Many experts agree that homosexuality has existed as long as human beings themselves, although the attitude towards them has undergone dramatic changes.
Though accepted by many societies during Greek and Roman eras, most of the time homosexuals were considered to be sinners against nature and even criminals. In medieval and modern times, homosexuals were actually prosecuted.
Through time leniency substituted death penalties for imprisonment.
Today when research on twins suggests sexual orientation is not a choice, but genetic predispositions, homosexuals are still considered immoral. America has always boasted its acceptance of everyone’s freedoms but only certain states recognize homosexuality and accept same-sex marriages.
According to a recent study, every second family in the county has a member who is homosexual.
Yet, the hate continues.
For these ignorant individuals, homosexuality is perversion, abnormality or disease. This ignorance breeds fear, which festers into hostility.
One only has to look at the example of Matthew Shepard to see how homophobia can lead to violence. Even members of congress who are in positions of power are encouraging such bigotry.
According to a well known US congressman, “the function of sex is procreation. To violate things of function is wrong, homosexuality violates the function of sex.”
By this argument, those people having heterosexual relations for reasons other than procreation are just as bad as homosexuals.
Surely people have sex for a number of reasons, such as love, closeness and pleasure? How many college level women are having sex hoping to get pregnant? Not many, so why shouldn’t homosexuals be able to have sex for the same reasons?
A rearranging of that statement makes far more sense if it is changed from “The function of sex…” to “A function of sex…”
The second argument is even more unstable than the first. This congressman states that to violate functions is wrong. By this argument, we should not damn rivers, inoculate against viruses, and if someone breaks their leg, we should let it heal naturally. In truth, we violate functions everyday by going against the natural course of nature.
What I find amazing is that someone so high up the congressional ladder could be so provincial.
A fair amount of the hate stems from the Bible, which states that homosexuality is wrong. But we have left behind many other of the ancient mandates from the Bible, because if taken literally, I could kill my child for cursing at me, or kill my neighbor for suspected adultery. In Leviticus it is stated that I can own slaves, however, being homosexual is a sin.
It seems like we are picking and choosing our mandates at random.
What ever happened to the separation of church and state? It appears that the state deems homosexuality wrong by way of influence from the church.
It seems absurd that there is a feeling of uncertainty in allowing a man to run a boy scout troop, but a heterosexual male is perfectly capable of running a female water polo team.
It is time to abandon these age-old injustices and finally think reasonably. Homosexuality is just another form of sexuality and is not going to go away.
I would say now is as good a time as any to overcome the last of our prejudices.
