The second annual Marriage Equality Day was Aug. 7, and there was a lot to celebrate this year. The United States has made great progress this summer in marriage equality with the U.S. Supreme Court’s favorable decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8.

But overall acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people doesn’t end with equal marriage rights. There is more work to be done.

Marriage Equality Day was created in August 2012 as a response to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s idea last summer for Chick-fil-A-Day, which supported the fast food chain after its president made the company’s opposition to same-sex marriage public.

This hate-fueled idea of intolerance even invaded Syracuse University last February when the College Republicans brought Huckabee for a talk on “The Future of Conservatism.”

His lecture included very conservative social ideas, including the idea that marriage should remain only between a man and a woman. These ideas do not align with SU’s mission to create a safe and inclusive environment on campus.

People who preach intolerance and narrow-minded visions don’t belong at SU. This type of rhetoric doesn’t belong at any school. And it doesn’t belong in 2013.

It’s frustrating that there’s still oppression of LGBT Americans. It’s as if our country has learned nothing from its huge mistakes in denying equal rights to its female and black citizens. History certainly does repeat itself, with a different group of people getting the short end of the stick each time.

And just because certain groups are equal under the law does not make them equal in social context.

Black drivers were approximately three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than white motorists in 2008, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice.

A woman still earns an average 77 cents to every dollar a man earns, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity.

Same-sex couples will now receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples — in the 13 states they can get married in, plus the District of Columbia. But this is just one small step in the grand scheme of things.

On a global scale, the United Nations just unveiled a gay rights campaign in July, which is incredibly important and necessary because LGBT people still receive poor treatment in countries like Russia, which recently passed laws forbidding “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.” Russian activists have been met with violence at recent gay pride parades and protests against the anti-gay laws.

This creates further controversy, as the Winter Olympics will be hosted there in 2014.

Heterosexism is just as bad as racism and sexism. It’s a system of bias and discrimination in favor of heterosexual sexuality and relationships. It leads to workplace discrimination and bullying in schools. It allows for legal physical violence, like in Russia.

The first step is changing people’s minds and attitudes. Once homophobia is unacceptable, the laws will change as a result.

Tolerance and acceptance for differences needs to be taught early on. Education needs to include both heterosexual and gay relationships, and the media we consume needs to be inclusive of LGBT people.

People tend to fear the unknown. LGBT people should be more heavily represented in books, movies and commercials. Children must be made aware of the LGBT community so they do not grow up and turn into narrow-minded adults.

Our generation can change how the world respects people of all sexual orientations. SU students can even lead the way.

In 2011, Campus Pride, a national nonprofit serving LGBT and ally student leaders and campus organizations, gave our campus a perfect five-star ranking in LGBT friendliness. In September 2012, Unigo, an online college resource guide, ranked SU as No. 5 in top LGBT-supporting communities.

Marriage equality is just the beginning. We must support equal rights, elect tolerant politicians and raise children to understand that sexual orientation does not define a person’s worth.

Laura Cohen is a junior magazine journalism and women’s and gender studies major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on August 16, 2013 at 2:57 am