It's not that marriage is about "being like straight people" (though some queers do make that argument). It's that there are so many other really crucial priorities in "the" queer community that get zero funding and zero media attention. So while equal marriage is all over the news and recieves millions in funding, what is overlooked?
Hate crime legislation? Systemic violence against queer youth? Rampant discrimination against queers in the workplace? The exclusion of queers marginalized within "the" queer community?
- 31% of queer youth are teased/bullied all of the time. This is twice the percentage of any other group of marginalized youth that are teased/bullied all of the time.
- 28% of queer teens drop out of school as the direct result of harassment.
- More than 25% - and as many as 40% - of street youth identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
- 26% of queer youth are kicked out of their families' homes.
- Queer youth are 7 times more likely to commit suicide than staight youth.
Systemic violence. Ignoring it, not funding the organizations that advocate for anti-homophobia education, the organizations that do anti-homophobia workshops, the organizations that counsel these youth, provide shelter for these youth.
And these are just my priorities. How about the fact that lesbians are far more likely to die of breast and gynecological cancers than straight women of the same age and socioeconomic status due to lack of access to healthcare? Can't come out to your doctor, or you're dismissed when you do?
On and on. Read my girlfriend's post on the topic here.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2005-07-01 05:01 pm (UTC)Hate crime legislation? Systemic violence against queer youth? Rampant discrimination against queers in the workplace? The exclusion of queers marginalized within "the" queer community?
- 31% of queer youth are teased/bullied all of the time. This is twice the percentage of any other group of marginalized youth that are teased/bullied all of the time.
- 28% of queer teens drop out of school as the direct result of harassment.
- More than 25% - and as many as 40% - of street youth identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
- 26% of queer youth are kicked out of their families' homes.
- Queer youth are 7 times more likely to commit suicide than staight youth.
Systemic violence. Ignoring it, not funding the organizations that advocate for anti-homophobia education, the organizations that do anti-homophobia workshops, the organizations that counsel these youth, provide shelter for these youth.
And these are just my priorities. How about the fact that lesbians are far more likely to die of breast and gynecological cancers than straight women of the same age and socioeconomic status due to lack of access to healthcare? Can't come out to your doctor, or you're dismissed when you do?
On and on. Read my girlfriend's post on the topic here.