THE AMCHAM POST DECEMBER 07 - 2019
LBGTQ Rights
EDITORIAL
By Timothy Fallon
In the United States, certain rights are "unalienable," or mandatory for all citizens. These rights, as listed in our Constitution, include: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In addition to these basic ideas, an American citizen should have the right to their own sexual orientation. LBGTQ is the acronym used for the community of lesbian, bisexual, gay, transsexual, and queer individuals within society. This is a community of people who throughout history have been ostracized, discriminated against, and attacked both verbally and physically. Legislation has been passed on multiple occasions that has attempted to stifle the rights of the community. But it is a resilient people, and they have fought back time and time again against prejudices to become an entity that defines strength and inclusiveness. To offer an abbreviated timeline of rights and stigmas associated with the acronym: