Thomas Jefferson said it best when he stated that "rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."

We live in a country where citizens pride themselves on freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom of speech, and freedom to do as we please as long as we aren't breaking the law. What society doesn't tell you, however, is that this freedom doesn't apply to everyone, but rather white supremacists that fit the stereotypical expectations of the American dream. If you're African-American, Islamic-American, or part of the LGBTQ community, you can forget about having the same rights as everybody else. I don't know about you, but this absolutely disgusts me.

As an American, equality for all is an expectation no matter the race, sexual orientation, or gender of a person. Apparently, North Carolina didn't get this memo when they passed House Bill 2, which prohibits businesses within the state to create their own anti-discriminatory policies based on gender identity and sexual orientation. If this weren't enough, this bill also declares that "all public schools, government agencies and public college campuses to require that multiple-occupancy bathrooms and changing facilities, such as locker rooms, be designated for use only by people based on their "biological sex" stated on their birth certificate." Transgender individuals will be able to use the restroom they desire only if their gender is formally changed on their birth certificate.

I was never ashamed to associate myself with the Republican Party until the day that this bill was passed. It was a response to an approved ordinance in Charlotte that stated discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation would be prohibited in housing and public accommodations. Republican legislators feared for this ordinance because it would affect the safety of women and young girls in locker and restrooms since it would allow males to enter these vicinities. Obviously, these legislators do not grasp the idea of gender identity. These females would be in no danger from males since the transgender individuals who would enter these vicinities would also identify as females.

The complete irony is that Republican legislators are so concerned for their citizens' safety, yet they still want to loosen gun control laws. Instead of worrying about gun policies, maybe these legislators should work on securing laws that would give every citizen equal rights and a sense of belonging. Instead of fighting for protection for all North Carolinians, these legislators have now re-victimized individuals who have had to fight that much harder than everyone else in order to be the people they want to be. Nobody has the right to take away another's rights just because they don't understand their lifestyle.