibly high, and half the time parents are shuffling their children back and forth between households. If they’re providing a stable environment for their children, I think they’re providing a wonderful life for thse children who were originally unwanted.
March 26, 2008 at 12:57 pm
liyahliyah
I agree with you the whole way through. I dont really agree with being with the opposite sex but i dont even care because like you said it has nothing to do with me. And for the guy in the ambulance i cant think about how i hurt i feel for both of them when someones life is at stake then i dont care about who they are interested in and i think some way that shoud be taken to court to get more publicity so it can raise some eyebrows about how our system works (or the people in it )
March 27, 2008 at 3:20 am
casaletto
First of I’d like to say I enjoyed your post, pretty obvious that you felt strongly and you conveyed it well. I agree, why should anyone care what you do with your own sexuality in regards to man or woman. The ambulance situatuin is a terrible one and if that indeed is what happened; it’s disgusting.
To babygaby187: I’ve often heard that argument that sex is only for reproduction, just out of curiosity (honestly) Do you think contraceptives (condoms, birth control, etc) should never be used? Also, if a man has a vasectomy, or a woman has her tubes tied, are you then against them having sex as you are homosexuals? What about once a woman ha reached menopause and no longer has the eggs to create children, are you against her having sex with her husband as you are homosexuals having sex?
Just some food for thought.
March 28, 2008 at 12:23 am
mzleilae
I really enjoyed reading your post! It was very informative, and kept me interested. Although i am against homosexuality, I believe that nothing like this should ever occur… EVER!! This post was more than something to make you mad, it also make you upset, and sad, and think about what our society has come to as far as worrying about other people and their feelings go. Whether the paramedics were for or against homosexuality, They should’ve without a doubt let them be together even if it wouldve been their last time together. This was a very sad post, but very well written!!!