Evolution
The world is changing, people are evolving (slowly). It’s simply nature taking its natural course. One thing that has really changed, in small but big ways, is LGBTQ rights.
People seem to think the existence of LGBTQ is something new in humanity, but it’s not. It’s actually been around for quite a while, even Before Common Era. In ancient times, a person who identified themselves as LGBTQ was uncommon because people kept themselves in secrecy. Most of the time, it was due to religion. Nowadays, religion still looks down upon people who identify as LGBTQ, but they’re slowly starting to accept it.
In the past, society seemed to think if a person was a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, they were considered possessed. Another reason why people who associate as LGBTQ kept themselves in secrecy; they were afraid of being shamed and called a sinner.

Even forty years ago in Britain, loving a person of the same sex would make that person a criminal. “Smiling in the park could lead to arrest and being in the wrong address book could cost you a prison sentence,” wrote Geraldine Bedell on The Guardian newspaper.

Later on, for most people, the sixties was a time of sexual awakening and experimentation. Same-sex relationships were legal for women in the United Kingdom, but not for men. That is until on July 5 1967 at 5:50 am, “a bill to legalise homosexuality limped through its final stages in the House of Commons,” Bedell wrote in her article.

48 years later, the United States finally legalized same-sex marriage on Friday, June 26 of 2015. This was considered a huge accomplishment. It still is. The court had even ruled that same-sex marriage cannot be banned in any state. After all, they deserve the same rights as everyone else.

Why Society Opposed LGBT
Much like animals, humans fear what they don’t understand. When humans have believed in something their whole life, it’s hard to accept anything different, let alone understand it. Sometimes we attack. We judge too quickly and we judge based on what’s on the outside, instead of what’s on the inside. That’s exactly what happened when LGBTQ had surfaced.

Even though LGBTQ have earned their rights, they are still being discriminated by some people. Although Michael Friedman, Ph.D., wrote in Psychology Today LGBTQ “are 10 times more likely to experience discrimination.” People who identify as LGBTQ were and still are being mistreated in many forms. From benign jokes to verbal insults, unequal treatment, and, to the extreme, physical violence. People sometimes even get killed just for being a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer.

In addition, some people are still old school. They like things for what they were. The religious opposes people who associate themselves as LGBTQ because (as stated before) back then they considered LGBTQ to be possessed. Now it’s just considered a sin. The religious see LGBTQ as sinners and assume they will go to Hell for it. They also think relationship and marriage is between a man and a woman. Which is why sometimes Priests have refused to marry same-sex couples. This doesn’t happen as much anymore.

Despite that, there were times where they were forced to marry same-sex couples. Although, Julie Mack wrote for MLive, “a professor who specializes in constitutional law, said ministers won’t be forced to marry same-sex couples.” Those may be the cases, but this is evolution. We’re evolving, right now.

The Biggest Fear

Rejection. The one thing just about everyone fear. Rejection is what can lead teens and adults into depression, have thoughts of suicide, and sometimes even committing suicide. This usually starts at home. Teens, and even younger kids, confront their parents about their true identity of how they see themselves. The parents can have multiple reaction, depending on their belief and how they raised their child. The parents either (1) accept them for who they are and still love them, (2) tries to accept then, but don’t love them as much anymore, or (3) they are rejected and end up getting kicked out of their homes. Percentages are listed below.

50% experience negative reactions from their parents when they come out
30% experience physical abuse
26% get kicked out of their own homes
40% of all homeless youth and family rejection is the primary cause
At school, 85% LGBT are verbally bullied (This harassment often turns violent)
40% report physical bullying
19% report physical assault at school because of sexual orientation
Bullying is so intense that 30% of LGBT children miss school because they feel unsafe
In a workplace, 42% of LGBT adults experience discrimination
The rate for openly gay adults is four times more than workers whose sexuality was hidden

My Take

In my opinion, people should able to express and identify themselves freely. Without judgement from other. It’s even listed in the basic human rights. The right to life, education, protection from torture, free expression, and fair trial.

I’ve never known anyone who personally committed suicide because people treated them so badly they didn’t even want to live anymore. However, I have heard stories and these stories are just sad because somebody would rather die than be who they are.

Honestly, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, and queers are not sinners. I don’t believe they will go to Hell for loving someone, but these are just my opinions. LGBTQ are not possessed either, that I know for sure.
People who identify themselves as LGBTQ are not any different from straight people. LGBTQ just identify themselves a bit differently, but that’s it. They are the same. They are equal. We are equal.

A lesson I have learned from myself: love is love and it doesn’t matter who you love. Just as long as you love them and they love you back. No matter their gender, sexual orientation, skin color, or nationality.

For those of you who are reading this, this is not to change anyone’s mind about LGBTQ or how they feel about it. This is to just simply let you see people are are LGBTQ can be like. The struggles and battles they have to fight, and they do it all for love.