The Supreme Court's decision regarding the constitutionality of gay marriage is a step in the right direction, but is not the cure-all for the larger societal problem of discrimination.
According to Politico, the majority of Americans support the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage. 59 percent agree with the decision to legalize it in all 50 states. We should not ignore the power behind these statistics, especially when considering the fact that it would've probably been much harder to legalize gay marriage in America 20 years ago. However, nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage is just a small step towards actual equality.
Though public opinion is rapidly changing in favor of gay marriage, a Supreme Court decision alone will not stop discrimination against LGBTQ communities. Put simply, the marriage law only affects marriage rights. Gay and lesbian individuals can still face workplace discrimination, housing discrimination, gay conversion therapy businesses, and restrictions on men who wish to donate blood. (For a more comprehensive list, check out this Huffington Post article.)
Noah Michelson, founding editor of HuffPost Gay Voices, explains, "We can pass all of the laws we want and talk about public policy until we run out of air, but until our society stops thinking of queer people as deviant or corrupt or sinful or in any way less than non-queer people, nothing is going to change."
Still not convinced that LGBTQ communities face discrimination? Consider the popular debate about whether Caitlyn Jenner is a hero, in which I urge you to ponder the idea that the concept of a hero is subjective and that it's therefore hard to make sweeping generalizations about who is a hero and who isn't. Imagine not being able to purchase a wedding cake because of your sexual orientation, or not being able to feel comfortable in your own sport, or being in the minority in the business world.
Achieving this equality is not a quick and easy process, and -- as cheesy as it sounds -- it can start with you. You can change your profile picture to a rainbow to show your support for the Supreme Court's decision. You can stop using "gay" as a synonym for weak, stupid, or feminine and call out your friends if they do. If we want true equality, we have to strive for a larger cultural change that also accompanies a political one. Changing a society's culture is a lot harder than changing its politics.
