Jesse Ventura: Why I stand for LGBT rights

This pisses me off right now.  What is this crap that people are eluding to, that this bathroom debate will open the door to “sexual predators”?

Transgenderism and pedophilia are two completely different matters.  When are people going to wake up to that? Just because you identify with a different gender than the one you were born with does NOT make you a “sexual predator.” And yet that’s what they’re proclaiming out there.  They’re making it look like any adult male will walk into a bathroom to prey on a little girl.

It sickens me.

To the fans that don’t agree with me on this, educate yourself.  Learn what being transgender means, what struggles they go through, and why they go through with it.  Find out who these people are first before throwing labels around and condemning them.  Start educating yourself with science, and not your religious beliefs.

I am pro equal rights in general. It goes back to wrestling.  A friend of mine from wrestling is gay.  And this friend of mine had a partner. They had been together as long as any other couple in the wrestling world.  Then, my friend’s partner got sick and was in intensive care in the hospital.  And I’ll never forget when I learned that my friend wasn’t allowed access to his hospital room - he couldn’t sit by his bedside because the hospital rules, which were very strict, called for only “spouse” or “next of kin.”  At the time, if you were in a gay relationship, you couldn’t be classified as either. My friend was caught between a rock and a hard place.  And it just hit me so hard - the cruelty of it - of this rule - of these rules.  At that point, I became an advocate and realized these types of rules, or “laws,” are wrong.  I made the statement that “love is bigger than government.”  It should always be that way.

As Jimi Hendrix said, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know Peace.” I hope my fans and supporters can relate to that quote.  Love is bigger than government.  Anybody that wants to oppose me on that, feel free.  It’s a free country. But don’t criticize me for standing up for these people’s rights, because what you’re advocating for is discrimination in its worst form.

It ends right there.

-Jesse Ventura

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