mysilentfury

I have yet another semester of college getting ready to start so I will probably be relatively busy here in the near future.  As a result, I want to take this time to write a lengthy article that will probably attract more attention than anything we have written so far.  I tend to get my ideas for these posts from topics that are being discussed around me.  Often times I have an opinion on the issue at hand, but for whatever reason may not partake in the conversation.  One such topic that has been being discussed at great length recently is gay marriage and the debate of whether or not it should be legal.  This subject needs to be put to rest because there is only one right answer.  It is not an opinion; it is a social fact that must be accepted for our culture to advance, gay rights need to be afforded and sightless bigotry needs to cease.

Anyone remember how African-Americans were treated just a very short while ago?  Anyone recall females clawing and fighting for the same rights that were afforded to men?  Ten to one when you read about these injustices you feel sick to your stomach to realize that people could be so cruel.  More than likely you have spoken out against sexism, racism, and the like.  However, because a book written over 2,000 years ago deems homosexuality a sin, we cannot accept these people and grant them the same rights as ourselves.  I am ashamed on many levels to be a part of a society that is this hateful and disrespectful to an entire culture of human beings.

There are so many reasons why I defend the gay community it is hard to even gather my thoughts enough to know where to begin.  I’ll start with the fact that most people who are against gay marriage and gay rights are so because of a religious affiliation.  As I have stated before, I respect those that adhere to a religion and know that it takes a lot of discipline to practice such a lifestyle.  On the other hand, don’t let your affiliation with a particular religion make you believe that human rights should be stripped of individuals because the bible you read says so.  Look at it from this perspective…laws change continually.  Why?  Because we evolve (not the taboo evolution that makes your skin crawl at the mere mention) as a culture and the things that were considered right or wrong change over time.  For those of you who are familiar with the “rule of thumb,” you understand that even religiously based laws have been changed as they become outdated.  However, when a “law” is stated in the holy bible, it is concrete and we are somehow expected to believe that these rules are never to change.

Rather than expecting you take my word on the fact that items in the bible need to be updated to adhere to modern culture, I will instead provide one of the most blatant examples directly from the bible.  Women fought very hard to gain equal rights to men and I could not be more happy that they were able to achieve this goal through the incredible work of inspirational women.  Consider this though, what if we had asked the bible what to do about women’s rights?  Then what?  Well, here is a passage from Timothy 2:11-14;  “A woman must be a learner, listening quietly and with due submission.  I do not permit a woman to be a teacher, nor must woman domineer over man; she should be quiet.  For Adam was created first, and Eve afterwards; and it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who, yielding to deception, fell into sin.”  Had we held on to these morals (ironically from the same book that fuels people to shun the gay community) all of the women that voted against gay marriage would have never been afforded the right to even consider having an opinion on the subject.

Getting away from the religious aspect of gay discrimination, there is another glaring weakness in the argument of restricting gay rights.  The entire basis that people use is that being gay is a choice rather than a biological disposition much like being straight.  I for one do not remember choosing to like girls; it was just the way things were.  The irony here is that homosexuals report almost identical statements about whether they chose their sexuality as straight individuals.  Much research has been done on this topic and again the research findings all indicate that homosexuals claim they did not choose to be gay.  So with that in mind, every time someone opposes gay rights on the stance that it is a choice, they are not only being biased towards an entire community, but they are also calling them liars.

Finally, I ask anyone reading this article to consider this; do you know anyone that is actually gay?  Have you ever talked to them about their sexuality in a respectful and knowledge-gaining manner?  Are you open-minded enough to even take part in such a conversation?  If so, you are at least moving in the right direction.  I understand that the way you were raised may have a huge influence on the way you feel towards gay marriage and gay rights.  However, this is the same argument used by past oppressors of African-Americans, women, religious groups, etc.  Don’t become another pawn in the game of hate that is used to block people from gaining rights.  We don’t know whether being gay is a choice or not, and until there is concrete evidence either way stop parading ignorant and unwarranted detestation towards a culture that you probably know very little about.  I can promise you, with absolute certainty, that if (and when) homosexuals are afforded the rights they so deserve, the world will not end, you will not burst into flames, the streets will not be littered with assless chaps, nothing will happen.  Well, one thing will happen; another group will overcome the adversity of oppression and rise above the hatred that has been so unfairly aimed at them.

For all the progressive thinkers in the world who are already doing their part to help in this movement…I applaud you.