Gay Rights are Essentially a Nonissue in the US

Yes, you may define it as that, but that is not the correct definition. And, while adoption is an issue that often gets over-looked, adoption and marriage are not the only fights in the fight for equal rights. Not passing any judgement here, but it just seems to me like you may have been unaware of this. No big deal; a lot of people are.But, as a homosexual, I feel I need to prove this to you.FACT: 37 states and D.C. allow same-gender couples to marry. (1)Ok, great. That's nothing. Like heterosexuals, not all homosexuals actually want to get married. Personally, I'd rather not get married ever. Nor would I like to adopt.And really, marriage can be a big problem. Think of it this way: there's this hypothetical gay teenager. They live in a state which has just legalised gay marriage. They think, "Hey, maybe society is getting better." They decide to come out. Their parents -- who they are still economically reliant on -- find out. Parents don't like it. They kick the kid out, and onto the streets. The kid becomes a statistic.This isn't a hypothetical. It's a very disturbing reality. Which brings me to the next thing...FACT: 40% of all homeless youth are LGBT. They are more likely to face sexual and physical assault when on the streets, and more likely to be turned away from or victimised at shelters. (2, 3)Yes, I'm aware that the first citation says 20%, but a more current version of that says 40%. (4) If you're looking for a number of people, there's one. It affects these kids, and their parents, siblings, and the government. As well as people in states where they cannot get married or adopt children.FACT: 19 states, and D.C. have laws protecting LGBT people from workplace discrimination. 3 states have protections in place only for gay and lesbian people.(5)Workplace discrimination is an issue that gets overlooked a lot. 43% of LGBT people experience discrimination at their work.The above statistic is also true for housing discrimination. (5)FACT: In some states, it is legal to turn LGBT people away from public accomidations, such as hotels, police, and medial insurance. (5)A few states have introduced bills that would allow people to deny service to LGBT based on "religious freedom." This legislation has been passed in Kanas (no surprise there), and Texas. It has also been attempted to be passed in Ohio, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota, Tennesse, Oregon, and Hawaii. (6)And that's just gay and lesbian issues. Transgender issues are a whole different topic which is far more complicated. But, they are still part of the fight for "gay rights."Also, the amount of people it affects has nothing to do with whether it's an issue or not. And even if it was, 10 million is still a lot of people.But let's say for a moment that issues like abortion and national debt are more important that LGBT rights. Now what? Do you have any ways to fix national debt by admitting that? What do you suggest we do then? Are you suggesting that everyone who is currently advocating for gay rights start advocating for abortion and national debt? Not everyone cares about abortion. Besides, you don't have to pick one issue that's important to you and ignore all of the others. For example, I can advocate for gay rights and the decompission of the penny at the same time. (By the way, the retirement of the penny likely would lessen nation debt.)(1) "States | Freedom to Marry." States | Freedom to Marry. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.(2) "National Coalition for the Homeless." National Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nationalhomeless.org...;.(3) "United States Interagency Council on Homelessness." LGBTQ Youth Homelessness In Focus. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.(4) "LGBT Homelessness - National Coalition for the Homeless." National Coalition for the Homeless LGBT Homelessness Comments. Web. 23 Mar. 2015(5) "Non-Discrimination Laws." Movement Advancement Project. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.(6) "6 Proposals Denying Service to Gays You Haven't Heard About." Time. Time. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.