Despite the Marriage Equality Act passing in 2015, those in the LGBT community still face the threat of violence and discrimination. Although the LGBT lifestyle has had its representation transform from the 1950s, they have not integrated positively in mainstream media until the late 21st century. From deviant subculture to pop culture with parades to help normalize homosexuality, LGBT individuals and allies alike have tried to incorporate themselves into traditional American life. These efforts have been met with resistance nearly every step of the way. With traditional beliefs and gender roles still held by a majority of the world, anything different is not immediately accepted when it defies established religion and heterosexual social norms. The LGBT’s fight to be accepted is marked with hate crimes, violence, and discrimination in all aspects of life. However, to fix these issues we must stop allowing hate and disgust to be normalized responses to minority groups such as LGBT individuals for merely existing. Through the research of sociology professors, direct experience from LGBT individuals and school administrators, the way children are directly and indirectly taught how to treat those different than they are is a clear link to how LGBT individuals are easy victims of hate crimes without school reform to correct this. Hate is a learned behavior that can be eradicated with the necessary tools and support systems to promote a healthy coexistence between sexual orientations while also preventing childhood disdain from turning into adult disgust, hatred and eventually violence.

Despite the common excuse of indoctrinated religion as the reason for preventing LGBT individuals from getting married, the Supreme Court passed the Marriage Equality Act to grant marriage to those who identified other than heterosexual. While this was a large victory for the community, it did not stop their problems. The LGBT community still faced discrimination and were open to more discrimination as this law passed. In John Oliver’s segment on LGBT Discrimination he brings up that in 31 states there are laws where sexual orientation is not protected under any anti-discrimination laws (Oliver). Gay couples, as well as their children in some cases, can be refused any services for the sole reason of their sexual orientation in these states (Oliver). With this exclusion of freedom those in the LGBT community still are not equal to their heterosexual counterparts. Many arguments against the LGBT “lifestyle” are the right to freely practice someone’s religion anywhere (Oliver). Religious based arguments are also reliant on the fact that same-sex relationships are Biblically unnatural in the way that sexual relations do not result in procreation (Waldman). However, with the implementation of birth control becoming more and more common this argument is becoming transparent as many heterosexual couples take procreation in their own control. As well as that same sex marriage undermines traditional marriage and the values surrounding it (Waldman). Again, with many mainstream heterosexual marriages lasting less than a day many straight people are not helping to reinforce traditional marriage values. Divorce rates have actually dropped since the Marriage Equality Act has passed (Lang). While most marriages have a 50/50 success rate, same sex marriage has a divorce rate of 15% in male relationships and 30% for female relationships (Lang). This is due to gay couples waiting later in life to be married while also partially due to the smaller demographic (Lang). LGBT relationships are arguably stronger since they have not been able to marry since 2015. While most of these arguments are construed into a hate speech that’s frequently used by such organizations as the Westboro Baptist Church, most people against gay marriage are only that way due to their religious beliefs. However, there are limitations to free speech as well as religious freedom when they are infringing upon another’s rights (Oliver). Also, violence against LGBT individuals seemingly spiked during this time as authors Haeyoun and Mykhyalyshyn present statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigations showing the increase in their article “L.G.B.T. People Are More Likely to Be Targets of Hate Crimes Than Any Other Minority Group.” With so many more people openly showing acceptance towards the minority it revealed the hatred others had in disastrous ways (Haeyoun & Mykhyalyshyn). 

