federal, legal, educational and family groups; in order to gain societal equality for all homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered Americans.Since the 1960’s, societal equality and acceptance has eluded the gay rights movement; consequently, there has been all-too-often occurrences of hate crimes that are in dire need of legislation against them; therefore, our society needs to be educated in understanding in order to increase the chances of passing equal rights laws, and the federal government needs to provide the same protection against housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and basic human rights discrimination for homosexual Americans. Hate Crimes In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury (Jefferson par. 30). Alan Schindler joined the Navy to see the world. He joined the Navy to serve his country and earn money for college. In his eyes, these things were possible; it didn’t matter that he was gay. He soon found out, though, that others he was serving with didn’t hold these same beliefs. Schindler told his friends and family of being harassed by other shipmates. He said that when he admitted to a legal officer that he was homosexual, it was an act of both liberation and desperation, because by then, afraid for his life, hewanted out of the Navy (Lavin A-14).Airman Apprentice Terry M. Helvey had initially developed a dislike for Schindler a year before, and was resentful at how Schindler had bossed him around on cleanup duty. His dislike grew more intense when word spread that Schindler was gay and was about to be discharged. On the night of October 27, 1993 Helvey and Airman Charles E. Vins went to a movie, then headed toward a park just outside the base in Japan, where they saw Schindler walking alone and decided to harass him (Lavin A-14).W...
