I saw a story regarding one high school's activity during the recent "Coming Out Week." The Gay-Straight Alliance at Pikesville High School, in my home state of Maryland, encouraged straight students to wear pink in support of their gay classmates. Some parents were up in arms about this and protested at the school, making this newsworthy.
The report, which I found on the Christian Broadcasting Network's web site (Pat Robertson's organization), refers to this action as "supporting the homosexual agenda." Honestly, every time I see this phrase used I'm afraid blood vessels in my brain will burst!
What exactly is the gay agenda? To have the same rights as their straight counterparts? To have the same opportunities to express their love for their partners that straight people do? To not be discriminated against in the job market and workplace because of their sexual orientation? To not be ostracized or the subject of hatred by the body of Christ?
That would make "the homosexual agenda" the desire of gays and lesbians to be treated with the same respect and have the same rights as a straight person. These are not "special rights" as some antagonists like to call them. These are guarantees the LGBT community need to protect their rights as an American citizen, the very rights this nation was founded upon.
Sounds pretty reasonable to me. As great as this country is in many ways, however, it has a long history of holding down minority groups, who emerge from that only after a long, hard struggle. It seems like one of the favorite targets in today's society are gays, primarily because they have the nerve to be different and because a lot of straight people have no understanding about what makes them tick.
So what are people afraid of? In this case, what they don't undestand. Unfortunately, too many people find it easier to discriminate against the LGBT community instead of educating themselves. It's okay to come in contact with them, folks, you won't catch it.
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Two things come to mind. One,
ReplyDeletemy Partner and I just watched Ric Burns's series on the Civil War. It ends with the question: Who won? The north won the war in a sense, the slaves won their freedom. But white supremacy was re-imposed because changing laws and changing hearts take place at different speeds. The laws for us LGBT folks will change; they are already changing. But changing hearts will take longer, and it will take much longer becaue those people responsible for helping hearts change -- churches and other religious insitutitons -- are pushing in the other direction.
Two, I think they are afraid of catching it. Since their theory is based on homosexuality being chosen, that means all of their children are at risk of being lured away. This way of thinking is indeed rooted in ignorance and illogic, but it does explain the ferocity of some opponents of the agenda: give them equal rights and everyone will want to be gay. I wonder if this also means they think that the lifestyle they constantly denounce as destructive is, in fact, somehow more fun than their own. No wonder they resent us.
I am grateful for the clearheadedness of your blog.
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ReplyDeleteI will not leave any antagonistic comments on this blog by anyone who hides behind the cloak of anonymity. Everybody knows who I am, and if you want to debate here, you'll need the courage to identify yourself.
ReplyDeleteDamien, do you really equate sexuality with race? If so, why?
ReplyDeleteThis comment by "Momma Twoop" was deleted in error
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jim. I appreciate that, but I think I posted it under a different thread.
It is my understanding that homosexuals have the same rights as every other non-married American. Do you believe society should be forced, against the will of the majority, to accept the reformation of long-standing institutions by a group of people based on their sexuality? Please understand, I'm not asking that to be mean or confrontational. I'm asking it because I'm merely curious.
ReplyDeleteBack in the mid 1800's, a majority of the southern US viewed slavery as a "long-standing institution, but society eventually rejected that. I'm not comparing the same-sex marriage issue to slavery, but society changes over time, often in the direction of being more accepting of those different than the majority. I think if you see how public opinion polls are going, society is gradually moving toward a majority accepting same-sex marriage.
ReplyDeleteThe will of the majority in this country rules the political arena, but the spirit and will of Christ should rule His Church. Too often, I feel church leaders let their personal agendas get in the way of that.