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Argumentative Essay On Aspen Ideas

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Growing up in Aspen Colorado it is an extreme understatement to say that I was sheltered. Aspen in itself is a very liberal town that celebrates and welcomes difference to be apart of our community. During ski season, there is an entire week dubbed by the locals as ‘Gay Ski Week’ in which members all over the country and apart of LGBTQ community come to our town to enjoy its beauty, skiing, and above all further educate and advocate our area about their community. There are comedic acts, panels, and even a drag fashion show in which the contestants ski down the mountain as if it were a runway.
The inclusion of everyone doesn’t stop there for Aspen either. At the end of June each year the Aspen Ideas Festival is hosted where politicians, celebrities, …show more content…

On the day of his diagnosis, he spoke about being alone in the doctor's office upon hearing the news and contemplating jumping from the window, terrified for what this would mean for himself, his family, and even his image. However, after a little contemplation, Ruby knew ultimately that he would need to fight. Fight for his fallen friends who could no longer fight for themselves, and fight for a better future for the gay community that would come after his time. That’s the biggest thing I took to heart from this experience. The importance of fighting for those who cannot fight themselves. I am a straight white female. Although I have faced oppression due to being a woman, I know that I am very privileged. I do not have to worry about my race being a trait that dictates the way people perceive me. And I do not have to experience blatant homophobia because in our society straight is still perceived to be the default sexuality. So it’s my job to use the advantage I was given in society to extend the olive branch and speak out about the injustices that others face and who may not be able to speak out alone. However, it’s not my job to define what queerness is. I feel all too often people who are not apart of the LGBTQ community are the very people telling you what it means to be queer. Queerness isn’t black and white, it’s on a spectrum, and it’s time that people stop being …show more content…

However, there were so many things throughout this course that I had little to no knowledge about. A lack of knowledge leads to a lack of empathy and understanding in my eyes. I truly do believe that discrimination is taught, so as a society if we were to continue to educate individuals about queerness and its relation to so many things in our everyday lives, government, and even ourselves, we are that much closer to ending discrimination. I know I might be optimistic, but I believe that people are inherently good, and if those of us who are given a louder voice and bigger platform to speak on in society, used it to call attention to injustices and work together towards solutions, I truly believe we have a chance of making queer apart of the

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