First step toward full inclusion as American citizens

Eugene Sepulveda, Local Contributor

Saturday, November 07, 2009

President Barack Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act last week. To most Americans, it was a nonevent, and to some, it was the unraveling of morality.

To lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, it is the first time we have been included as full citizens in U.S. law.....

....Most Americans do not realize gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered Americans can be fired and otherwise discriminated against without any protection from our Constitution or federal laws.

It is a founding principle of this country that all Americans enjoy certain inalienable rights and that no majority of voters can withhold or otherwise deny equality to a minority. Gay people celebrate this new law as a first step toward full inclusion, long overdue, as American citizens afforded every right granted to others.

Though one might interpret their religion to have an opinion about my community, this is not a church-run state. It is one thing to respect others' religious opinions but another thing — and altogether unacceptable — to let religion be used as a pretext for injustice.....

For more: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/2009/11/07/1107sepulveda_edit.html