FREE ESSAY ON HOMOSEXUALITY

HOMOSEXUALITY

Summary
Two billboards were covered up, yesterday, March 9, as the identity of the man
responsible for them was revealed. These billboards angered the civic and gay rights
leaders tremendously. Located in Staten Island, they condemned homosexuality by using
verses from the Bible. 
The man responsible for this was Reverend Kristopher Okwedy of the Keyword Ministries in
Staten Island. He paid $1,800 to post the two signs for one month's time. These signs
cited four translations of Leviticus 18:22. It read: "Thou shall not lie with mankind as
with womankind: it is abomination." These messages were covered up yesterday with McGruff
the crime dog and Smokey the bear, when Guy V. Molinari, the Staten Island borough
president denounced it, along with local gay leaders.
Mr. Okwedy's name had remained anonymous until yesterday, when the billboard company
released it, with his permission of course. He felt that the company improperly censored
him. In a statement he said: "This is the land of the free, home of the brave. You are
supposed to protect the rights of free speech. I paid money and did not violate any city
laws. Donald Rosenthal, a lawyer for the union that owns the billboards, said that the
signs were covered up because they did not disclose who paid for the messages. Mr.
Okwerdy said, however, that he was never told that he had to put his name on them. He
decided to remain anonymous, but would not have had a problem with revealing his name if
asked. Daniel Master, legal counsel of Molinari, said that the message should not have
been printed even with the name attached: "A responsible member of the business community
would not have printed this."
Issue
There are a couple of issues being discussed here. First of all, there is the issue of
the first amendment. The first amendment gives the citizens of the United States the
right to free speech. Does covering up the signs violate that right? Isn't he allowed to
say what he pleases just as the billboard for a car or for a food franchise? The second
issue is gay rights. Does this man have the right to bash homosexuals? If so, aren't the
homosexuals having their rights compromised by this billboard. Should the city allow for
making so many people angry, uncomfortable and frustrated just because one man wants to
have his say? 
Opinion
I am a very big gay rights activist. I feel that they are people just as heterosexuals
are, and blacks and Asians and everyone else for that matter. I hate when their rights as
citizens and as human beings get violated by bigots and ignorant people. However, I also
feel that the Bill of Rights provides laws for everyone, bigots included. So if a person
wants to bash gay people, as long as he is not being violent, I feel that he should have
the right to do so. The reason that the city gave for covering up the signs was very weak
and implausible. Who cares if the person who put up the signs does not disclose his name?
They were just getting a lot of pressure from the gay and civil rights activist, so they
found a loophole to cover up the signs. This in no was excuses them from ridding a man
his Constitutional rights of free speech and free press.