Is Gay the New Black?

By: Tyler Harris

Although we did not live through it and only know of it through textbooks and old videos, racism and segregation was rampant in the United States throughout the 1900s. Some stores and restaurants denied access to African American customers, and some would not even be hired for being black. Many people think that we are past that time, and that this country is much more tolerant and accepting of all kinds of people. But this isn’t completely true, considering that gays can still be denied some of those same rights. In a way, discrimination in America has shifted from targeting African Americans to targeting homosexuals.

I am in no way saying that gays are being discriminated against at the same intensity as were African Americans, but discrimination is discrimination. There are many Christian business owners who have denied doing business for gay weddings. But the underlying argument is whether sexual orientation is analogous to race. If sexual orientation is comparable to race, and race is protected by anti-discrimination laws, then the same civil-rights protections afforded to race should be the same protections afforded to any sexual orientation categories. ^[1]

Federal law currently protects people from workplace discrimination on the basis of many categories, including sex. However, most people are employed in the private sector (businesses or corporations) and are therefore not covered by federal law. Federal government workers are the only ones protected from such discrimination. All private sector businesses are required to comply with state law, however less than half of the states (including the District of Columbia) currently outlaw sexual orientation discrimination in regards to public and private jobs. ^[2]

Some Christians involved with the problem claim that sexual orientation cannot be protected as race is, as race is morally neutral and cannot be changed. However, there is not any evidence supporting that being gay is caused by the environment, and conversion therapy (the attempt to turn gay people straight) has proven harmful and ineffective. ^[3] Assuming this means that sexuality cannot be changed and is therefore “morally neutral,” then it only makes sense that homosexual discrimination should be protected by law. If you cannot be fired for being black, you should not be fired for being gay. Both cannot be changed, and therefore both need to be protected.

There does seem to be a growing tolerance and understanding of homosexuality across America, though discrimination laws are slower to change. Homosexuality seems to be our present day variant of civil rights issues. Does another Civil Rights Movement need to occur before people make that connection?

Footnotes:

1.      Hilton, Elise. "Can We Equate Sexuality With Race?" Acton Institute. Last modified February 25, 2014. http://blog.acton.org/archives/66128-can-equate-sexuality-race.html.

2.      Nolo.com. "Sexual Orientation Discrimination: Your Rights." Nolo.com. Accessed February 25, 2014. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sexual-orientation-discrimination-rights-29541.html.

3.      Lyness, D'Arcy. "Sexual Orientation." The Nemours Foundation. Last modified May, 2013. http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/sexual_orientation.html.