Letter to the Next President

Tami Takada

Dear whomever the next president may be,

I know you have a lot on your hands,

but if you could spare a minute,

I’ll give you the public demand.

We want equality, equality for all.

Times are changing,

Old thoughts are changing!

LGBT people aren't different,

And we are demanding that they be treated fairly,

Just like the rest of us.

According to the Human Rights Campaign,

92% of kids who are LGBT,

Say that they are not accepted,

In their community.

Over a quarter of LGBT kids say

That their biggest problems are

Being rejected by their own family,

While most non-LGBT kids

Say their problems are

Exams and grades

What can I say?

One is quite serious,

The other quite frivolous.

These are still children,

Children who are worrying that

They won't be accepted for who they are!

Is this our nation?

A nation where

LGBT children have to cower and fear,

That they won't be accepted for being themselves?

And a Williams Institute report says that

Close to half of the LGBT

that said they had interacted with the police said

That they were subject to police misconduct.

That’s half of 9.5 million people,

All LGBT Americans,

All part of our nation,

Entitled to the same rights as any other fellow American.

What does this mean?

It means,

Our police, the guardians of ourselves and our nation

Are the very ones hurting members of it.

How can this be?

How can you sleep at night,

Knowing that even the supposed protectors of you,

Are the ones who are going to be the ones hurting you?

Think of it!

Not being able to trust the very officers

That the nation has put their trust in

To protect you.

It isn't fair.

Not fair,

Not fair that they shouldn't be

Entitled to safety

In their own home, just because of

Who they are, or choose to be.

This is not our country,

not one ridden with discrimination,

this is not America,

not the country we love,

the one

better known as the melting pot.

We’re crying out for change,

for a better way,

a world where we can live in

harmony.

Make America the country that we are all proud of,

The one country that everyone knows fights for justice.

Make America the country that we all belong in,

Not the country that some people are treated lesser,

Not the country where you’ll be treated unfairly for identifying yourself in a different way.

I grew up thinking,

That the world was perfect,

That no one was different, that we were all unique but that was what brought us closer together.

I grew up thinking,

That no one was treated differently because of who they were.

But, how terrible, how heartbreaking it was,

When I realized the truth.

How terrible,

When we all finally realize that all people aren't treated in kind manner!

So now, it is my mission, our mission,

To change our world, to change our future,

For our people,

For equality.

Now that you have heard our plea,

From our community,

You can help us out!

You can change this country,

By promoting LGBT rights,

By enforcing stricter regulations for judges and police not to make judgements just based on whether they are LGBT, or whether there skin is light or dark.

You can influence people,

You can change how we think!

You can give the LGBT children hope,

You can give the country hope!

Make us proud.

We’re all Americans, and you,

the President of the United States,

Is going to be the one to define us.

Bring us equality,

for all.

Credits

https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights

http://www.hrc.org/youth/view-statistics/#.WA-c0tArLnA

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/gay-and-lesbian-discrimination

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/transgender-bathroom-debate-likely-headed-to-supreme-court/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/stonewall/

http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/violence-crime/discrimination-and-harassment-by-law-enforcement-officers-in-the-lgbt-community/

http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/violence-crime/discrimination-and-harassment-by-law-enforcement-officers-in-the-lgbt-community/