In June of 2015, the fight for same sex marriage in the United States was won. This was one of the biggest hurdles that the LGBTQIA+ community has overcome thus far, and it certainly speaks to the progress that this country has made. American society is finally taking steps towards treating humans like humans, something we have illogically struggled with for centuries. Legalization of same-sex marriage was a great victory in this struggle. It was such a long fight that when it was finally won, many people viewed the LGBTQIA+ community as having had finally reached full equality. It must be realized, though, that the battle is far from over.
Forty percent of homeless youth identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The fact that people can now legally marry members of the same sex fails to benefit the individuals who cannot come out and live authentically. For many young people nationwide, coming out equates to abuse. It means being entirely rejected from their families, and being kicked out onto the streets. Additionally, homelessness automatically reduces opportunity, which thus increases the severity of inequality for people who identify as LGBTQIA+ in the United States. Services must be in place to support rejected youth when families fail to do so. That being said, one cannot ignore the fact that children simply should not be rejected by their families, or by anyone, based on sexual orientation. As a society, it rests upon everybody to turn acceptance into the norm, and homophobic heteronormativity into the unaccepted.
It is legal to fire people due to sexual orientation. Still adding to the problem of homelessness for the LGBTQIA+ community is the fact that in the majority of states, workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual and gender identity exists not only on a social level, but on a legal one. Within the lawful rights of employers, workers can be fired for identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. People are socially expected and logistically mandated to work in order to survive, but may be unable to do so if they openly identify as something other than heterosexual and/or cisgender. Workplace discrimination marks the next major legal battle that we face as a society, though it is seldom spoken about in comparison to the issue of marriage equality.
The LGBTQIA+ community are incomparably at risk for suicide, homicide, and violence. Forty-one percent of transgender people are reported to have attempted suicide. In 2015, the year that same-sex marriage was legalized, the United States hit a record high for the number of transgender murders. It is estimated that roughly 20 percent of violent attacks occur on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. There are countless people who will never reap the benefits of the legalization of same-sex marriage; people are losing their lives. There is an inherent need that all humans have to be socially accepted by others. As we ostracize one another and fail to meet this need on the grounds of an intrinsic aspect of identity that is by nature both unchangeable and harmless, we ultimately cause unbearable suffering.
The legalization of same-sex marriage was a huge success for society as a whole. However, it cannot cloud the fact that there is still a tremendously long road ahead. Children are still being thrown out onto the streets. People are still driven to take their lives, and some even have their lives taken from them. So many issues still need to be addressed, and this need is becoming both decreasingly discussed and increasingly more urgent.
