(GayWebSource.com – Gay Media & Press Network) – Posted by Jake Simpson – TheGayUK.com

Equal Rights and Special Rights are not the same thing. There is a very big difference. Huge.

by Sherry Kelly | 16th December 2013

A Special Right is a right that is given to one group but is denied to another.

Example: A Special Right is the right given to straight adults to marry but is not extended to LGBTQ adults. An equal right is marriage equality for everyone – straight and LGBTQ.

Example: Straight adults can’t be fired because they are straight.

LGBTQ adults can be fired simply for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. Demanding the same protection under the law is not a Special Right but an Equal Right.

Example: It is a Special Right when heterosexual teens can bring their dates to the prom or school dance but LGTBQ teens cannot. It is an Equal Right for LGBTQ teens to be able to bring their date to the prom or school dance. When was the last time you heard of a straight teen being banned from bringing his or her date to a school dance because they were straight?

A new House bill that would prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ youth at homeless shelters that receive federal funds and require grant recipients to have the cultural competency to serve these youth will not result in a Special Right. It is an Equal Right not to be turned away because of who you are.

It never ceases to amaze me how anyone can confuse special and equal.

According to J. Smalley of Google+:

‘Special rights are something the radical pro-homosexual lobby seeks. They want to make homosexuality the main stream ideology and to destroy traditional marriage, values, education, etc. They are akin to the KKK believing in white supremacy except from a homosexual supremacy stand point. As it currently stands there is no right they do not have. Most of the examples in the article were far flung things that may have happened and people were fired for.’

My response to him, and I can only hope it helps him understand Special Rights are not Equal Rights.

“Special rights?!” “Far flung things that may have happened and people were fired for?!”

A couple of far flung facts of things that may have happened:

In 29 states, you can be fired for just being gay.

In 33 states, you can be fired for just being transgender.

This is why the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is so very important. It codifies federal anti-discrimination laws for workers to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Gregory T. Angelo, the Executive Director of Liberty Education Forum, the non-partisan think tank of Log Cabin Republicans wrote a great article entitled ENDA: With Religious Liberty & Justice for All (bit.ly/1g29Vin).

To quote Mr. Angelo:

‘If you are a Christian who cares about religious liberty, supporting employment protections for LGBT individuals ensures both religious liberty and independent liberty are honoured.’

The Senate passed ENDA last month.

10 Republican senators voted for the bill.

Regarding your statement “As it currently stands there is no right they do not have.”, only sixteen states – CA, CT, DE, HI, IA, IL, ME, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, and WA – plus Washington, D.C. have the freedom to legally marry for same-sex couples.

These are just 2 of the far flung things that may have happened and special rights being accorded to the LGBTQ community.

Rights and privileges given to straight Americans but are not given to over 10% of the population are Special Rights not Equal Rights.

Media Provided by the GayWebSource.com – Gay Media & Press Network.
To republish this post please visit OPINION: Equal Rights vs Special Rights