A Disgruntled Rainbow

Members of the LGBTQ+ community still face harsh and unjust treatment.

Noelle Reid, Opinions Editor

On June 26, 2016, same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 of the United States, making it just around four years since citizens obtained the ability to legally marry whomever they please. Many use this as a basis to show that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or the LGBTQ community is no longer discriminated against in America, but this could not be further from the truth. Yes, it is a huge step in the direction of change, but without a doubt, members of the LGBTQ community face harsh and unjust treatment on a day-to-day basis. 

Take former NBA player Dwayne Wade’s daughter Zaya Wade, who is going through a process of transitioning socially and medically from male to female. Dwayne Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union have faced severe criticism since Zaya Wade started to transition as if letting their child express herself to the best of her ability is somehow a form of child abuse. People make an attempt to sexualize her existence, like that of many other trans women and girls, but she is just a child that is trying to be her truest self. Zaya Wade has the right to express herself in any way she pleases, but it is her parents’ responsibility to support her new identity and keep her feeling as safe and as happy as possible. Over the past few months, Zaya has found herself bullied on the internet, mainly by adults; some believe that stooping to call 12-year-old slurs on the internet is justifiable. 

Zaya is fortunately loved and accepted by her parents, but she is not the only preteen who faces scrutiny because they identify as a member of the LGBTQ community. It is no secret that LGBTQ teens are at a higher risk of bullying from their peers at school— the University of California, Los Angeles, actually found that this bullying can weaken the academic performance of all bullied students, not just those who may be gay or transgender. In school, however, LGBTQ students do have some protection under federal law because of Title IX, but states can vary vastly in the “protections” that they are required by law to provide for their students. This means that some schools can have stronger policies in place than others when it comes to keeping LGBTQ students safe from bullying and harassment. 

Sadly these laws are only there to protect them when it comes to educational environments. Time and time again, the American public sees stories on the news that detail events of discrimination against LGBTQ people. Such as same-sex couples who get refused wedding cakes, service from restaurant employees, medical care for their children, job positions, or housing. Trans people get attacked for presenting as the gender that they are most comfortable within everyday instances like taking driver’s license photos, walking down the street, or using the restroom. 21 of the 50 states, as well as territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico, have cohesive laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people. Georgia is not one of those 21 states. 

In the United States, if someone murders, assaults, batters, or commits any other violent crime against someone who is a member of the LGBTQ community, they can use what is known as the “Gay/Trans Panic” defense in a court of law, and possibly receive a lesser sentence for the crime that they have committed. Take the case of Daniel Spencer which occurred in 2015 in Austin. Spencer was stabbed to death by his neighbor Robert Miller, and when the case was taken to court, Miller claimed that Spencer made an advance on him which resulted in him killing Spencer. There was no evidence that Miller was ever put in any true danger by Spencer, however. In using this “Gay/Trans Panic” defense, Miller’s initial murder charge was mitigated to a criminally negligent manslaughter charge, which in the state of Texas has a maximum sentence of two to four years in prison. The use of this defense in a court of law is banned in ten states, Texas is not one of them, but neither is Georgia. 

The fact that Atlanta is one of the biggest cities for the LGBT community, yet Georgia barely has any of its own laws in place to protect them discrimination is appalling. 

Simply existing in the United States as an LGBTQ person no matter where they go is a living nightmare. Same-sex couples showing public displays of affection such as hand-holding and cheek-kisses becomes politicized. Transgender women and men shopping in stores that sell clothing that aligns with their gender-identity become politicized. Its almost like they can not go anywhere without some lady talking about how “they shouldn’t be doing such a thing in front of her children.” They are just living their lives; there is no reason for there to be such an uproar about people just being. 

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people have been around in the United States for centuries, and they are certainly not going anywhere because some are made uncomfortable by their existence. It took the United States centuries, up until four years ago just to have it so same-sex couples can have their marriages legally recognized countrywide. Yes, this is an amazing and huge step, but we still have a very long to go.