Gay Rights and the Right to be Gay
For as long as I can remember I’ve been told that homosexuality is a wretched and horrible sin and/or affliction, not to mention a choice. Churches I grew up in, fundamentalist or conservative people I have met, mainstream media, and article’s I have read (even scientific ones) have turned homosexuality into a disease. The solutions to “gay” for those who treat it like a problem are therapy, reprogramming, exorcism, the threat of disownment or even jail time. Expecting a gay person to suddenly live a “straight life” does not make him straight anymore than a straight person pretending to be gay. Also, expecting a gay person to just turn off their inner voice is like expecting the biggest opponents of homosexuality, evangelical and religiously fundamentalist groups, to reject God and embrace atheism because the majority (in this case atheists) don’t like their way of life. Unfortunately, the simple argument that being gay is a right, private and doesn’t not victimize anyone – regardless of choice or not, holds no ground against the anti-gay fundamentalist or Evangelicals who think that their beliefs override human rights. The clear mixture of church and state and the government enforced witch hunt has to end.
Religions throughout history have gone through hard times, full of oppression and stigma. Martin Luther, Hitler, the Spanish inquisition, Jesus, Israel’s current state and most any country where a majority religion dominates over others. The fight doesn’t end for those trying to be true to their faith, beliefs and god(s) and it may never. Unfortunately this does not improve the ability of some religious groups to turn a sympathetic ear towards Human Rights leaders. I call them Fundamentalist and Evangelical groups most often, describing in general those with a conservative fundamentalist viewpoint against homosexuality supported by some churches; as well as the churches who run some of the most anti-gay groups and websites in the country. There are a number of religious liberals who accept homosexuality as normal and although some mainline denominations tend to regard homosexuality as a sin, many still advocate for equal rights for gays and lesbians (Robinson,1). There are also support groups for gay Christians on local levels as well as the internet like Steps to Recovery From bible Abuse (www.otkenyer.hu
