Youth / OPINION : ‘I Know That Gays Aren’t Weird’ : Discrimination: A 6th-grader examines the arguments of those who would treat gays separately, and finds them wanting.

America is a free country. We are allowed to practice whatever religion we like. Blacks have equal rights and every nationality is respected. We encourage diversity. People are offended if you make fun of their accents. So why is discrimination against gays any different?

I’m Jewish, and even now, Jews get some nasty comments here in America. My sister had experience with a girl who called her a “stupid Jew.” It hurts. Knowing how it feels, I could never discriminate against someone because I wouldn’t want to be discriminated against myself.

Why is some discrimination, like racism, considered extremely bad and other kinds, like being against gays, OK because “that’s different”? Well, all discrimination is the same no matter what or who it’s against. None of it is just.

People have said that the reason gays have been discharged from the military is because they weren’t good as fighters. Sexual preference doesn’t affect your ability to fight or do any other activity. How is it that gays fight just as well as everyone else until their homosexuality is known? It is simply an excuse and I don’t buy it.

Some people say gays are lying by not telling military authorities they are gay. First of all, not telling something isn’t lying, it is just withholding information that, in this case, is irrelevant anyway. Do you go around telling everyone you meet, even if it’s a job interview, what your sexual preference is? If you had strep throat and didn’t tell and went to school, that would be unfair because you are withholding relevant information that puts people at risk. If you are homosexual and don’t tell, you aren’t putting anyone at risk so it shouldn’t matter. Homosexuality isn’t a disease.

People also argue that gays will try to force their feelings on others in the military and have sex with them. I’m sure you all know some adults who are heterosexual and not married. Do they try to have sex with every person of the opposite sex they come in contact with? And do those people try to force their heterosexual feelings on every homosexual they meet?

When the subject of gays came up in our class while we were talking to the school nurse, three-fourths of the people there said they felt deep down inside that even though on the outside they don’t feel it is right to discriminate, on the inside they felt that gays were “weird” or “scary.” The reason is that they have never met a gay person, or at least think they have never met one. They fear the unknown.

The fact is that they probably have met someone homosexual but not known it because homosexuals are no different from other people except for their sexual preference. I know homosexuals aren’t weird or scary from experience. My mom has a few close friends who are homosexual who visit us when they’re in town. You and your best friend might have different sexual preferences but that doesn’t mean you can’t have everything that is important to a friendship in common.

I used to tune out political discussions until I got interested in this topic. Now I listen when people talk about this or other political issues. I realize that they affect me and my country.