Becoming a firm believer in the goals of the gay rights movement has been a journey for me, just as it has been for many others. Living in a tolerant and inclusive town like Fayetteville, where diversity is a hallmark and discrimination is rare and looked upon by most as unacceptable, made it difficult for me to recognize the need for new laws to eliminate discrimination against others based on their sexual orientation.
But along with millions of other Americans, I evolved and came to understand discrimination against gays and lesbians does exist to some degree and something needs to be done about it.
Change never comes easily nor quickly in the United States but, when change is warranted, Americans almost always end up doing the right thing. Much of America is steadily getting to the right place on extending civil rights protections to those who are gay or lesbian to make good on our country’s fundamental promise that all of us are entitled to equal protection under the law.
Arkansas needs to get to the right place, too, and the sooner the better. If we don’t, we are going to be left behind and we’ll suffer for years to come from a self-inflicted wound that will hamper efforts to compete with other states to grow our economy and to attract new people and new jobs to Arkansas.
Same-sex marriage is a human right and it’s very likely the United States Supreme Court will soon declare it to be a constitutional right in our country. And in recent years, 21 states and scores of cities have passed laws making employment and housing discrimination illegal when based on one’s sexual orientation. In short order, many other states and cities will join this list.
But where will Arkansas be? Will we once again be one of the last states to do the right and smart thing?
For me, it’s really pretty simple. I know a lot of gay and lesbian people, many of whom are close and valued friends. Like any other friend, I’d do anything for them and they would do the same for me. I want the best for them, just as they do for me. I can’t even begin to imagine looking my gay friends in the eye and telling them they don’t deserve to be treated fairly and equally under the law or that they don’t deserve to have the same opportunities in life that I do.
All of us, whether straight or gay, want to feel included and respected by others. We all want to love and to be loved and to be able to chase our dreams. We all desire happiness, fulfillment and good health. To make a living and a life for ourselves, we all want a fair chance to pursue our chosen careers and the opportunity to reach our full potential as people and as members of our community. None of us want to suffer from adverse treatment in our daily lives only because of how we were born and who we are as a human being.
Regardless of sexual orientation, all of us are entitled to basic human rights and essential civil liberties.
To be our best and to move our state forward, we must embrace diversity.
Woody Bassett is a lifelong Fayetteville resident and a local attorney. Email him at [email protected].