This opinion piece by a high school student is impressive--in rating it, I was comparing it to all other pieces of journalism, rather than handicapping it by the age and journalistic experience of the author. I concur with the other reviews here and would add that, for me, the strong start is undercut by this statement, which is inserted and then dropped without an obvious segue to the next paragraph, "I say it's a place where things are possible only when it's convenient." I question, also, her use of "inhumane," which might have been strengthened by pointing to the irony of another California measure which passed Novmeber 4, to assure better treatment of animals. But I'm not sure that I'd want to introduce the possible parallel between our treatment of animals and gay and lesbian human beings. She also says that homophobia "disgusts" her but doesn't explain. And as a piece of rhetoric, unless one is preaching to the choir, is it good strategy to invoke name-calling of one's opposition? Perhaps, if one were to go further and question why some forms of prejudice are still socially acceptable, while others are not.