How far have we come, as citizens of the world, when we cannot live our lives in peace and love who we love? I was absolutely stunned, mortified, and actually felt ill when I read this article! I cannot believe what is going on in the world. We had come so far in this country on LGBTQ rights. While in college I had the good fortune of running the gay and lesbian student union. I never thought I would see the day that marriage would be legalized for lesbians and gays. Reading this article, I cannot imagine living in a country or having my own town and neighbors enforcing an LGBTQ Free Zone and constantly have to hide who I am. I thought those days were over for all of us, but apparently not in some places in the world.
This demonstrates an absolutely backward shift in human rights. I also fear that LGBTQ rights are being eroded in this country and there is a trend to reverse the strides forward that have been made. We would ALL be better served with love and understanding, regardless of our personal opinions and choices.
This article shows the rhetoric that has been used in the past to demonize Lesbians and Gays. Promotion of fear generating falsehoods that lesbians and gays promote pedophilia, child molestation and are the destroyers of families. The truth and statistics show that these crimes are perpetrated by white straight men more than anyone else!
We cannot let the world revert to the times when people were killed for their religious beliefs or for who they are. We are not back in the Roman times when people were literally thrown to the lions and we should not revisit Nazi Germany. There has been too much hate! The human race really needs to learn from our past history. We need to be better people and love one another and move forward with inclusion, diversity and understanding. Even if you do not agree with somebody then at least have the human dignity and respect to show some tolerance so that we may all coexist and live together in peace.
Story by Rob Picheta and Ivana Kottasová, CNN. Photographs by Sarah Tilotta, CNN