Section 1 of the 14th Amendment reads as follows:
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Ever since its ratification in 1868, this infamous amendment has been the foundation for thousands of cases including some monumental ones such as Brown v. Board, Elk v. Wilkins (which dealt with the citizenship of Native Americans), and Adkins v. Children's Hospital (which dealt with the federal minimum wage for women) just to name a few. Over the years, the 14th Amendment has been left open to varying degrees of interpretation for all who have felt disenfranchised. Now we come to a new era of discrimination and its struggle for equality.
The LGBT community has for years, lobbied for equal protection and equal rights. Why shouldn't we? We are just as deserving as anyone else. Hell I don't know how many hundreds of dollars in taxes that the government has taken out of my paychecks, let alone any other bull that they come up with that we all must comply with. But of course we live in a society which is always quick to throw out "separation of church and state." That "separation" might as well be as existent as a physical Mason- Dixon line. Yes, rather we like it or not everything is centered around morality and religion, which is quite ironic seeing this whole country from the header to footer is corrupt in their own lovely way!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the strides that the LGBT community has made in the past 30-40 years, but we still have a long way to go! If you haven't been following here is a few things you have missed:
The U.S. House's Education and Labor Committee two weeks ago held a hearing on the inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prevent employment discrimination, special treatment, or retaliation based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Organizations like the Human Rights Campaign has launched a grassroots campaign called "No Excuses" which is trying to hold Congress accountable and demand action on equality issues throughout the country in several popular jurisdictions.
A friend of mine who works for the Boston based, Gay & Lesbians Advocates and Defenders has for some weeks now been trying to protect same-gender marriage in Maine and the approval of Referendum 71.
And of course, October 10-11 here in DC will be the National Equality March which hopes to an even greater network of advocates for equality.
Here is a few examples along with the other hundreds, of the modern day interpretation of the 14th Amendment. It is not to say or dismiss the other struggles and perils that can be justified by the 14th Amendment; its just at this point in time in my life as I am learning more about myself; I have moved passed the immature stages of the gay lifestyle and now stepping in to a world of meaning, that can ultimately affect not only me but majority of my friends as well.
In future blogs I will continue to state my opinions about the fight equality and my own personal outlook on the LGBT community. But for right now, its all about the fight and making the fight known. You don't have to be a same-gender loving person to join in, nor do you always have to agree with some of the actions of LGBT people, but just think how many times we all been judged on our actions and seen as the outlier?!?! All we are asking for, better yet all I am asking far is respect. I never knew it was so difficult to gain just a mustard-seed size of respect.
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