No person should ever be fired from their job, denied a service, evicted from their home, or even die just because of who they are. That is pure discrimination, and I'm sure no one enjoys being discriminated against. Unfortunately though, people all over the country are being treated unfairly just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is something that needs to be put to a stop, and the Equality Act is a bill that can do that.
For those unaware, the Equality Act is a bill that was introduced in 2015. It states that the freedom of sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity will be added to the Civil Rights Act. Allowing everyone basic human rights does not negatively affect or infringe upon other's lives in any way, so it only makes sense for all people to receive equal protection under the law. After all, the Constitution is based around the idea that "All men are created equal", with 'men' referring to people of any gender.
Some may question if this act is even necessary, since all people are supposed to be protected by the national law. However, the story of Sean Kennedy proves that this is a very important issue and needs to be addressed. Sean is a gay man who was beaten to death while hearing derogatory slurs regarding his sexual orientation yelled at him. His attacker only spent 3 and a half years in jail, and was not charged with a hate crime. His reason for killing Kennedy clearly was because he did not agree with his sexual orientation, yet he was not punished for that. This is morally wrong, and it can not be tolerated anymore.
It is also very unfortunate that there are so many other cases like Sean's. Carla Hale was a gym teacher at Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, Ohio. She was unfortunately fired just a few weeks after the school found out she had a wife. She had been working at the school for 19 years, yet the school didn't care about any of that. Around 130,000 people even signed a petition for her to get her job back, and many of her students said she treated them with respect and care. Carla was clearly only fired because she is a lesbian, which is completely unjust and wrong. She does not deserve that kind of treatment, which is why the Equality Act must be put into effect.
Every person in our country deserves equal respect and protection, because we are all the same. Doesn't a transgender person still have a brain, just like everyone else? Doesn't a lesbian have a heart, just like everyone else? LGBT+ people are still people, and they should be treated that way. They should not be discriminated against, and deserve equal protection under the federal law. Our country strives for freedom and equality, yet it fails to include everyone in its laws. For this reason, the Equality Act will be a huge step forward to achieving that total equality America desires. This is what we need to progress as a nation. This is what we need to achieve full freedom. This is what we need to be equal, and why wouldn't you support what's necessary?
(A speech I wrote for English class that I thought I'd share here. It's really shitty and my presentation of it was awful, oh whale.)
