HOMOSEXUALITY IS A BEHAVIOR?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR… 

HOMOSEXUALITY IS A BEHAVIOR? 

Whilst reading last month’s issue of this paper, I browsed through the Mad Conservative Crime fighter’s column, and couldn’t believe my eyes when I ran across this paragraph: 

A proposed amendment outlawing gay marriage has been repeatedly called writing bigotry in the US constitution. They also use the legal precedent of inter-racial marriage to justify the promotion of gay marriage. Homosexuality, however, is how someone behaves and conducts themselves. It is not a skin color, it is not a gender. They want a behavior granted a race status. (Emphasis is mine) Pretty soon the next group with a screw loose in their heads will demand their ’equal protection’ or have new laws written granting racial status for how they act, which will include triad’ers (not a word), polygamists, pedophiles, pedraphiles (again, not a word), beastaligists (for the third time, not a word), and kleptomaniacs. Judges have been giving light sentences to pedophiles to seemingly downplay the seriousness of the crime in hopes of eventually making it acceptable behavior in society. Judges like that should be disbarred.  

Let me start out by saying that I am gay. I have been ever since I can remember, and before I even knew ’polite society’ thought it was wrong. You say tomato, I say tomahto. I will address the italicized part of the paragraph first and foremost. This statement could really only be said by someone who is NOT gay. I find it rather amusing that a heterosexual individual can tell me what it is to be homosexual, especially if they have never experienced it. Another interesting ‘factoid’, if you will, that you can glean from the paragraph, is that anyone who isn’t like MCC, has a ‘screw loose.’ Can you imagine what would happen to the world if homosexuals (gays, lesbians, trans-gendered) were granted the same rights as everyone else? Oh, the horror of it all!  

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The next time someone asks you, “Hey, howdja get to be a homosexual anyway?” tell them, “Homosexuals are chosen first on talent, then interview… then the swimsuit and evening gown competition pretty much gets rid of the rest of them.” ~ Karen Williams 

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During my many years of living as a homosexual (many of them in denial), I have had occasion to hear just about every argument against homosexuals and their lifestyle. One of the main misconceptions is that there is no way I can love someone of the same sex like a heterosexual would love their partner. Wrong. I can love just as deeply as a person attracted to someone of the opposite sex. Here’s my favorite one, “You chose to be gay.” Uh… no I didn’t. First of all, why would anyone choose to be gay? To have a better fashion sense? To be able to go to all the cool clubs? The food? To belong to one of the most despised segments of society? To face discrimination on a daily basis? To have the highest percentage of disposable income compared to all other groups? Okay, ya got me on that one! 

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The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals, it’s just that they need more supervision. ~ Lynn Lavner 

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The Bible says it’s wrong! I love it when people pick and choose passages out of the Bible to back up their argument. “The Bible says this”, “The Bible says that”, “You’re going to Hell!” Okay, so I’m going to Hell. Somehow I think it won’t be unlike this life that we live now. Let’s suppose for a minute that someone actually did live according to God’s Laws. You would have to burn a bull on an alter to offer it to the Lord as a sacrifice. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy crab, oysters, or any other shellfish. You wouldn’t be able to shave. You can’t work on the Sabbath. You cannot approach the alter of God with eye defects. The list goes on and on. Basically, committing a sin is disobeying God. That’s not to say that everyone buys into organized religion. It’s amusing though, because even the most dastardly of people will quote the Bible when it comes to homosexuality. Those same people would not step foot in a church for fear that they will get smote (smite? smoted? smited?) with a bolt of lightening.  In short, don’t condemn me or my people, when you yourself, cannot follow God’s Laws.  

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If homosexuality is a disease, let’s all call in queer to work: “Hello. Can’t work today, still queer.” ~ Robin Tyler 

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Homosexuality is not a ‘race status’. Heterosexuals, homosexuals, and bisexuals belong to all races and ethnic groups. Race and sexual orientation each constitute a master status. (http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/military_race_comparison.html) So the argument that we want equal rights based on a ‘race status’ does not apply. But then you bring up the point that people cannot change their race, color, nationality, or gender. This is true, but religion is a protected civil right, and that there my friends, is, was, and always will be a choice. You have civil rights that are protected because of your race, your gender, your nationality, and/or your religion. If religion is a choice, then why cannot sexual orientation be protected as some people think of that as a choice. The only choice about it is whether or not we choose to act upon our urges. Equal protection under the law for sexual orientation will not only protect homosexuals, but also heterosexuals, bisexuals, and trans-gendered persons. I’m not sure that I am totally for gay marriage. I am, however, for civil unions. Which, if you think about it, is actually the same thing. I have heard the arguments that if gays are allowed to “marry”, then that lessens the marriage of heterosexuals. How? Because it is based on religion? You know, If you take religion out of the equation, you really don’t have an argument against it. Marry, it will ruin or take away the sanctity of heterosexual marriages. I believe that would be a religious sanctity. If you take religion out of the argument, there really isn’t much to argue about. I seem to remember that somewhere in the vows (depending on which ones you subscribe to) that there is a line about ‘until death do us part’. If you look at divorce statistics, the number is between 40 and 60 percent that fail, depending on the state you live in. So, it looks as though gay marriage won’t have that much of an impact on ruining straight marriages. You people are doing a good job of that on your own. You really don’t need our help.  

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Drag is when a man wears everything a lesbian won’t. ~ Author Unknown 

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I guess what it all boils down to is what we all really want in our lives. 

Heterosexuals: Someone to love 

Homosexuals: Someone to love 

Heterosexuals: A good job 

Homosexuals: A good job 

Heterosexuals: A safe home 

Homosexuals: A safe home 

Heterosexuals: Equal protection under the law 

Homosexuals: Equal protection under the law 

Hmm, seems we have quite a few things in common. I guess the only difference is in who we fall in love with. 

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Straight Americans need… an education of the heart and soul. They must understand, to begin with, how it can feel to spend years denying your own deepest truths, to sit silently through classes, meals, and church services while people you love toss off remarks that brutalize your soul. ~ Bruce Bawer, The Advocate, 28 April 1998 

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Dorothy’s Friend