Since the mid 1900?s there has been an increasing amount of acceptance of homosexuality. There are organizations that worry about whether gays are actually stable as people. Reports are published stating that gays are always from broken homes, that they carry more diseases than a heterosexual does, that they target children and molest them, and that a children should never be raised in a same sex marriage (http://www.frc.org/net/index.html). None of it is founded, or proven, but these organizations defend the idea of family values?even if they do not attack single parent homes, or divorce (http://www.frc.org/net/index.html). In small town atmospheres where rumors can fly, and opinions do not vary much, there is a very high risk of attack. Normally, in larger cities, the risk is decreased due to the general size and variety of people living in the city. It is not always heterosexuals that commit hate crimes of sexual orientation.
In the definition of sexual orientation, the implied meaning is of all possible combinations, including heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender. The trans-gender section is something that can confuse people, and is looked down upon, in some cases, by both heterosexuals and homosexuals. Trans-gendered would refer to transsexuals, having had some type of body altering surgery, or, transvestites, dressing and modifying ones? appearance enough to be somewhat of a ?gender bender.? These people can truly become outcasts. The idea of wanting to be, or act, so much like the opposite sex that you would change the way you look or the way you?re built, is not welcome in many places. Some would think that homosexuals would welcome this because they are looking for the same type of acceptance. Although this can be accepted, there are times when it is looked at as being a ?traitor.? Not all homosexuals think this way about the trans-gendered; very few would find anything wrong with it. The idea is not a war of ?hetero Vs. homo,? but some view it this way and anyone who tries to stand on the line can be shot down. In the category of sexually oriented hate crimes, it is homosexuals and lesbians that take the worst beating but there are other sides to the story that should be acknowledged. The lack of acceptance from one side to another is unsettling.
People are fickle. One day something is completely intolerable, and the next day someone raises their hand and asks, ?Why?? Sometimes there are answers, they do not always make sense and then the other people start to worry. Lines are drawn, sides are picked, and there we stand man verses man, woman verses woman…human verses human. Everyone knows that they are right, and the other is simply mislead, or ignorant. ?Somehow we must be better, they are different from us and they must be?no, they are mistaken.? It is this point that has plagued man for centuries, and every new century we find ourselves a little wiser after all the hurt. Wars are fought over religions, and human rights, and things that should not be taken for granted, but usually are. In one year, 1995, there were a total of 7,144 acts of hatred committed by a human being against another human being. In reality, there were more than that. Not everyone speaks out when it happens; not everyone reports it. They sit, it scars them forever, and they?re afraid to tell anyone. The fear can come from shame, or spite, or self-loathing. As a people we need to understand that life, and people, are precious. Everyone?you, me, the next door neighbors, the man you never met who lives half way around the world?even if he wo not give you the time of day?are all important. Differences make us unique; they build character. How exciting would life be if everyone lived in the three bedroom home, with 2.5 kids, a dog, a cat and a green lawn to mow on Sundays? Insanity would break out, followed by housewives attacking people with their hedge clippers and children trying to put kitties into the microwaves?just for a change of pace. As a race we seem enlightened, but what we need to work on is the appreciation of diversity in people.
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