Human Rights Now

Happiness is not just a choice, it is also a right. Yes, we all deserve to be happy but what’s more important now is that we have that ultimate right to be happy and the U.S. Constitution says so.

By legal definition, “pursuit of happiness” is an inalienable right that is enumerated in the Declaration of Independence. That’s in addition to our right to life and liberty, and it refers to the right to pursue any legal activity that’s essential to your happiness just as long as it does not infringe on the rights and safety of others. 

The pursuit of happiness is a fundamental right which means that we, as humans, are free to pursue joy and live our lives in a way that makes us happy just as long as we do not perform illegal activities or violate the rights of other individuals.

So if you want to pursue your happiness, you have every right to chase after it and claim it but never at the expense of others and without violating any laws. 

Happiness as a Human Right

Nobody can ever blame you for being happy. It is more than a choice now because it is considered a human right. Basically, the pursuit of happiness can be considered as an umbrella term to represent other forms of human rights that equate to one’s joy, quality of life, and self-fulfillment.

Examples are; right to have your own family, the right to marriage, the right to equality, and the right to privacy among many others. 

Practicing these rights and preserving them are often linked to one’s pursuit of happiness. For example; for us to be happy, we should be free to marry the person that we truly love instead of being forced to marry someone due to tradition and culture.

Another example; career-driven women should be entitled to the same job opportunities as men in order to achieve personal growth and improvement instead of being forced to live a domesticated life.

These examples reflect how each person is entitled to his/her happiness by recognizing human rights regardless of various circumstances like cultural aspects and gender. 

Taking Action: Doing What Makes You Happy

If you want to be happy, you have to take action. You have to become proactive in life in order to determine the things that are essential to your pursuit. 

For instance; if your idea of happiness is having an active social life and a wide network of friends and acquaintances, you can try meeting new people by joining social organizations, or by working in a field that involves a lot of human interaction, or by trying modern approaches in meeting new friends such as using social phone lines and becoming active in various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you’re happiest when you’re helping other people, you have every right to pursue charity and work on various organizations that aim to create a better world such as the UNICEF.

Alternatively, you may also choose a career that involves helping others like entering the medical field, doing social and volunteer works, or organizing your own charitable institution for a specific cause. The bottom line is about you “taking action” to pursue your happiness as long as it’s for the betterment of yourself and of others.

What Makes You Happy?

How do you define your own happiness? Some would base happiness on things that are tangible such as money, property, and various material aspects.

There are some who would equate happiness to their sense of fulfillment, being with the people they love, and seeing their dreams come true. There are no right or wrong answers to this question.

In truth and reality, it all boils down to finding that one reason as to why you want to wake up tomorrow and why you want to go on living.

Just as long as you’re not putting anyone at risk or in danger and just as long as you’re not breaking the rules of society; there is no reason as to why you should not pursue your happiness. The Declaration of Independence means that you are free to become anyone in this world just as long as it leads you to a path of joy.…

Sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent aspects of every individual and should never be the subject of discrimination and abuse. Human Rights organizations that protect and preserve the rights of the LGBT community also support various activists that represent multiple identities and issues.

They continuously fight for their right to equality and fair treatment. In addition to that, they also determine ways to better express themselves in society by identifying their own gender identities and freely voicing out how they want to be addressed. 

The Existence of Third Sex

In general, people are more aware right now of the existence of various gender identities and sexual orientations due to numerous awareness campaigns and organizations that highlight their relevance in society.

Aside from males and females, the third sex cannot be ignored which refers to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered (LGBT). And then we also have the bi-curious, hetero-sexuals, gender-neutral, non-binary, genderqueer, cis and the list goes on. 

In line with the existence of various gender identities and sexual orientations, there are several social issues that are being dragged into the limelight such as the issue of gender-neutral bathrooms and trans-women being allowed to join in female beauty pageants.

Such issues led to countless debates and controversies. However, one fact remains. The persistence of the third sex cannot be ignored and they are becoming more and more unstoppable in claiming their rights.

