Message to my next president: Small steps toward LGBTQ+ equality

Dear next president, 

Research shows that one in five people that identify as bisexual, lesbian or gay, will experience a hate crime at some point in their lifetime. Even worse, one of four transgender people will also experience a hate crime in their lifetime. Imagine having a hate crime done against you because of something that you cannot control. Imagine being a parent, grandparent or sibling, and having your loved one live through that.

Many things can be done in the United States to help eradicate the amount of bullying and hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community, such as changing the sex-ed curriculum in high schools to be more inclusive. The problem with sex-ed is that it is geared towards heterosexual and cis-gendered individuals.

There is a show on Netflix called Sex Education that accurately depicts the reality of what sex ed is in school. A scene that particularly caught my attention showed a girl talking to her schools’ sex counselor because she thinks she is “broken.” She describes the feeling of having little to no sexual attraction toward anyone, which she learned is called asexuality.

For many, asexuals do not often come to mind when it comes to LGBTQ+, but they are also part of the community and perfectly valid. Asexuality and other sexual preferences should be discussed and explained so that no one has to feel like they are “broken.”

It could also help individuals to realize something about themselves. I feel that this would help LGBTQ+ individuals to feel more accepted in school, while at the same time teaching non-LGBTQ+ individuals that heterosexual is not the only “normal.”

Small steps will one day help our community reach equality. 

Sincerely,

Lizbeth Flores

Inglewood High School

Inglewood, Calif.