The War on Gays

2004 was a dramatic election year where the American public made a strong moral statement. Puritans are back! Several states passed marriage amendments that essentially prohibit homosexual unions and Ohio's contribution went a step beyond by effectively rendering all relationships that aren't sealed with the government's approval as invalid. So not only did the state tell gays they can't marry, the state also said that it won't respect common law relationships either. Isn't Ohio great?

Now it seems that there is a push to stamp out homosexuality in its entirety. The same folks who decided to impose their morals on the government's interpretation of marriage are now exerting tremendous pressure on organizations and business that are allegedly gay-friendly.

The pressure is coming in the form of boycotts and demonstrations. It ranges anywhere from simply bullying small local businesses into compliance to boycotting the companies who advertise on networks that feature gay friendly programming. These groups seek out businesses that directly market to the gay community through gay-oriented publications and demand that the advertising be pulled. Sadly it's worked. One major automotive manufacturer decided to terminate marketing programs that were directed toward the homosexual demographic. They claim that it was simply a business decision, but it's quite a coincidence.

The reason the far right is engaged in a war on gays is because they seem to think that there is some sort of conspiracy out there. They call it THE GAY AGENDA (insert dramatic music here). THE GAY AGENDA, if you listen to the religiots explain it, is a massive plot to turn everybody gay. Shows like Will and Grace make homosexuality seem normal and portray homosexuals as likeable people while other programs simply try to cram gratuitous homosexuality down your throat. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy goes so far as to encourage men to live a homosexual lifestyle which will eventually lead to homosexual behavior. We simply can't have that.

They tell outlandish stories of far away school boards that actually have classes that teach kids how to be gay. Although a little bit of research reveals that the only education in our public schools that even broaches the subject of homosexuality does it in a manner that asks students to respect their homosexual peers and demonstrate a little tolerance. Perhaps that's the first step in becoming gay.

A similar story surfaced shortly after 9-11 depicting the horrible state of affairs in California when schools started teaching the Koran. How dare they? Well, it wasn't quite that dramatic. School officials decided to take proactive steps in averting potential hate crimes against Muslim students so a comparative class was offered that demonstrated the similarities between Islam and Christianity. It wasn't religious instruction, just a little cultural sensitivity lesson. No big deal. And after the religious right had its time on the soap box the fuss subsided.

Religiots insist that homosexuality is a choice. They believe that it's a rebellious expression and the goal of homosexuals is to create more. The fact is that a lot of homosexuals do make an effort to reach out to kids. The goal isn't to recruit straight kids into homosexuality, but rather to let the gay kids know that they aren't alone. Most gay adults anguished over their sexuality throughout their youth and many do so well into adulthood.

The self-destructive behavior so often attributed to the so-called GAY LIFESTYLE; the drugs, the alcohol, the irresponsible sexual behavior; is not indicative of homosexuality but instead is the product of a traumatic childhood. It's what happens when a person is subjected to extreme emotional torture and psychological abuse. There are plenty of straight people who indulge in the same sort of behavior.

The fact is homosexuals want what straight people want. That's a stable loving relationship with a person they find both attractive and intellectually stimulating. There's nothing twisted or sick about it. They just happen to be wired to desire such a relationship with somebody of their own gender. The goal is not to force homosexuality on anybody, if anything it's to get straights to stop imposing heterosexuality on them.

Homosexuality is not a choice. No more than heterosexuality is. I'm straight. I can't say that I'm proud of it and at times I can see decided advantages to being gay, but I'm not wired to find another man sexually attractive. If I were stuck on a tropical island with another man for five years I doubt that I would find him attractive. I never once thought that I might enjoy being gay.

To assume homosexuality is a choice means you have to acknowledge that heterosexuality is a choice as well. I never made that choice. I know there was a time when I said girls were yucky, but mostly that was a defense mechanism so I wouldn't have to talk about romantic issues with my parents. The easy way out was to claim that I wasn't interested in girls but the reality is that I can't remember a time when I wasn't attracted to them. I've had hundreds of crushes on hundreds of girls through the years but never once had the same feeling for a guy. Not even for Brad Pitt.

If sexuality were a choice then you would have to struggle with the decision at some point. I can't recall a time when I was pawing through the JCPenney underwear section and could have gone either way. Somehow I doubt that anybody has. Not one gay person has ever told me that they made a choice. They always knew they were gay, even if they tried to deny it. Deep inside they always knew the truth.

Still the religiots insist it is a choice. They know it is. Which makes me wonder if they are all homosexuals who force themselves to live the heterosexual lifestyle. That's the only way they could possibly believe that it is a choice. A true heterosexual would never leap to such a conclusion.

It makes sense that the people trying to stamp out homosexuality are actually repressed homosexuals. Clearly they aren't comfortable with their own sexuality and seeing homosexuals expressing themselves publicly drives them crazy with envy. Why should other people get to enjoy the forbidden pleasures of homosexuality when they're holding back those same feelings with everything they've got?

Homosexuality is not evil and frankly it doesn't seem as though god had too much of a problem with it either. Back when he was laying down the law to Moses he talked about lying, stealing, killing and used a few commandments up on worship but god never made mention of homosexuality. As abhorrent as the religiots like to make homosexuality out to be, it's not even one of the seven deadly sins. And the underlying theme in Jesus' teachings was to mind your own business.

There must be better things to rage against. Homosexuality doesn't hurt anybody and if it is a sin then let god deal with it. Judge not lest ye shall be judged, right?