As children we are told that we can be anything we want. We are told that if we wanted to be a firefighter, a policeman or an astronaut, we can become one. We are told that if we have the passion and desire for something, we will achieve it. But what if I wanted the freedom to express myself to the fullest? We are told that we have the right to be anything we want except ourselves. When I was a kid I wanted to take guitar lessons, but my mom signed me up for figure skating lessons because it was a girl thing and I had no say in it because I was just a kid. When I realized I liked same sex in middle school I had no voice because I was a child exploring her sexuality. I'm eighteen and I still have no say in the matter because I'm still a confused child. I knew my voice would be silenced and I was going against the norm of society. The church says gays are an abomination. The government says gays are not allowed to marry. Every day on the news there is a picture of a gay student who committed suicide due to bullying. I wasn't allowed to be myself because I knew that being gay wasn't taken lightly by others. I hid from my friends and, above all, my parents for fear of society's constraint on me. I had the strength not to end up in the news but the right to be myself was taken away from me.2. DescriptionAnti-gay groups believe that homosexuals have no rights in our society. Hate groups often cite religion as the reason for their actions and the source of their beliefs. Anti-gay protest groups launch verbal and physical attacks against homosexuals by creating hate posters that say "God hates fags." Violent acts of hate are nothing new in the world. Anti-gay groups believe that homosexuals are the root of all evil and wickedness. Ide... half the paper... and the understanding they would like in return. People would be the backbone and emotional support for each other. In a precious world like that, homophobia would not exist because the kindness and mutual respect of its members would mean that differences within the community would be valued and celebrated. Homophobic societies deny these differences and strongly prohibit them. The effects on homophobic bullying result in mentally and physically vicious attacks on members of the gay community, as well as straight people who "look gay" or supporters of gay rights. Homophobia forces the ideology of stereotypes and believes that man is perceived as "macho" and woman as "feminine". Homophobia limits our individuality and self-expression to appreciate diversity and unique traits within our society that are not seen as the “norm”.”.