Regarding the Right's War Against Homosexuality

And with a simple veto, New Jersey finds itself held back from advancing civil rights in their state to some of its citizens. This isn't anything new, unfortunately, as many states seem to be under the impression that not everyone is deserving of equal rights. And yes, it is a matter of equal rights being granted to same-sex couples, NOT special rights, no matter how much the Right may whine about it. If anything, given how many rights same-sex couples DON'T get, a better case could be made that heterosexuals are currently on the receiving end of special rights. And yes, marriage is a right.

Many on the Christian Right rant on and on about how prevalent issues and stories related to homosexuality have become. What many fail to realize is homosexuality has been thrown into the spotlight by the very people who oppose it. If it weren't for hate groups vocally and financially opposing the advancement of civil rights, the suicides related to gay youth being bullied, gays being beaten and bashed, discrimination against gays, the Christian Right proposing laws to make it okay to bully gay kids for Jesus, the Right's desire to criminalize homosexuality, and so on, then there really wouldn't be much left to cover regarding homosexuality.

(News clip discussing a 2010 convention featuring the Christian Right
showing their Dominionist beliefs, with their anti-gay views taking the spotlight)

The sad truth is, the Christian Right are mobilizing whatever forces they can through blatantly false propaganda to oppose the advancement of civil rights in the US. Being armed with knowledge about the issues and subject matter is important if we are to defend against the encroaching fascism being advanced through Dominionist politicians and lobbyists.

So what is the main (and really, only) source of opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage? If you said, "religion," you'd be correct. As I'm in the United States of America, I'll be speaking on matters related to it, as such, in the US it is the many denominations of Christianity that are leading the charge against granting homosexuals the same civil rights as heterosexuals. Their primary argument? The Bible, of course. By citing various "clobber passages," they say this is proof that gays are abominations to God and unnatural. They tend to ignore that the passages they cite are less than 100% agreed upon in their interpretation, as you'll see if you check out the article linked in the previous sentence.

Regardless of the uncertainty of the Biblical passages used to oppose homosexuality, it doesn't stop the Christian Right, not in the least. Using said passages, they love to argue that homosexuality isn't natural. The fact is, some 1500 or so animal species have been documented as practicing homosexuality. Of course, the anti-gay Christians will usually do one of two things in response to that information; ignore it or move the goalposts. If their response is the latter, it usually comes with a variation of, "But animals do all sorts of things people don't do," sometimes they'll give examples to drive their newly fabricated point home. If you find yourself in this situation, stick to your guns and make it clear that you know what they are doing, and their original argument is wrong.

Many of the same Christians who fight tooth-and-nail to oppose homosexuality also oppose evolution, and they seem to think this topic gives them an opportunity to mix the two together. Some will try to argue that homosexuality can't be natural because it can't be explained through natural selection. The simple fact is, it can. Sure, we might not know the exact details or reasons behind the process, but that doesn't mean it can't be explained.

(Richard Dawkins offers up possible explanations regarding

the survival of homosexuality via natural selection)

So that's a few arguments taken care of, what is another? A common one is, "Homosexuality is a choice!" Opponents of homosexuality love to say that there is no gay gene, so people can't be born gay. Well, it is true that we have yet to find a gene responsible for homosexuality, though we haven't found one for heterosexuality either, and I'm pretty sure straight people exist. A common response to the above question from homosexuals and those who support gay rights is, "Well, when did you choose to be straight?" In my experience, the anti-gay individual ignores the response and moves on to one of their other ignorant arguments.

The "Ex-Gay" programs are another thing the Christian Right likes to point to, claiming it proves homosexuality is a choice. These programs have been shown to not only be harmful, but to also be ineffective, creating not ex-gays but rather repressed gays. Even the president of a prominent "ex-gay" program admits the program is ineffective.

If you should find yourself in a debate with some intolerant sad sack who is using the ex-gay program as evidence, make sure the two of you are arguing the same thing. It has been my experience that many in the anti-gay crowd thinks that homosexual acts are the same thing as homosexuality itself. Gay or straight, anyone can have gay or straight sex and not be attracted to their partner. "Gay-for-pay" expresses this point perfectly.

Beyond the above points, there is still plenty of evidence that homosexuality is not a choice. There are numerous physical traits that are more common amongst gay men than amongst straight men, evidence of gay male brains being more like straight female brains than straight male brains, evidence of prenatal hormonal influence and genetic links, and so on. So while we might not have figured out the exact cause of homosexuality, there is ample supporting evidence in the corner of "born this way."

(Clip from a BBC special showcasing the gay male brain being more

akin to the straight female brain than to the straight male brain)

Of course, we can't forget same sex-marriage! Why are people opposed to it? Because marriage has only ever been between one man and one woman, as God dictated, of course! Never mind that many different types of marriage existed in the Bible, that marriage has changed with both time and between cultures, and that there is evidence which suggests European Christianity once supported gay marriage. Yes, ignoring all that, we are still left with the hilariously unsupportable argument that same-sex marriage harms "traditional" marriages. The simple fact that these same "pro-marriage" people aren't actively pursuing an end to divorce with the same level of zealotry they oppose same-sex marriage with shows the hypocrisy of this argument. A single couple divorcing does more damage to marriage than two men or two women marrying ever could.

It may seem like a useless endeavor, arguing with an anti-gay individual, but always remember; even though the average anti-gay bigot won't hear anything you say, or see any evidence you share, others on the fence may be paying attention and your arguments could be the nudge they need to stand on the side of both truth and progress.