Gay Rights as Human Rights

In May, 2015, a full month ahead of what the White House declared LBGT Pride Month, President Obama and the First Lady honored the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) – MAY 17  - by saying LGBT rights are “human rights” and that “all people deserve to live free from fear, violence, and discrimination, regardless of who they are or whom they love.”

IDAHOT came just weeks ahead of pride season in June and the Supreme Court’s highly anticipated decision on national marriage equality, which was a welcome “YES!”

National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement, “This day and every day, the United States stands in solidarity with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and all those around the world who work to advance the unassailable principle that LGBT rights are human rights”.

In a 2011 presidential memorandum seeking to advance global LGBT rights, Obama stated he was “deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT

persons around the world, whether it is passing laws the criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebraiotns, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation.”

People who are afraid of LGBTs want us to have no rights because of religious doctrine or ignorance about what being LGBT means. Having basic human rights of respect, equality and lack of discrimination doesn’t seem to be a lot to ask for or need. And yet, establishing those human rights has been an uphill battle for many years.

Even though now, in June 2016, a year after the President and First Lady opening announced that we deserve to be treated with equality, even though we have been given the right to marry in all states, there is still a long way to go before we have the same rights as straight people.

Discrimination, hatred, and denying human rights to LGBT people is a travesty. The movement to contain and limit us is tremendous. We need to persevere with the momentum and awareness we have gained  to  keep the vision of the LGBT community having “human rights” alive.