Ignorance isn't always bliss

For some reason, same sex marriage has still not been legalized in every state of the US. Although, some state have it legalized, there is no reason why it shouldn't be legal everywhere. Basically every argument against same sex marriage is thrown out the window with the simple statement: "Separation of church and state."
Now, if that's not enough to convince people to accept same sex marriage, I'll talk about some other reasons against it.
For starters, the argument that marriage is only for procreation. Well, does that mean an infertile man or woman can't get married because they can't have children? Or an old couple? Either way, that argument ends here.
To continue with my next point, I'm going to reference a comment from someone. Apparently, if the government allows gay marriage then we will be condoning inter-species marriage. For example, if a person says he/she loves a dog, than he/she can marry the dog. Now, honestly, do I even have to point out what is so clearly wrong with this? Allowing one HUMAN to marry another HUMAN, is not the same as allowing a human to marry a different species. It's just beyond ridiculous to me.
But because of people being so ignorant, couples of the same gender aren't allowed to legally get married everywhere, and isn't there something screwed up about that?
I think for one post I have covered enough, next post I will write about why it should be legal.

My opinion for once

     I haven't really put much of my own opinion on this blog, other than clearly supporting equal rights. I guess this will be my first one that I don't report on a news story. I have believed in giving EQUAL rights for everyone since I learned how hateful this world actually is. The purpose of this post is to explain why I believe things need to be changed here.
     To start, many people think being gay is a persons choice. If that is true, why do you choose to be straight? Why don't you choose to be gay, just for a week? You couldn't do it, could you? Because you are not attracted to the same sex. However, that's just you. Most people will deny it, but no matter what gender you are attracted to, you aren't going to like every single person of that gender.
     Going beyond that, a teenager usually receives hate from their peers about being attracted to the same sex, and sometimes that pushes them to commit suicide by making them believe loving who they love is wrong. I'm not saying it always happens, and I'm not saying it always happens because of sexual orientation. Here's the thing, these people usually stay in the closet and even deny who they are because they have been told being that way is wrong. Would you choose something that could eventually make you hate yourself? Would anyone choose that?
     I honestly don't understand why a person can't be with who they want to be with. If you love someone, and your parents wouldn't let you be with them, wouldn't you do everything to convince them to change their minds or do everything to see the one you love?
    A person's love life is nobody else's business, and should be able to be with whoever they choose to be with. And they should be able to hold hands or kiss in public, just like every other couple can, without the lingering fear of being abused (emotionally, mentally, verbally, or physically).

Refusing to Perform Marriage Ceremonies

"It's kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can't be performed for me, so I'm not going to do it," Parker tells the Dallas Voice.

Texas Judge Tonya Parker is the first LGBT person elected as a judge in Dallas County. According to the Dallas Voice, Parker is also believed to be the first openly LGBT African-American elected official in the state's history.

In an email, Parker wrote that performing marriage ceremonies is not her duty as a judge, but rather "a right and privilege." One she chooses not to exercise.

When she turns a straight couple away, she uses it as an opportunity to teach a lesson about marriage equality, Parker told a group at a Stonewall Democrats of Dallas meeting on Tuesday.

"I don't perform marriage ceremonies because we are in a state that does not have marriage equality and until it does, I'm not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn't apply to another group of people," said Parker in a video of the meeting on Tuesday.

She refuses to perform marriage ceremonies until she, and every other gay person in Texas, have the same right to marry as straight couples do.

Parker describes cases in which she was able to stop discrimination in the court.

Once she heard a case that involved a man who allegedly molested a young boy and a participant used the words "child molestor" and "homosexual" interchangeably.

Parker said, "when a man molests a little girl, people don't call him heterosexual. So when this man molests this little boy, assuming [the] allegations to be true, you are not going to stand in my courtroom and call him a homosexual."

These are small ways of getting her point across, but she thinks it important to do these things that others in the LGBT community may not be able to do without her position of power.

Click here for the transphobic daycare ad.

Proposition 5 Anchorage, Alaska

Proposition 5 will be put to vote on April 3, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska. However, the proposition will provide exemption for religious groups.

Prop. 5 will add sexual orientation and transgender identity to the existing decree that prohibits discrimination in employment and housing on the grounds of "race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age or disability." Prop. 5 defined sexual orientation as "an individual's heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality," but gave no definition for transgender identity.

Opponents of the proposition have released a cartoon ad called "Daycare." In the ad, a daycare owner is forced to hire a transvestite, who looks like an unshaved man wearing a tight pink dress and broad shoulders, while parents watch frantically. The ad's narrator said the daycare owner could lose business if she hires the "transvestite," but can be fined or imprisoned if she does not hire the "transvestite." The ad has created an uproar from LGBT groups, who claim it to be transphobic and dehumanizing.

"The ads opposing Proposition 5 depict unacceptably offensive and intentionally stigmatizing and distorted cartoons of gay and transgender individuals," said former Gov. Tony Knowles. "Such dehumanizing stereotypes do not represent the values we share as a community."