As we continue to celebrate the rights and lives of the LGBTQ+ community this June during Pride Month, it’s important to look back and see what has been accomplished over the years regarding equality for this community. Today gay marriage is legal. Those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community have been given the right to adopt a child and are no longer ostracized by a majority of society for who they love.
However, while more people (including celebrities) have become open and comfortable about expressing their sexuality or preference, there are still those around the world who continue to face backlash and hostility if they try to come out of the closet. Whether it be from their own government, bullies, or those who continue to believe in the backward ideals against the LGBTQ+ community, these are obstacles that halt the advancement of worldwide acceptance.
One example of the main struggle faced by the LGBTQ+ community comes from the beautifully tragic short film, “Love is All You Need?” (2011), which illustrates the denial to accept those who love differently. In a film that switches the roles of homosexuality and heterosexuality, the main character Ashley faces humiliation and hate after her classmates discover she is heterosexual. Bullied and belittled for who she is, Ashley eventually commits suicide due to the lack of acceptance from her peers and her own family.
A sad truth that appears even today is acceptance, which is one of the biggest roadblocks to the LGBTQ+ community. There are those who still wholeheartedly follow religions and choose to disregard and disrespect the community because they believe homosexuality to be a sin. Then there are some who follow generation-old beliefs that stick with the mindset of prejudices from the past. Due to these types of scenarios, the battle for true equality continues to be fought. People struggle to understand that in today’s day and age, the LGBTQ+ community has overcome the stigma of being social pariahs and wearing their colors with pride.
As more people join the fight to increase awareness and acceptance in our world, the progress for spreading change grows, and the number of those who reevaluate their position on gay rights increases. The thought that not everyone can be swayed to change their minds is a significant setback. However, a fair percentage of today’s society has come to learn, grow, and accept in order to help strengthen the justice for the LGBTQ+ community.