It is the 21st century, and the time has come to embrace all people, no matter their race, religion or gender. While we are getting close to this, one group has very clearly been left out, and that needs to change.

Vampires are a bigger part of our society than you may know, and it’s just not fair that they have been neglected so much that most people think they are only mythical creatures. They are not. They are just like you or me. But you and I can go wherever we want, whenever we want and with whomever we want. This is not so for vampires. They have to stay in all day long, so as not to draw attention to their flawless, glowing skin. They can’t openly hang out with mortals without risking being found out. They can’t even go out for dinner because most of us find their diets “wrong.”

So, I declare 2009 the year of the Vampire Rights Movement. We need to accept vampires for what they are: people. They should be able to live like us without worrying about garlic, wooden stakes or a power-hungry vampire family in Italy waiting to take care of those vampires who don’t follow the rules. We need to cater to their special needs, and make blood easier for them to get, so they don’t have to resort to killing. Coffins, for those who choose to use them, should be sold in mattress stores, so they don’t get looked at funny for buying them from funeral homes. And most of all, we need to learn to love, and stop being jealous of, their sparkling skin, their perfect bodies, their beauty.

Many vampires have been around for hundreds of years. They have more wisdom, knowledge and insight than any of us could ever imagine. They have great stories to share with us if only we’d stop running from them screaming and just listen. Sure, they might be trying to suck your blood, but it’s really more of a cry for help. They have lived in isolation for more years than we have been alive, and they are lonely. For decades, they’ve been waiting for us to open our hearts and accept them. Now is the time. If you give them a chance, they just might dazzle you.