this is my opinen. see, you dont seem like the type to be a closet case. you came out in the middle of a straight relationship for goodness sakes. this is just another step down that same road. also, who else will do one on gay rights really? i mean there could be closet cases in your class that could hear see what you had done, and look at your oppeness and think "i want to be open like that"

of course there are down sides. that will be coming out to alot of random ppl, and your teacher, and stuff.

"...I find it kinda funny,I find it kinda sad, that the dreams where i am dieing are the best I've ever had..." -gary jules

One characteristic of the human brain is its extreme malleability. This capacity can serve as either a curse or a blessing.

It allows some otherwise decent individuals to be sucked into destructive cults and ideologies. (One may think these traps open only to those who find it much easier to be seen as loyal follower rather than as a stalwart individualist... I don't know.)

The Holocaust was committed by loyal followers who allowed themselves to be the vehicle for inflicting horrendous acts on their fellow man... all in the name of an errant and perverse ideology!

Homophobia is another example of non-thinkers becoming willing slaves to a false ideology... it's all too easy; but they take pride in being a "loyal" disciple.

Most cults exist because our minds can be so easily subverted to do or believe in otherwise unthinkable acts.

If you choose this tack... be most careful not to suggest this characteristic of our minds not be offered as an excuse for heinous behavior.

You could write a paper about how improved infrastructure, education and how developed world economies leads to less discrimination. I mean, the entirety of the holocaust may have been based on the Hitler doctrine of intolerance and hate, however, that wasn't the doctrine that was publicized. Rather, the Nazi regime purported that the jews were the cause of all the nation's economic woes.

Then, if we look at the depressions post reconstruction and pre-20th century, we see that during this times, nativist, xenophobic and racist attitudes were evoked, hence the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Finally, we can also see that all sort of revolutions, be it social or political, occur because of economic reasons. The American Revolution took place largely due to the fact that a middle class was being created. The post-reconstruction and pre-World War II reform era coincided with the rise of consumerism and the creation of the middle class. The Russian revolution took place due to the economic ruin caused by the Czardom. All of these things represent a paradigm shift form the concept of non-populist government, which is largely autocratic to a freer state of affairs.

Essentially, when people are happy, they don't discriminate. When economic ruin occurs, people scapegoat.

i like what nanook said, when people are happy they don't discriminate. make the readers happy (or laugh, i dunno) while at the same time being serious and, unknownst to them, teach them about gayness (not sure if that's what you plan on doing...). i like your idea of using your gayness as a refernece :D as you said, itd make it more powerful and meaning and, as ferrets suggested, you might inspire a closet case to come out (encourage them to be more open and such). goood luck :D