Nearly a year after the Marriage Equality Act was passed, the Orlando Pulse night club shooting happened which simultaneously shook the LGBT community while bringing concern from those formerly opposed to the community. In Michelangelo Signorile’s article “The Orlando Massacre: a Reminder of the Dangers LGBT People Live With Every Day” he speaks about the history of violence the LGBT community has faced. Although the Pulse night club shooting was the most publicized attack, it was not the first mass act of violence against the community. In 2013, a Seattle night club was set on fire due to someone’s unfavorable opinion towards LGBT people (Signorile). Also in Dallas many gay individuals were abducted into vehicles where they were beaten with baseball bats as well as several night clubs were vandalized (Signorile). Some of these hate crimes were motivated by religious affiliation, but others were merely focused on the left leaning politics as Eric Rudolf not only bombed lesbian bars but also targeted abortion clinics (Signorile). Hate crimes like these and more including bombs and as well as spewing anti-LGBT slurs have become almost normal to the LGBT community until mainstream media covered the Pulse night club shooting so intensively. Tragedies like the Pulse night club shooting brought attention to the hate crimes faced by this minority group to many unaware of the community’s history with violence. The coverage of this terrorist attack and hate crime was also acknowledged by President Obama as he recalled the tragedy as “an act of terror and an act of hate” (Haeyoun & Mykhyalyshyn). However, violence and discrimination are not limited to happening only in America. Many instances happen abroad in Middle Eastern countries as Islam is not a proponent for the LGBT lifestyle (Gohl). In Kyrgyzstan a bill repealed their same sex marriage law due to the increased violence towards gay individuals (Gohl). This violence increased after a bill that would make discrimination against sexual orientation non-punishable was proposed (Gohl). While it did not pass, it revalidated the hatred for LGBT people within the Muslim citizens of Kyrgyzstan (Gohl). Regardless of most religions in America not completely accepting LGBT people, they do not openly demonize them as the Muslim religion does or anything to do with western culture (Gohl). It is not uncommon for minority groups to be familiar with violence and discrimination, however, it should not be tolerated and disregarded by the masses. 

Unfortunately, many hate crimes against LGBT individuals go unreported due to the overall lacking support from police forces as well as general fear for publicly coming forward with one’s sexuality (Haeyoun & Mykhalyshyn). While people are “coming out” every day, to some it is still not accepted or welcomed to be homosexual. However, another reason for the loss of interest to report a hate crime is the deep-rooted feeling that authorities do not care if someone gay is being discriminated against. Many young LGBT children quickly learn that school administrators do not care if they are being teased or bullied as DeWitt says in his book Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students, “[when] LGBT students are being bullied, they are less likely to seek out an adult to help them because they do not trust those around them for fear that they will just find another adult to treat them unfairly” (DeWitt, 17). As an openly gay school administrator DeWitt understands the struggles of implementing diversity when being consistently met with resistance. However, this does not compromise his stance on equality as he believes “… It should be unacceptable that LGBT students come to school afraid of being harmed on a daily basis because of their sexual orientation” (DeWitt, 20). His ideology can be applied to adulthood as well when how someone is treated can be determined by their sexual orientation. Ensuring that school faculty members are properly trained to help an LGBT student with teasing and bullying could help prevent the stigma that all authority figures are disingenuous in their efforts to take action. A safe space for LGBT students is also called for as when bullying starts in elementary school these children are often left to their own devices with no known support system (DeWitt, 17). With no support system in early development, children can grow feeling accustomed loneliness and helplessness. Since there was no support for them when they were younger there is no valid reason to assume anyone will when they are adults.

However, if LGBT people can find support early in life they can avoid going through traumatic experiences alone or feeling isolated from everyone else. As with everything else in life, the school system plays a vital role in shaping any individual. This is no different than shaping how individuals interact with one another also. In school children learn how to respond to those different than them. As children are learning how to do this they subconsciously pick up what is acceptable and what is not through which responses and actions are praised or reprimanded (Mayberry, 262). A term to call this is the social learning theory (Bandura, 1). Through children witnessing others treating those differently from them poorly or unfairly they realize that they can do the same as well as Bandura explains, “… As a result of prior experiences, people come to expect that certain actions will gain them outcomes they value…” (Bandura, 3). While those who are being treated unfairly themselves are manipulated into thinking that this is normal and deserved (Mayberry, 262-263). During the turn of the century most schools would ignore issues surrounding LGBT students and would rather promote the heteronormativity in a way that ostracizes its non-straight students (Mayberry, 263). However as more progressive administrators saw the effects of this, schools are now taking steps to prevent this thought process by creating resources to help LGBT students with their academic experience. The implementation of Gay/Straight Alliances, GSAs, has been critical in reducing the discrimination that goes on in schools (Lee, 24). GSAs are also significant in the way they can help prevent harmful attitudes by educating non-LGBT people that how they may be acting is not acceptable (Lee, 14). Since GSAs have been incorporated in schools the stigma of LGBT students being “deviants” has decreased and helped students feel safer in their schools (Mayberry, 263). As students grow up feeling more confident with themselves they become healthier adults. As Frederick Douglass said when confronting slave owners who were blind to the moral wrong that was slavery, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Douglass). The fight for equality cannot be fought entirely by allies. Systematically if LGBT individuals are beaten down liberation has a smaller chance of occurring. When LGBT individuals are strong within themselves and confident that authority figures will not overlook them, inequalities will have no shortage of people to fight for change. 

