As American citizens we are told we all have the same rights. Of course, some restrictions are placed on minors, such as alcohol and driving laws, which are enforced for precautionary measures. Homosexuals, on the other hand, are being denied one of the most basic rights that have transcended from generation to generation, culture to culture: the right to marry. Robee VanNorman, a gay Unitarian minister in New York, said, "My partner cannot get the same Army veteran rights given to straight couples. They even discriminate beyond death, since she cannot be buried next to me in a military cemetery" (Crampton, par. 15). The obvious discrimination apparent in this brief statement sums up the entire struggle that gays and lesbians are facing: They are just like any other American citizen, yet their sexual preference is the determining factor that is used to deny them the basic civil liberties, even beyond death. Luckily for VanNorman, she has found a religion that for the most part accepts her homosexuality, but in most instances this is not the case. As a law biding, loyal, and morally upright citizen, VanNorman and many others in her situation deserve the equal rights that many others enjoy.
All those that believe in God are told to treat thy neighbor as they would wish to be treated. …
