One normal day during one of my classes, by some odd coincidence, we got to talking about gay people. We didn’t talk about it much, but long enough for one of my classmates to say and quote “I’m only raciest to gay people.” It caught me off guard for someone to say something like that, because who are gay people? They are no different than anyone else. They are human. It’s not a behavior, it’s not weird, it’s some people’s life. If you don’t like it, don’t think about it.

Does anyone think about the Holocaust? The Civil war? What were we doing in those wars? FIGHTING FOR PEOPLES FREEDOM…. How is this different? Why is it different? It’s not. Most of my friends know and they don’t treat my parents or myself any different. Now about this thing that i heard about people who are gay, They can lose their jobs, homes, everything. put yourself in their shoes and take a walk in them. Come on!!!!! What happened to the land of the free?

Now when i first found out my mom was gay i didn’t know what it was. my friends and me use the term “gay” as “happy” or “stupid” after i found out that my mom was gay, I had stopped using the term in that way.

Alright, look at the text behind this. I am a 7th grader and I’m writing this by myself, with a little help from my computers spell check. Don’t you think I know what I’m saying? Everyone has the right to express themselves. Some have the talent to learn, listen, an not confront or say it’s wrong, or that’s weird. We are all human. We make look, think, eat, dance, play, sing, and do things different but the bottom line is EVERYONE IS HUMAN.

Thank-you for listening to my thoughts, a 7th graders thoughts on this bill. Big, small, black, white, gay, straight, WE ARE ALL HUMAN. And ether you would agree with me or not, I’m proud that we have people that diversify our lives. Last thing, like I said before, take a walk in a gay persons life or even a family member of them, and TAKE A WALK IN THEIR LIFE!

Hannah M.

Reply from State Rep Chuck Damschen:

Dear Hannah,

Thanks for writing. It’s interesting to hear your point of view and I certainly respect that. I have a different point of view in this matter, however, because I believe being gay is a choice – a wrong choice. And all of us make wrong choices, including me, about one thing or another. So I’m not saying your mom is worse than me or anyone else. You are right to continue to love and appreciate her. But, wrong is still wrong, no matter who it applies to. To me, saying that someone is doing something wrong does not mean I dislike that person, even if I dislike things they do.

The laws we have protect the rights of everyone, including your mom. Passing SB2278 won’t make being gay right, it will only grant a special right to someone who is gay and take other rights away from those who are not gay. I think that would be unfair and wrong.

The Civil War and the Holocaust were about people making wrong choices about other peoples’ lives. This issue is about people making wrong choices about their own lives. I hope you can accept my point of view as well as you have accepted your mom’s choice.

Regards,

Chuck Damschen
ND House of Representatives
District 10