Kali Lingen

“Gay? Fine by me.” Those are words that resonate strongly with me. Last spring, I bought a T-shirt that reads that from the Gay Straight Alliance. I did not buy the shirt because I am gay, but rather because I care about humanity and have love for a fellow human being.

I know this YouTube clip is a little outdated, relatively, but it still resonates with me. Keith Olbermann, a MSNBC anchor, made a special comment on Nov. 10, 2008, about California’s Proposition 8 which banned gay marriage. Olbermann’s very emotional six-minute speech ignited the activist in me.

I think the following is the most powerful quote out of his whole speech.

“You are asked now to stand, not on a question of politics, not on a question of religion, not on a question of gay or straight. You are asked now to stand, on a question of love,” Olbermann said.

It is true. Gay marriage and gay rights in general, are things which I think should be granted and expected. Love is a natural human right. Who am I to tell you who you can and cannot love? And who are you to tell someone else that they legally cannot be with the person they love? I think it is cruel and unfair to everyone involved.

Seriously, watch Olbermann’s special comment. Every time I watch it, I get more and more worked up about the gay marriage issue, which I think should not be an issue at all in 2009. When Olbermann pointed out that it is a question of love, it made me think. It made me question the religious beliefs I have, or had. After listening to Olbermann’s compelling speech, it changed my mind forever about gay marriage.

I applaud the states that have legalized same-sex marriage: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont.

Maine’s same-sex marriage laws were supposed to take effect on Sept. 11, but now will be on the ballot in November. In New Hampshire, same-sex marriage will be legal on Jan. 1, 2010. In New York and Washington D.C., same-sex marriages are recognized, but not performed. I look forward to the day when same-sex marriages are at the very least recognized, if not legal, in all 50 states.

What I do not understand, is how can people have such dislike and hatred for a group of people of their own humanity?

As Olbermann said, it is love for your fellow person because this is the only world we have. And he makes a good point. This is the only world we have, so why not accept it?

When we as a society hate on each other, on our own human kind, what kind of hatred are we teaching future generations? Are we teaching tomorrow’s future leaders that it is okay to be horribly cruel to one another? Is that what you want the next generations to learn? I know I do not wish for that to happen.

It is completely fine to voice opinions, but when voicing those opinions attack other fellow human beings and begins a horrible cycle of hatred, that is when opinions go too far. That is when the peace and well being of other people are at stake and, in my opinion, that is most alarming.

There are over six billion people in this world. With that many people, we are bound to have our differences. What I would like to see is a little peace. Like John Lennon said, give peace a chance.