People should recognize impact of SCOTUS decision
It’s not a secret that one of the biggest modern debates here in America has been about whether we should grant gay men and women the right to marry. And on June 26, the LGBT community had something to celebrate. At last they were given one of the rights that they have fought for so long to gain.
Like many other events that happen, social media was right there with the voices of many people. Social media has given the global population an opportunity to voice their opinions and get involved with social movements and other conversations.
Jessy Forsmo-Shadid
In order to show some support for the Supreme Court decision, many people on Facebook put a rainbow screen over their profile pictures. Those who opposed the same-sex marriage decision voiced their anger toward the Supreme Court without hesitation. But then there were those who sit in the middle. Some individuals have made comments saying there are more important issues to be concerned about other than same-sex marriage.
There are many problems with this statement. On one hand, they are right. There are countless things that are wrong around the world. But when it is regarding people finally getting the freedom they were promised in this country, this statement quickly turns into something that is said out of privilege or ignorance of their privilege.
Here in America, we pride ourselves to be the land of free. The LGBT community has had to fight tooth and nail for the freedom to do something heterosexual couples have been able to do for centuries. People have lost their lives attempting to be treated as an equal citizen in this country.
From the Stonewall Riots to people like Matthew Shepard getting beaten to death, the LGBT community has finally got a victory.
And yes there are many more things to think about when it comes to how messed up the world has gotten. There are issues that we don’t necessarily discuss as much as we need to.
But to say that the freedom to marry is not an important issue to think about in America is ignorant. It is something that is built on privilege and lack of empathy.
It’s okay to know that there are other problems to solve, but minimizing one’s freedom doesn’t do anything but make others feel inferior and unworthy of our support.
Jessy Forsmo-Shadid can be reached at [email protected]