Homosexuality

Consider right now that there are thousands of people around the world having sex. A bit disconcerting when you think about it. Now when I bring up the partners genders, this factor seems to take on a significance all its own. And the question I want to explore is, why? What’s morally wrong with homosexuality if anything, and if nothing, what’s all the fuss about? We consider love such and important part of human experience, if we’re going to deny that to a certain group of people, we better have a good reason.

When we think of heterosexuality, notice how we think of this wide range of activities. When we think of homosexuality, we focus exclusively on the sexual aspect. This creates a kind of double standard, where we think of heterosexual people having relationships, and homosexual people having sex. We say things like, “Heterosexual people have lives,” but “Homosexual people have lifestyles.” We say, “Heterosexual people have a moral vision,” but “Homosexual people have an agenda.” The words we use to describe people’s experiences often affect our way of thinking about them.

Many people who are morally opposed to homosexuality, like to quote the “Book of Leviticus”. It says, “Man shall not lie with man as with woman. It is an abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22) The Bible also states, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.” (Luke 16:18) What is interesting is the Bible also says, “The adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” So those whom divorce and remarry deserve to die? Most of us don’t think this. The Bible also states that you should sell your daughter...it also says that you may have slaves and pass them down through your family. Have you ever thrown a leather football or eaten shrimp? Well shit you are doomed to hell because that is what the Bible says. It clearly states you shall not hold dead pigs skin or eat crustations. These are all taken from the same parts of the Bible as the homosexuality passages. Now some may say I am pulling this out of context, but if it’s important to pay attention to context with the divorce passages, why is it not also important to pay attention to context with the sexuality passages?

There are those who believe homosexuality is bad for society. Father Prior is Vice-President for External Affairs at Loyola School in Manhattan. He said, “Of course homosexuality is bad for society. If everyone was a homosexual there would be no society.” My response…Dear Father Prior, if every one was a Roman Catholic Priest there would be no society either. A state legislator of Texas, Warren Chisum, liked to argue, “Homosexuality is unnatural. Animals don’t do that.” Since when did animals provide us with our moral standards? If I ever encounter Warren Chisum in person, I am going to get down on the ground and start humping his leg, just to drive home the point that this argument is completely ridiculous. He clearly needs to get his facts strait. According to National Geographic, “The animal kingdom is certainly not exclusively strait. Over 400 species among every animal group, and from all over the world are now known to engage in homosexuality.” Homosexuals are not attempting to ruin society; they simply want the same basic rights as heterosexuals. Why is it that an extremely religious gay couple cannot get married over a drunk devil worshiping couple who decided to get married in Star Wars costumes in Las Vegas? Gay people aren't ruining the sanctity of marriage...look at our celebrities for goodness sakes.

Now some people might say, “Well what about AIDS? Doesn’t homosexuality cause AIDS?” Well no. If the higher AIDS risk makes it wrong for men to have sex with men, then it would also seem that it would be wrong for women to have sex with men. After all, lesbian sex puts women at less of an AIDS risk then heterosexual sex. Imagine the headline...“Surgeon General Recommends Lesbianism.”

People are often bothered by things that are unfamiliar to them. The solution has to do with heterosexual people getting to know lesbian and gay people. That’s what’s going to put a face on the issue, that’s what’s going to let people know that homosexuals have many of the same hopes and dreams, challenges and fears that any other people do. The way gay and lesbian people are treated in our society is wrong, not only irrational, but morally wrong. I think there is something perverse about the fact that we hate people because of whom they love. There is violence against people because of the affection in their lives. That is a far greater moral tragedy than sex between consenting adults could ever be. I think that’s just terrible, and I want it to stop, but I can’t do it alone; I need your help. I am asking you to put yourself in people’s shoes before you judge them. And I am asking you to judge people, not on whom they love, but on if they love. That’s my moral vision…my “agenda.”