Human Rights are Non-Negotiable

As a voter, my major concerns reside in policies that deal with human rights.  Whether it be women’s rights, ethnic rights, or anything else that affects the personal choices of a minority group, I believe everyone should be treated the same.  All of this being said, the one issue that I will not budge on is gay rights.  If a politician disagrees on my beliefs pertaining to this subject, there is no chance of them getting my vote.  Gay rights include many different things.  First, and most importantly, is the gay marriage issue that has been truly plaguing the gay rights movement for many years now.  I believe that gay marriage should be legalized in the United States, period.  For some this is a religious issue, and for others it is a benefits issue.  For me it is both.  If gay people were allowed to get married, they would be able to enjoy the same financial benefits that straight couples receive.  This includes everything from health benefits to Medicaid.  For other gay couples, they simply want their love and their commitment to be acknowledged by God.  Many gay people are Christians who believe that God does not discriminate the way extremist Christians say he does.  For me, God is love, and any love I have is a gift from Him and a gift back to Him.

Gay rights also include the right to adopt children.  Many times, the argument is used that a child cannot grow up properly without a mother or a father.  However, there are millions of children who are raised by single parents and do not know the other.  Does that mean the single parent should lose their child?  This argument does not make any sense.  Again, love is love.  If a gay couple has the ability to bring a child into their home and treat the child the way it deserves to be treated, then it does not matter that the parents are the same sex.  It is better to let the child be taken care of by two parents of the same sex than remain on a list to be adopted.

If a politician disagrees with any of the above, then it would be an absolute miracle that they would receive my vote.  Being a gay man, this is a very core issue.  When people try to tell me I cannot get married because God thinks I am an “abomination,” then I am completely turned off.  They may have the greatest economic plan, national security plan, and immigration plan ever thought up.  However, their cases will fall upon deaf ears if they do not view me as a person who deserves the same things everyone else has.

Trevor Kurtz
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2013