LGBT Rights: An Under-the-Rug Issue

Covering an event promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender awareness for the college newspaper, I spoke with many students in the midst of a battle for equality on campus not unlike the one women face for equal rights.

I spoke with two girls starting a new LGBT organization called SAFE, or Students Advocating Freedom and Equality. As the name suggests, the group promotes advocacy and action. There is a limit to how much education can help. It makes sense. Many undergraduate students complete internship requirements to get the experience education cannot provide.

One of the girls spoke of a law on the ballot for same sex marriages in Michigan as well as a petition to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Why are these such pivotal issues? They rarely gain supportive media attention until it is too late.

I remember Proposition 8 in California, banning same-sex marriages and domestic unions. Where was the media coverage when same-sex marriage was legalized? Why is there so much coverage even know? The answer: a fight for popular opinion dominance.

In 1999, Ricky Martin performed at the Grammys. I watched from my sunken living room, anticipating the winners of the next awards, but I never saw him coming. I had never heard of him before, but I was bouncing around with the rest of teenage America. Then rumors surfaced about his sexual orientation due to his large homosexual following. The same thing happened with Lance Bass and Clay Aiken.

My question then, and still, is: why does it matter? Why does the news media view a person's sexual orientation as a personal playground to manipulate and pressure people to come out before they are ready? Is it so wrong to want to be seen for your talent first?

Last week's Ugly Betty episode, a show of which I am an affectionate follower, featured Justin's coming out. His future step-father caught him with his boyfriend, and promised not to say anything. However, the consequences of having a close family is limited privacy and the secret slipped out. Justin's family bought all sorts of colored decorations to show they supported him in his way of life, but that was not what he needed. He needed their support, but he also needed time to figure out what he felt about it. He wanted to option of finding the right time to let the world know, and he needed people to support his choice and his decision, allowing him to decide when it was time.

LGBT Rights, as expressed in the media and popular television have not always come easy. This is evident in the movie Milk starring Sean Penn and James Franco. The movie details the life and struggle of Harvey Milk in becoming California's first openly gay elected official. It was horrific the incidents details in the movie motivated by hatred of the lifestyle. This movie shows the only direction to move is forward. LGBT Rights are within grasp, so seize it.