Friday, May 30, 2014

Homosexuality's Cause Is A Silly Argument & Doesn't Matter


The chart above was made from information contained in surveys the Gallup Poll has been taking since 1978 -- and it shows the public's opinion about the cause of homosexuality. The latest of these survey's was done between May 8th and 11th of a random national sample of 1,028 adults, and has a 4 point margin of error.

The argument is about whether homosexuality is a trait a person is born with, or whether it is a trait developed because of upbringing & environment -- or is simply a choice made by the gay/lesbian individual. The "choice" argument has pretty much been discredited, since it simply makes no sense that anyone would choose to make their life much harder. Only the most extreme bigots are stupid enough to believe homosexuality is just a choice these days.

That leaves the argument that the LGBT community are either born with their gender preferences, or they learn them in their formative years growing up. Back in 1978, the "upbringing & environment" argument was held by a majority of Americans (56%), while only a tiny minority (13%) believed the "born that way" argument. That opinion has changed radically in the last couple of decades -- now the "born that way" argument is held by a plurality of Americans (42%), while only about 37% still cling to the "upbringing and environment" argument (a drop of about 19 points).

I have long believed in the "born that way" view. That was because I thought that minds could be changed if people understood that. However, I now believe that the argument is a distraction from what we should be considering most important -- the implementation of the equal rights guarantee of the United States Constitution.

The truth is that the cause of why someone has a different gender preference is really none of my business, and it isn't any of your business either. It is just a fact that some people prefer to date & mate with a person of the opposite sex, while others prefer a person of the same sex. Neither preference is an adequate, or even partially justifiable, reason to deny any person their equal rights under the laws and Constitution (which those laws must be based on) of this nation.

Bigotry is not now, and never has been, based on reason and fact. Bigotry exists because there are weak and stupid people who must feel they are superior to some other group of people. This has been the basis for racism and misogyny, and still is to some extent, but these bigoted beliefs are becoming socially unacceptable in our society. Hatred of homosexuals though, is still somewhat accepted in this society -- especially when it comes wrapped in the cloak of religion.

If science conclusively proved that homosexuals were born with their gender preference, it would make no difference to the bigots in this country. They didn't base their bigoted beliefs on facts, and facts will not change their minds. They just have a need to feel superior to others. That's why I feel this whole argument is rather silly, and doesn't matter. It won't change the bigots.

And it also won't change the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees all Americans the right to equal protection under the law, including those in the LGBT community -- regardless of whether they were born that way, or became that way through upbringing & environment. The argument is irrelevant.

I do not care about the sexual preference of my family, friends, neighbors, or fellow citizens -- or why they have that sexual preference. I do however care about the United States Constitution, and I firmly believe that the rights guaranteed by that document should apply equally to ALL citizens -- and so should you.

No comments:

Post a Comment

ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. And neither will racist,homophobic, or misogynistic comments. I do not mind if you disagree, but make your case in a decent manner.