LGBTQ+ community deserves support, respect

Here in Olympia, we don’t see much of any discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Just driving downtown you may see at least five pride flags in shops or in windows, but in many other parts of the U.S we see stories of LGBTQ+ people being refused service or discriminated against.

In fact Washington is one of the surprisingly few states along with only 12 others that has laws protecting all discrimination against LGBTQ+. The future of the community’s is not looking so clear due to the recent president and vice president elect who state they are against the LGBTQ+ community and that their rights should not be equal to any other U.S citizen.

Through all of this happening, it’s not surprising that suicide for people in the LGBTQ+ community has gone up exponentially due to not only the recent election but constant bullying or harassment given to them. The least people can do now is give hope to people and be supportive and kind to anyone and everyone.

This story was originally published January 1, 2017 at 7:29 PM with the headline "LGBTQ+ community deserves support, respect."