As June and "Pride Month" come to a close, the discussion of gay rights does not. Being a conservative, my stance on the issue is something that I struggled with for quite a while. My background includes growing up in a conservative family in a predominantly conservative area, so my upbringing was what most people would say is very traditional.

I have no gay aunts or uncles on either side of my family and out of the possible 100+ cousins, (my grandparents just on my mom's side were 1 of 5 and 1 of 12, and my dad being 1 of 5 children) I have maybe two gay cousins. It was something I was ignorant to growing up because I really never thought of it or saw it. When I did, it was seen as something less than normal.

After going to high school away from home I had my first exposure in a controlled, again, predominantly conservative area. But college was completely different. Attending one of the most liberal, liberal arts schools in the country, I was thrown into the deep end and had to find out what my beliefs on the matter were.

It was not long after moving into college that I met one of my best friends, a gay boy that lived down the hall from me. In the first two weeks of school, we were campaigning for president and vice president of the dorm together and he is one of the most amazing people I ever met.

It was not until I went on a date a month later that I truly knew how I felt in the issue and realized my position. Later on in the evening the boy I met asked me if I went out to clubs and bars. My answer was "Yes, but mostly with my best guy friend who is gay so you don't have to worry about anything," and then laughed a bit.

The boy's response shocked me. He said "Gay friend? Like, he likes guys?" I looked at him as if to say yes that is what the word means but instead I answered with, "Yeah, he lives down the hall from me. We do a lot of things together." My date then responded with, "He lives on your floor in your dorm?! I would not be comfortable with that."

I was so distraught by this statement. I could not understand how someone said this about one of the best people I had met at college. I know and respect that that was his opinion and he was fully entitled to have it, but it was one that I could not support.

My date made this assumption about my best friend not knowing him. From that day on, I could not imagine my friend not being able to marry someone that he loves, get a job, or be subject to any other form of oppression solely on the basis of his sexuality.

I talked to my brother, who attended an even more liberal, liberal arts college than me (Brown), who I look to for advice in moments like that. To the argument that gay people choose their lifestyle, that is not true. He told me this and I base my support off of it.

People do not choose to be gay. It is something that they are born with. To discriminate against them because of their sexuality would be like discriminating against people who are born with Autism, Down Syndrome, etc. They do not choose it. I'm not saying that they have a disability, but they did not have a choice in the matter.