Gay Rights And You

I am not a gay man. I just want to get that out of the way. Maybe I don't know EVERYTHING there is to know about the gay community. But I have taken a lot of time to learn what I can. What have I learned? Gay people... they're pretty much just like you and me. Regular people who just want to live their lives. But there are people out there who feel the exact opposite. Opinions vary, some of which are rather extreme. Allow me to point out where you just might be... wait for it... wrong.

I'm not here to poke holes in any of your religions. I'm here to remind you of what country we inhabit: the United States of America. As much as people run around, screaming about how great we supposedly are, this country doesn't exactly live up to such preaching. One of the areas of such flaw is same-sex marriage. I'm just going to analyze the primary arguments against it, and see if I can find some kind of flaw in them...

1: "Marriage is between a man and woman!"
- Hmm, here's a toughie. Who are the gays to ruin what's supposed to be between man and woman? Oh wait, that's right: RIGHTS. Being gay is not a choice. Gay people can't help who they love. Why should they be denied a basic human right because you don't agree with them? And don't give me the "oh but if they marry, we might as well allow pedophiles roam free and do as they please!" Pedophilia and homosexuality are entirely different from each other. Consensual sex between two men, and non-consensual sex with a minor are entirely different. If you can't tell the difference, you really shouldn't have any say in this matter.

Still not convinced? Ponder this: more states allow marriage between first cousins than same-sex marriage. Google it if you don't believe me.


2: "Marriage is for procreation!"
- According to that argument, infertile people, old people, and people who don't want to have kids shouldn't be allowed to marry either. Gay marriage will not reduce the number of children born. Not while we're facing an overpopulation problem (6 billion and counting). Don't say there will be nobody to continue the overpopulated human race if we allow gay marriage.

Just because you CAN have kids, does not mean you MUST. Having kids is completely optional in life. No matter what, there'll always be people who want to have kids, and will do it, married or not. Having a few gay/bi people in the world won't slow production. Besides, does the world really NEED more kids? I sure wouldn't want to raise a kid in today's world. Too many things horribly wrong with it.


3: "Gay couples aren't the right people for raising kids!"
- What about the straight parents who abuse their kids? America allows murderers, child molesters, rapists, etc. to marry and procreate every single day. How are those people more fit than gays?
For people who argue that you need a mother and father, what about the 51% of marriages that end in divorce? What about the runaway dads? And those families where one of the parents dies for whatever circumstance while the child is still young? If the living spouse doesn’t remarry nearly instantly, that child should be ripped from the home and thrown into foster care according to your argument.

The love a family gives their kids, decides their happiness. Not their gender/sexual orientation. Gay people are more than capable of raising children and maintaining a happy family. Love is love. And no loving family deserves to have that taken away from them just because homophobic bigots don't like it.


4: "Gay relationships are sin!"
- Ah, a Bible argument! I read that verse in Leviticus. You know, the one that says mankind may not lie with mankind, as with womankind, since it's kind of an abomination, or whatever it says. The bible has been re-translated and re-phrased so much, it's near impossible to know what it REALLY said.
Even if it were not, Leviticus appears to frown upon homosexuality. But what else is Leviticus against? Working on the Sabbath? You'd get stoned for that. Shaving? Haircuts? Clothing made from two materials? Eating shellfish? If you go by one thing Leviticus says, you must go by EVERYTHING it says. That includes marrying a virgin. If she's not, she's stoned to death. And stoning disobedient children. I don't know if Leviticus said that or not, but it's pretty closeby in the Bible. Respect one Bible rule, you must respect them all.

It seems like no matter how many times it's stated, nobody listens: the United States is a country of religious freedom. Not everyone reads the Bible. Not everyone is Christian. Believe it or not, some people read the Torah. Some read the Qu'ran. Some read nothing.
Get over it, it's their right as American humans. We are not a Christian country. Christianity may be the majority, but we are not a Christian nation. This country was not in any way founded upon any religion, as George Washington once stated. Google it.
And while you're at it, feel free to Google "separation of church and state." You know, the policy that says religion is to be kept separate from American law? The policy those fine folks in Alabama seemed to have forgotten about because they were too busy crying bloody murder over the removal of some Ten Commandments statue outside some courthouse? The Constitution forbids religious influence in American law. And for good reason, too.


5: "Marriage has always been heterosexual, it's never changed!"
- Do you know what else hasn't changed? Interracial marriage is... oh wait, that's legal. Well what about... no, slavery's been illegal for a long time. It used to be normal though. It was how white people got their cotton. But we realized it was wrong, and moved on.
Pick your own cotton.


6: "Gays are sick perverts!"
- If you ask me, straight people are more obsessed with sex than them. Most of my friends are straight, and they're the horniest, most perverted people I know. How are gays any worse?
And what about the religious nutcases? It's like they're more obsessed with what's going on in people's bedrooms than the couples themselves.


7: "How will I explain it to my kids? I don't want to expose them to this filth!"
- Your kids are going to learn about the dangers of the world eventually. Racism, war, poverty, bigotry, how are these things any different from homophobia? Why should we deny basic human rights to gays because you don't want to talk to your son or daughter? And what if your son or daughter turns out to be gay/lesbian/bisexual? What will you do, kick them out of the house?


It's their sexuality, not yours. It's nobody's business but their own. Nobody should go out of their way to condemn the way two people love each other. We should be promoting that kind of faithfulness and devotion to one's significant other, regardless of sexuality, instead of spitting on it.

And besides, why do you care? Why are you so against it? Homosexuality doesn't affect you. If a man marries another man, how does that affect you? It's just another married couple. They're not impeding on your rights. They're not threatening your life.
The right to marry anyone, man or woman, should have been given from day one. Marriage is a basic human right, not a Christian privilege. I'm not religious, but I don't understand why some people think God would not want His people to choose who they want to spend the rest of their lives with, be they of the same sex or opposite. Why would any all-loving God not allow that? Thanks to some ancient quote from the Old Testament that's probably been re-worded several times?

Please do not interpret this as me saying that all Christians are mean. I know there are good Christians who are accepting and very good-hearted people. It's just those who are not, those are the people that make me mad. The people who waste judges' time, deciding on rights of a group of people that should just be given instead of more important things, the people who hate for the wrong reasons.

What I'm saying is, all they want is to get married, and the full benefits of marriage that you straight people have. It's not about "special rights." It's about EQUAL rights. Just shut up and leave them alone.

After all, they didn't vote on your marriage.