While physical and direct experiences that happen within a controlled academic atmosphere effects the development of children and how they interact with others, there is also another route worth exploring. This other form of social learning is through what is referred to as televised modeling, Televised modeling occurs to catch the attention span of younger children to visually stimulate them into learning how to behave (Bandura, 7). With little LGBT mainstream media representation in the early 21st century, immediate first impressions of those not heterosexual was left in a gray area. It is arguable that television and media are also highly responsible for the way people react to certain stimuli (Bandura, 10). When it is unknown how to respond to something or someone different people will go to a trusted source to seek information (Bandura, 7). In the later part of the 21st century LGBT representation is everywhere. It is difficult to find a tv show that does not have a character who is gay or has homosexual leanings if it is not openly known. With more positive representation in the media general attitudes surrounding he LGBT community become more congenial. The media plays a vital role in shaping how public opinion. However, often times when no other information or support is provided to understanding LGBT individuals in the learning atmosphere children will go to their parents or trusted adults for direction. This is not inherently bad as children should go to parents/trusted adults when ignorant of something, however a problem arises. When adults themselves are ignorant or believe in a hateful ideology regarding LGBT people or any other minority, the cycle of hate continues. The same goes for what is depicted through the media since television and the Internet are common places for finding out information. If being homosexual is related to negative feelings or consequences, the reaction to someone homosexual will be the same (Bandura, 13). On the other hand, someone constantly met with adverse feelings for their sexual orientation will come to feel alienated and react many ways as explored earlier. This feeling can also be achieved when their problem is being ignored and they never learn to cope with their issues. While there are many ways to teach hatred and revulsion, these same vessels can be used to teach tolerance and acceptance for those different than the individual.

When children are taught that it is acceptable to exclude and mistreat someone different than them, it creates a mindset that some individuals are inferior to others and deserving of such treatment. As a childish dislike of someone is not inherently dangerous, the growing disgust that is captivated by years of conditioning against a minority is. Even more so is when individuals act on their anger and decide to commit a hate crime against someone. Through restructuring the school systems way of dealing with LGBT issues, teaching children from a young age to not mistreat anyone other from them and enforcing it, perhaps such violence across the world would decrease. Once more trusted adults are informed of these issues they can help educate younger children that being different is okay. While asking someone to ignore their political and religious views solely to be politically correct conflicts with the Constitution, teachings that these radical views negatively impacts the world can help promote tolerance for everyone. Often times people do without forethought of how it could affect others. Part of this is due to ignorance of the power individuals have when shaping the world around them. Everyone makes an impact whether they realize it or not. With every action comes with a consequence. One cannot expect peace and love when all they project is anger and rejection. Along with many other minorities the uphill battle for equal rights has been marked with violence, discrimination, and revulsion. When any minority decides that their only chance of equality comes from a federal law, states must also look within their own laws and reconsider the consequences all their citizens face from refusing to protect them. Regardless of one’s religious views, it is unacceptable to hate a group so vehemently when the religion speaks of loving everyone equally. Hate is a learned behavior—love is not. 
