LGBT: Standing for Their Rights and What’s Right Essay

If you were to see a student in need what would you do? You would most likely step in and help that person. Am I right? Now what if that student was an LGBT student? You would most likely require more time to process the benefits and consequences of stepping in and making a difference right? Well when it comes to that statement I have to say that you are incorrect. It is the responsibility of every person, including you, to help a student in need no matter who that student is and regardless of the consequences. Nevertheless, LGBT individuals, including students, are the minority that is the most targeted against. We can no longer afford to let this injustice continue as long as there are people that exist who can make a difference. My friends the time for change is HERE and NOW. With those words I say this. Every individual who supports the rights of a fellow student, the LGBT student, should donate their time and money to the Southern Poverty Law Center as they strive to ensure the rights of LGBT students through the use of legal action, educational campaigns and combating the so called conversion therapy. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) campaigns for rights for LGBT students through their educational campaign known as the Teaching Tolerance Program. The Teaching Tolerance Program is a project of the SPLC whose purpose is to help educators improve their teaching methods through methods such as professional development and various activities within the classroom in order to compose a more complete and cultivating environment. The program has recently released Bullied in 2010. â€Å"Bullied† is a documentary for anti-bullying release throughout the United States. The document is made for use in the classroom and improvement for educators and highlights the tale of a student who struggled to stand up for what’s right against his anti-gay torturers. Although many know about the need for rights for LGBT students, on the other hand, there are those who may comment that there are those that refuse to listen to those who attempt to campaign peacefully and with reason. But it’s easy to see that there are many people out there who show absolute support for rights of ALL fellow citizens if we took a look back at history. An excellent example is Abraham Lincoln, who worked to end slavery once and for all. If a president is able to take the time out of his schedule to accomplish this feat, then we as Americans should be able to do the same for LGBT rights. After all is this no the land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE? Let’s follow the examples of our forefathers and campaign to make this world a little better each day. In addition to educational campaigns, the SPLC exerts their energy, time, and resources for the rights of LGBT students through the use of legal action which includes but is not limited to proceedings against policies hostile to LGBT students. This is done thanks to the help of our very own Constitution. For example, let’s say that a student wants to wear clothing or any accessories that show their support for LGBT rights but the school that he or she attends will not allow him or her to wear it. It is then clearly evident that the school is in violation of that student’s natural first amendment rights which allows the right to free expression. The only time that the school can prevent you from wearing anything is if the clothing is obscene or has gang related elements. However some may say that legal action will only continue to heighten backlash against the LGBT community and therefore only make the situation worse. On the contrary legal action has helped hundreds of students for the rights when there are times that ultimately call for legal action. After all, now and again there have been occasions where words of expression and educational campaigns just aren’t enough. Furthermore, the SPLC alleviates LGBT students by function to put a stop to this so called conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is a lethal practice based on the presupposition that people can alter their sexual orientation. However this cannot be true. Why? Everyone, including the SPLC knows for a fact that people are BORN gay or straight not made or altered. Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is not a form of mental disease or a pathological condition. Sometimes we as human beings do not realize that we do not have the power or the right to manipulate any of God’s creatures whatsoever. Luckily, Conversion therapy has been discredited by every major medical organization as there us nearly no evidence that conversion therapy is even successful. Yet there are some who articulate depending on their point of view that if an LGBT individual wishes to convert his or herself then we should let them. However it is unmistakably clear that most LGBT individuals do not want to be converted. People who went through conversion therapy have had increased anxiety, depression, and even suicidal intention. In a study made in 2002, 88% of individuals failed to turn homosexual, while only 3% changed their orientation. The rest had no change whatsoever. In the end, The Southern Poverty Law Center uses educational campaigns, legal action, and combat of conversion therapy. LGBT students are just like us. They are us. They are a part of this world just as much as we are. They are a prime example of what the United States of America are all about: the freedom of each individual to choose just how they want to live regardless of the consequences and obstacles that stand in their way. Therefore let us illuminate the problem of attacks on LGBT students so that we may better grasp the situation and work together to fight for a noble cause. For if we do not learn from history and change ourselves for the better, then we can never truly overcome our obstacles and we will ultimately end up within the remnants of our own downfall. Think about it.