There is a boy crying in the corner of the playground. He has a pen and paper in his hand and is writing his suicide note. He feels like there is no other way out of the torment brought on by his peers, all because he wears a rainbow bracelet around his wrist to represent his sexuality. “Hey! Look at that fag over in the corner! No wonder he’s crying. He’s such a queer!” The words ring out across the playground and meet the boy’s ears. His eye is swollen from a bad punch, even though he didn’t want to get in a fight. All he said was “No, I won’t take off my bracelet because it represents who I am.” The memory brings a fresh wave of tears to his eyes and he adds another line to his note.

Even though the United States claims to be an accepting country, the extreme harassment towards peers still happens. Unfortunately, America is not as accepting of the LGBTQ community as we claim to be. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning. The term was originally just LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual), but evolved to mean people who aren’t straight. In 1968, transgender was added, and then questioning as the term became more widely used (James).

This youngest generation is the one that will change the world, because we have so many more opportunities than the generations above us. If our generation is the one to make a difference, why are we preventing ourselves from leading successful lives? The suicide and runaway rate for LGBTQ teens in the United States has increased rapidly in the past 10 years (CIA). This is because discrimination and bullying as also increased, especially online. 46% of LGBTQ teens have attempted suicide, as opposed to 8.8% of heterosexual teens. 42% of runaways are LGBTQ and have tried to escape a community that doesn’t accept their sexuality (Assault on Gay America). Children are living on the streets and hanging, cutting, and poisoning themselves because of the discrimination against who they are. This extreme bullying shouldn’t happen because “all men are created equal” yet it does because for many people “[homosexuality] is an abomination”

The Declaration of Independence is the foundation of our country. It is the document that brought us freedom and we claim to live by it along with the constitution. In the very first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, it says “all men are created equal.” This should include LGBTQ members of our community. Yet 68% of Americans say they follow the bible more than the Declaration of Independence and/or The Constitution (CIA). The bible states “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is an abomination." Leviticus 18:22. These two documents contradict each other, so which one should we as Americans follow? Most choose the bible, which disagrees with pro LGBTQ laws.

Educating the youngest generation of Americans is an important feat, as we will make the decisions that make or break our country. But when a child is being bullied, they often perform poorly in school because they are so worried about the bullying. A survey put out by Teens at Risk shows LGBTQ students who have been harassed perform on average ½ grade lower than other students. Another survey shows that LGBTQ students aren’t called on as much by same sex teachers (Assault on Gay America). They are not doing well in school because they are not allowed to participate. This is causing a snowball effect, because the college acceptance rate is dropping, and LGBTQ young adults are not getting the education they deserve. This is all because “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind.” Why should who you sleep with affect your participation grade in class?

PBS claims that the best way to integrate the idea of homosexuality is introducing it to the media. They say that 2% of all television characters are LGBTQ, and claims that this is enough. However, it is estimated that 4% of the U.S. population is openly LGBTQ (James). The media is supposedly a representation of what our life is like, so why don’t the numbers match? I believe that we can do much better than 2% because we want to accurately portray our society. While introducing media characters is progress, there is still homophobia and unacceptance in our society against people who identify as LGBTQ.

America has come a long way in terms of LGBTQ rights. Currently, only 5 states outlaw homosexual marriage. 87% of people say they wouldn’t offer lesser job opportunities to people who identify as LGBTQ (Assault on Gay America). But still 95% of the LGBTQ community says they have been verbally abused, and 65% say they have been physically abused for their sexuality (CIA). We can be a lot more accepting of LGBTQ rights and ideas because “All men are created equal.” We are all part of this country, so why not embrace and accept each other? And maybe we can do so in time to save the boy with the rainbow bracelet around his wrist.

Works Cited
“Assault on Gay America.” Frontline, PBS. 2009. Web. 25 Apr. 2012
“CIA-The World Factbook.” The World Factbook, CIA. 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2021
James, Susan Donaldson. “Gay Americans Make up 4% of Population.” ABC News. The Williams Institute, 8 Apr. 2012. Web. 2 May. 2012