READING ROOM
They Said It
A Young Man's Courage
At a rally under the gold dome
of the State Capitol, a YouthPride member addressed
a crowd of over 300 fellow citizens about the proposed
amendment to the State Constitution. Here are his remarks.
January 30, 2004
The Capitol-Atlanta, GA
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
My name is Gregory Arturo Casajuana. I am a member
of Youth Pride. My family came to this country
43 years ago to escape the strict dictatorship
of Cuba, looking for a home where they would have
rights and freedom. They came to the United States
of America where they believed they would have
those rights for themselves and their children.
In Cuba, it is illegal to be
gay. The laws are so harsh that you can be thrown
in jail for being gay. In fact, a few of my family
members were put in jail because they were openly
gay. In this country, my siblings have all of
the rights and freedoms that an American should
but I do not because I am gay.
Today, a group of Georgia legislators
are trying to make the decision to shun a group of people
because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Is that fair to you? To me, that is just WRONG!
I may be only 15 but at least I know the difference
between right and wrong. I live in this country to be
free of oppression; instead, I feel like I live in a
jail cell. A jail cell like the one I would live in
if my family were still in Cuba.
In the past, I have had to
hide the fact that I am gay until I could no longer
take it. I started rejoicing because God made
me and I should be proud, even if people dislike
me for it. The funny thing is that all of these
people keep telling me that I am sinning against
God. They make fun of me but every day, I follow
the Word of Jesus. I turn the other cheek and
attempt to ignore them.
My fellow youth and I understand
that being gay is not a choice; it is the way
that you are born. Why can't adults just live
with the fact that gays are everywhere? They deserve
the same rights as anyone else. Using a Constitutional
amendment to discriminate against a group of people
is not only wrong but also unjust. It undermines
all the basic American values that we hold dear.
This is not the future that my family
envisioned for me. I will not stand by and let this
future be created for my fellow youth and future generations.
Every day, politicians speak of the greater good for
our future youth but they do not seem to understand
that I am the youth and
I am the future! I am proud of who and what I am!
I hope adults are listening.
This amendment must be defeated.
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