Opposing ideologies

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states, many same-sex couples have to deal with opposition from people who disagree with their relationship. It can be exhausting and frustrating to deal with. There are several religions who say same-sex marriage is wrong, and it can be hard to get along with these people. There are some things you can do to help make it a little easier.

Discrimination Is Illegal

First of all, it’s important to know that discrimination is illegal. While people can disagree with your same-sex relationship just as you can disagree with their religion, it is illegal to discriminate against each other. This means, in general a business cannot refuse to serve you for your sexual orientation. Realizing the difference between opposition and discrimination can help you figure out whether or not you are being treated illegally. If a restaurant refuses to serve you because you are in a same-sex relationship, that’s illegal discrimination. If a person makes a comment at you while you are walking on the streets, that is not illegal discrimination. People have freedom of speech, and unfortunately they can use it to spread hate sometimes.

Try Not to React

It can be very difficult not to say anything when a negative comment or look is thrown your way. However, it’s best to avoid it. You don’t want to escalate the situation, and you don’t want to give people who act like that attention. If you are on the street, you can try avoiding confrontation by:

• Pretending you didn’t hear them
• Looking at them and smiling
• Simply saying “I’m sorry you feel that way” and walking away

This doesn’t mean you should deal with constant comments from people who you know and see every day. It just means to try not to let things you hear on the street or see in the news bother you. It can be difficult, but reacting often makes things worse.

We All Have a Right to Our Opinion

Remember that no matter how much you disagree, everyone has a right to their opinion. Not everyone has to agree with your marriage or relationship, just like you don’t have to agree with someone’s religion or lifestyle. What’s important is to respect each other even when we don’t agree. It’s okay to know you disagree with one another, but you should be able to move past that.

Focus on Your Happiness

People who express their opposition to your relationship are likely unhappy people. The fact they have to try to bring others down to their level speaks volumes. Hopefully, you are in a happy relationship, so you don’t have to sink to their level. Try to remember how happy you are next time you hear someone expressing their negative feelings toward you. When you are happy, you may notice you stop caring about what strangers on the street think about you.

Handling Opposition

There are times when comments and discrimination are unacceptable. If you are dealing with coworkers giving you a hard time about your relationship or sexual orientation, then you need to report it to your boss. That kind of behavior should not be tolerated. Your boss should handle it promptly and effectively. If he or she doesn’t, then you may need to go above his or her head. If no one will listen to you and the comments have gotten to the point where you dread going to work, then it may be time to speak to a lawyer. A lawyer can tell you what’s illegal, what’s not, and can give you advice on how to proceed.

Dealing with discrimination and opposition can be difficult. Unfortunately, we may never see a time when everyone is accepting of people for who they are. Hopefully these tips can help you deal with opposition.