Equality has been a struggle for us since the birth of our nation. It seems that there is always at least one major group that has their rights looked down upon by the masses, and is excluded or punished in some way. They are demonized-minorities; second class citizens.

America declared its independence from King George’s England in 1776 because the colonials didn’t share equal representation in their government; they had the will of the masses imposed on them through laws that they didn’t have a say in creating.

Even before that, colonials held Africans as slaves, a practice that continued for generations and was a catalyst to the American Civil War.

African-Americans saw their rights limited by laws that maintained them at a “separate but equal” status, and were not permitted to take part in mainstream society until very recently in our history.

Now, we see the rights of a minority being curtailed again.

Gay-Americans do not hold equal rights in most of the United States, and many are bullied or even killed for being who they are.

Only in the last few years have some states created laws granting equal rights to gays. And only just this month, on Nov. 6, were laws put into place in some states by the voice of the majority and not a court or congress.

In most states in this country same-sex marriage is not recognized, and in some cases flat out illegal.

Some feel that civil unions are enough to satisfy the group. These people clearly aren’t aware that a civil union is not the same thing as a marriage.

Can people in civil unions file joint tax returns with their partner? Sponsor their spouse for citizenship if they are from another country? Have their union recognized by all 50 states? Get into an ambulance if their partner is taken to a hospital? Adopt children?

Unfortunately, none of these questions can be answered “yes” 100 percent of the time, or not at all in some cases. In fact, in most states the answer is simply “no.”

These rights, however, are entitled for any heterosexual couple that decides to sign a marriage certificate.

The right that they is given as a matter of birth, is a right that is taken for granted by many, and sought after by people whose only misfortune is in not denying who they are.

Yes, a gay person could get married if they’d just marry a member of the opposite sex. Is that fair? All they’d have to do is ignore who they are and live a life of unhappiness. That’s OK, right?

Do the rights of gays diminish the rights of straights?

If two men or two women get married, does that mean you are no longer married? No.

If two men or two women fall in love with each other, does that mean you stop loving your significant other? No.

If a gay couple moves in next door to you, does that mean the manner in which you conduct yourself inside your home must change? No.

Mitt Romney and the Republican Party both believe that gays should not even be allowed to enter into civil unions. This type of rigid “right-wing” way of thinking is the reason for Romney’s defeat at the hands of President Barack Obama.

President Obama is the first sitting president to openly state that gays should be able to be married just like everyone else. The Democratice party subsequently did as well.

Problem solved right? There is now equality for everyone because Obama says he believes there should be?  Wrong.

Although the president endorsed gay marriage, it is a far cry from legislation being put it into practice.

Even California, which is a Democrat-controlled state, voted to support a ban on same-sex marriage in 2008. A vote that has been struck down by two courts as unconstitutional because it limits the rights of a particular group for no other reason than tradition. It is still being appealed by Proposition 8 supporters, and will likely end up before the Supreme Court.

One of Proposition 8’s chief supporters, David Blankenhorn, has even recanted his position on the matter, realizing the ideal he was originally fighting for was, in fact, state-sanctioned discrimination.

“For me, the most important [thing] is the equal dignity of homosexual love,” said Blankenhorn, president of the New York-based Institute for American Values. “I don’t believe that opposite-sex and same-sex relationships are the same, but I do believe, with growing numbers of Americans, that the time for denigrating or stigmatizing same-sex relationships is over. Whatever one’s definition of marriage, legally recognizing gay and lesbian couples and their children is a victory for basic fairness.”

Despite Blankenhorn’s change of heart, it has not revolutionized the way people feel about gays.  One person’s change of heart does is not reflective our our hateful-human nature, nor does it correct the damage that was caused by his original hatred of people that are different than he is.

Although Blankenhorn changed his position on same-sex marriage rights, it does not change that gay marriage is not legal in California. It does not change the fact that gay marriage is outlawed in most states. It does not change the fact that unless new federal legislation is passed supporting the rights of all Americans equally, same-sex couples will be forced to remain as they are; second class citizens.