Dear Future President,

       The LGBT+ community has been beaten up and discriminated against for many years, yet we haven't hurt anyone by our sexual preference. LGBT+ discrimination has been around for a long time now and it isn't improving like it should. People are kicked out of their apartments, homes, restaurants, or lose their job, can not be employed, and have poor education just because of their sexual preference is different than the “norm.”

       The LGBT+ community has been discriminated against almost everywhere, even transgenders can't use their bathroom of choice without there being a lawsuit. According to MSNBC news, among LGBT+ teens in K-12 78% say they have been harassed, 35% say they have been physically assaulted, and 12% say they have been sexually assaulted. Many LGBT+ members are still banned from enlisting-which is discrimination in our own justice department. A website called Fusion said that Captain Jake Eliezer of the Army's National Guard, faced discharge for being transgender.

       As a result of social pressure that are often combined with personal confusion and other psychological struggles, gay teens attempt suicide at a rate 2-6 times greater than heterosexual teens. Veronica P. who is part of the LGBT+ community says gay teens also have a higher rate of alcoholism and drug abuse and are at greater risk of school failure than straight teens. 61% of teens see attacks happen on LGBT+ members everyday; but failed to report them.

       In addition to public pressure, there are also domestic issues among the LGBT+ community. The government cannot control what a parent decides to do with their child, but they can control whether or not the kid has a safe place to stay. Not every parent treats their children the way they should, some parents beat and kick out their child for being a part of the LGBT+ community. According to the True Colors Foundation there are 1.6 million youth Americans that are homeless and 40% of that rest within the LGBT+ community. That means about 64,000 residence of the youth population that are homeless are affiliated with LGBT+. 

       We are not terrorizing anyone or trying to corrupt young minds. Being prejudice or hating homosexual people is homophobic. Some people are homophobic because they don't like what they cannot control or they just don't understand. From my knowledge homophobia isn't something people are just born with, they must have grown up in a homophobic environment and it was taught to them. The main place where people learn to be homophobic is in the house of God. Which in the church they teach them that a man and woman should only be together, for they can procreate, so if two men have intercourse then there is no reproduction; which is against religious beliefs and therefore is a sin. Many conservative communities and religious groups brainwash children into thinking that the LGBT+ community has mental illnesses and are sinful. Therefore when these children grow up they treat the LGBT+ poorly and bully them for something they have no control over.

       Yet this is no excuse to treat others poorly just because of sexual preference. God was supposed to forgive others, there wasn't any judgment towards others for their differences, and that we should respect people and be nice to them. I struggle almost everyday in and out of school, I shouldn't have to be scared of being shot down for holding my boyfriend's hand in public, but I am due to incidences like Orlando. When people say that gays and lesbians shouldn't have the same rights as straights just because of their sexual preference is disgusting and uneducated. We are all still human beings, only with a different lifestyle, but that shouldn't change anything.

       Although some may argue that the first amendment gives the freedom of religion, and other religious companies and businesses should have the right to deny a same-sex couple goods or service. Yet our government is secular, which means that church and state do not intertwine, but some religious owned restaurants in many states have the right to not serve a gay couple. However if there was a religion that had those feelings towards African Americans, that wouldn't roll, for they are not segregated anymore and trying to do so is illegal. Therefore if we can get over the blacks differences then let's get over the LGBT+s differences and start treating them the way they deserve. They segregated the blacks in the past, and are now trying to segregate the LGBT+ community. They should have learned from their mistakes and try not to repeat them.

       We deserve our basic human rights. Even though same-sex marriage was legalized there is still many issues concerning the LGBT+ community. People of all ages are bullied and beaten up for being gay, even kicked out of their own homes. Gay couples don't get the same chances at adoption as straight couples, because others think that a straight couple is natural and a better environment than what a gay couple could provide. They are wrong. There is no difference between the two environments, the kid is just as safe and taken care of as would any other child being looked after by a straight couple. We all need to be seen as people. We are all humans. We all have rights, and should all be able to express them.

       There is no reason to hate homophobic people, but just pity them. Pity them because they were brainwashed when they were poor innocent children. They were taught to be bullies towards people who don't deserve it(LGBT+). No one was born homophobic or racist, the idea that it is bad to be different was implanted in their heads- if there was a new law that can help prevent discrimination against the LGBT+ community then maybe homophobia will eventually keep on shrinking until it is completely eradicated from the face of the Earth. All men are created equal, yet the LGBT+ community is not treated with equality. Therefore new laws should be created to prevent discrimination of any form to anyone, and keep religion out of the government, for our freedom depends on it.