R a i n b o w s

Imagine your government having control on who you’re allowed to love and create a family with. No, seriously, what if a man and a woman weren’t allowed to get married because they weren’t attracted to the same sex. Stupid, right? So why should it be the same for two people of the same sex? It’s a right, it’s not harming anyone, and it’s wrong to make laws based on religious beliefs. I’ve never got the whole debate, really. I mean, taking away that option to get married is a straight breach of human rights. Human rights were created so that each and every human is equal. Regardless of sex, race, nationality, religion, or another status, as stated by the United Nations. Article 16 of the United Nations human rights states that ‘Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.’ and that ‘The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.’ Nowhere in that statement, nor in the whole document, does it say that people attracted to the same gender or sex is exempt from the right? Did you really want to take away someones human rights because they might be gay? Another human right is the right to religion, as stated in Article 18 (“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”). This includes the absence of religion. When you think about it, a lot of homophobia can usually boil down to religion-based reasons. My God said this. The bible said that. I get it. Yet, that’s not really fair, is it? Outlawing the union of a whole community just because of the beliefs you more than likely do not share. Not everyone is a Christian. Forcing religious beliefs onto others and even onto laws is downright messed up. If I had a dollar for every time someone said that exposing children to gay relationships will make them gay, I’d have enough money to fund an entire same-sex marriage of my own. I grew up exposed to straight couples. Everywhere. What happened to me? When you think about it, gay marriage, or same-sex marriage, doesn’t affect anyone but… people who are attracted to the same sex. People joke about when a man is gay he takes another man with them, leaving the rest for everyone else. Same would go for lesbians too. Seriously though, it’s not harming anyone else. Nobody is being forced into same-sex marriages, as some people seem to think. While it’s true that seeing a gay married couple will force people to understand and raise questions about sexuality and identity, there’s no guarantee that your kid will be anything other than straight because of it. In fact, there’s no proof in favour of that idea in the first place. It, in itself, is crazy. All in all, it doesn’t matter what your religion is or what effect it has on you and your children. Marriage is a human right. So, why isn’t same-sex marriage accepted everywhere? Did you know that only 30 countries allow same-sex marriage? Out of 193 countries recognised as state members of the UN. Do you know how crazy that is?! We can’t just let that slide. We must do something about this horrible oppression.