DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE NATIONWIDE
Growing up gay, I knew I was different. I was called a “fag,” by other children, when my gender preferences were not followed. Age 11. Being called “lesbo” I was 11 years old when I was called a “lesbo”
We learn early that being LGBT is at best a different thing. Many of us learn that our differences are bad. It is possible to try to conceal it. We might want it to go away. We find out that not all family members accept us. So we have to be honest about who we really are to avoid making them uncomfortable.
This teaches you shame.
Many LGBT people have been attacked or killed because they are LGBT.
This is how you teach fear.
While I realize that I was blessed with privilege growing up, others have much worse stories. However, I am certain that there were many other LGBT people that could tell similar stories. Like many others, I found my pride and joy in finding a community that cares about me and makes sure that I feel accepted.
Those are the reasons why Masterpiece Cakeshop is so important to me. If the bakery is supported, it would be open to discrimination. It’s not just about whether we are allowed to live our normal lives and buy the same items as others. It’s only a part of the picture.
Those first experiences of shameful and discriminatory treatment will not be forgotten. Others may not be aware of your sexual orientation. However, it may be possible to identify yourself as gay by the way you dress or act.
Even when a girl is with you, they may not see you as a couple. Because people assume heterosexuality, I must decide whether to reveal or keep my secret. Gay people are often concerned about the appropriate time to say good-bye or keep their hands on each other in public. Sometimes it’s a matter for safety. These questions are not something straight couples have to consider. It is a reminder that there is difference. Even though I have to come out every now and again, part of me wonders if this moment will bring about a larger community or rejection.
Colorado law in question by Masterpiece Cakeshop is that businesses that open their doors can’t discriminate against people based on race or religion. Colorado law is designed to guarantee that all people have equal access to a shop or hotel’s doors. LGBT people feel valued, and they shouldn’t have to be treated badly because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or other sexually diverse.
This is not about the cake. This case is about a legacy that discriminates and devalues and rejects our shared humanity.
Colorado’s laws make it easier to believe in them and live a more fulfilled life. The humiliation that comes with being told by a businessman, “No, We Won’t Serve You Because You’re Gay,” is a reminder of how embarrassing it can be.
It is wrong to tell us that we can go to another bakery, just as the federal government and the baker do. It isn’t about the products. It’s not about the services. It’s how shame or fear keep us safe from public life. It’s not about how our children see us, and then reject us. Or how our parents watch, and are unable to protect. It doesn’t matter how small the store is. We become more afraid of being refused and will not go in to the store again. It comes with a heavy price.
The bakery claims that the Constitution gives them the right to refuse serving gay people. This is not about the cakes. It’s about a legacy that discriminates and devalues and rejects our shared humanity.
But it’s also about love, hope, and promise. The hope that justice will see that everyone is worthy of fair treatment. The promise that LGBT youth won’t suffer in the same way as me: fear, embarrassment, and shame. We are reminded of the importance of our Constitution not allowing discrimination by a mother’s love for her child and her fiancГ©.