Strengthening the Rights of the Members of the Third Sex

There are many ways to express gender equality. The first is by respecting our individual differences, personalities, and unique choices. The second is by breaking the boundary set by the society against members of the third sex.

The third is by creating equal opportunities for all individuals regardless of gender orientation. Lastly, we can express our support by widening our perspectives about the subject of gender and equality and acknowledging the need for acceptance. 

Several fields and industries are now creating equal opportunities for men, women, and members of the third sex. Such as the chat line numbers company that designates a specific chat line category for gays and lesbians to interact with fellow members of the LGBT community.

Another is the fashion industry because more and more fashion brands are selling LGBT Pride apparel to support the third sex and acknowledge their presence in the society like Adidas (Pride Pack), GAP (We Are One Collection), Banana Republic (Love is Love) and Abercrombie & Fitch (Made For Love).

In addition to the growing list; there’s also the Miss Universe Organization that launched Miss Spain Angela Ponce is the first transgender woman to take part in the pageant. 

Conclusion

Whenever the subject of human rights is being discussed, one of the most sensitive topics points out gender equality. Before, feminists fight for equal rights between men and women.

There are certain aspects wherein their efforts resulted in successful outcomes although the subject remains to be highly sensitive. 

In this modern age and time, the fight for equality has gotten to a new and more challenging level as the LGBT community began exerting their own efforts to be recognized in society.

There are some industries that already acknowledged their needs and presence which significantly marks the start of a more aggressive campaign on gender equality and a laborious journey towards social acceptance. …

There are many reasons why people decide to live on their own and to pursue their privacy. Some choose to live alone in order to practice independence while some buy their own home in preparation for a more challenging life ahead like marriage.

Having their own family or pursuing a new career path. There are many reasons why living solo is preferred by a lot of people. But in truth and reality, every person is entitled to it and it is actually a human right. 

The Right to Privacy

Every person has a right to privacy. In fact, it is a personal choice and is closely related to one’s right to pursue happiness. A right to privacy is stated under Article 12 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that no person should be subjected to arbitrary interference with his or her privacy, home, family, or correspondence. Furthermore, his or her honor and reputation should not be attacked or put at risk.

This right implies that privacy is essential to preserve a person’s interests, rights, honor, and reputation. Therefore, no one should be questioned for choosing a particular living condition and set up in an effort to maintain his own privacy and to exercise his or her human rights. 

Right to Safety

Exercising your right to privacy by way of living alone and moving to a different home environment also entitles you to your own safety. This does not only refer to safety against violence, specific risks, and physical danger.

It also refers to other aspects such as the safety of your living condition, accessibility to essential services, and suitability of the overall environment. Therefore, in choosing a new home, you have to pay attention to some important elements that are crucial to your survival and level of comfort. 

Basically, living standards should be acceptable and humane. You can assess this by being mindful of your home’s location and available amenities, proximity to relevant services, and general atmosphere for both interior and exterior aspects.

For example, it is your right to check the neighborhood and if the house is suitable for occupancy, or if you have access to clean and potable water supply, if the electric outlets are safe and if the house has secure locks. You have the right to check every component that you consider crucial to your overall safety.

Human Rights in Services, Facilities and Accommodations

Every person has the right to access and avail of public services, facilities, and accommodations like hotels, government programs, community programs, schools, restaurants, and commercial services.

There should be no discrimination based on personal characteristics such as race, gender identity or expression, religion, mental disability, and physical disability. Service providers have a duty to not discriminate and to never be selective when it comes to extending their services.

It is their duty to take reasonable steps to avoid having a negative effect based on personal characteristics. This is referred to as “duty to accommodate”. 

Here’s an example; let’s say you’re an immigrant from India who recently moved into Fort Lauderdale. In order to ensure water safety within your home, you decided to seek for commercially-available services and called specialists for water damage Fort Lauderdale residents usually rely on.

Just because you have different personal characteristics doesn’t set you apart from other residents and therefore, you shouldn’t be treated any differently from other local clients.

The level of services and treatment you’re entitled to receive should be the same as with the other paying residents around Fort Lauderdale; because basically, that is your human right and the water specialists should recognize their duty to accommodate regardless of who their client is.…