By Alan Caruba
In medieval times, it was all the rage to turn ordinary mineral elements into gold. It was called alchemy and was alternately praised and condemned depending on who was in power. Suffice to say, the efforts failed, but since the Greenwich Village gay bar rebellion called the Stonewall riots occurred in June 1969, the movement to secure “gay rights” for homosexuals—gays, lesbians, as well as bisexuals and transgendered folks--has gained momentum as they seek to normalize homosexuality.
From ancient times various religions have grappled with the fact that some people are sexually attracted to their own gender. All condemned it. Homosexuality runs counter to procreation, the family unit, and the stability of society. The response was to keep it “in the closet”, to exercise benign neglect, or to punish it.
In America, the idea of “gay rights” is patently absurd given the fact that gays (I will use the term to reference all sexual preferences outside the norm) are and always have been protected by the U.S. Constitution in the same fashion as every other citizen. There have been exceptions such as the addition of amendments to include Black Americans, former slaves with no rights, after the Civil War.
The demands of the GLBT “community” have grown over the more than forty years since the Stonewall gays resisted the harassment of the New York cops. It culminated in the demand that gay “marriage” be given legal sanction. The clamor for gay marriage resulted in the Defense of Marriage act, passed in both houses of Congress by large majorities in 1996 and signed into law by President Clinton. It denies recognition of same-sex marriage for all federal purposes.
Presently, 43 states define marriage as the union of one man and one woman with 31 states adding amendments to their constitutions banning it. Eight states recognize gay marriage and six recognize some form of same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships. Massachusetts was the first to legalize it in 2004.
What has happened in Massachusetts is instructive. An organization, MassResistance, led by Brian Camenker, has opposed the demands of gay groups and in a report, “What same-sex ‘marriage’ has done to Massachusetts”, exposed what has occurred since 2003 when the state’s Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional not to allow same-sex marriage.
To the degree that the owners of Chick-Fil-A’s belief in the sanctity of traditional, biblical marriage sparked a nationwide rebuke of gay demands, the issue is once again front and center. Tens of thousands turned out on Chick-Fil-A “Appreciation day”, August 1, to support the restaurant chain. A gay “Kiss-In” that followed fizzled.
Here are some highlights of Camenker’s report and I recommend you read it. Gays in Massachusetts have focused efforts on its schools to legitimize gay marriage and homosexuality. By 2005 homosexuality was part of the curriculum in many Massachusetts schools. Students, as young as second grade, who should be learning the three R’s were instructed to read a book “King and King”, about two men who fall in love and marry each other, ending with a picture of them kissing.
By 2007, a federal judge ruled that because “gay marriage” is legal in Massachusetts, parents had no right regarding the teaching of homosexuality in its schools. Hundreds of middle and high schools hold “Gay Days”.
Camenke report notes that “A hideously obscene booklet on ‘gay’ practices created by health officials was given out in a high school” on April 30, 2005 and “Among other things, it gives ‘tips’ to boys on how to perform oral sex on other males, masturbate other males, and how to ‘safely’ have someone urinate on you for sexual pleasure. It even includes a directory of bars in Boston where young men meet for anonymous sex.”
The legalization of same-sex marriage has rippled out into all areas of Massachusetts society and people can now be fired for expressing religious objections to same-sex marriage. All insurance and state-issued documents must now recognize same-sex “married” couples, and all manner of other changes to accommodate the gay community have occurred.
This is, of course, exactly what opponents of same-sex marriage feared and it has emboldened gays around the nation despite the fact that most Americans find it offensive, either because of their religious beliefs or because it runs counter to centuries of public opinion regarding homosexuality.
Few want to see gays harassed or harmed for a condition over which they have no choice, but neither should society be subjected to the aggressive advocacy of homosexuality in the public square nor should their preference be extended the coercive and corrupting power of law.
© Alan Caruba, 2012
16 comments:
Regarding LGBT people, Alan Caruba is ignorant of natural history, human history, anthropology, biology, and the latest science.
Caruba assumed — incorrectly — that there is a movement to secure “gay rights” for LGBT people. There is no such thing. The movement is to clarify and confirm that LGBT people have equal civil rights with all other citizens. No one seeks the special rights or the “gay rights” that Caruba imagined.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that LGBT people “seek to normalize homosexuality.” They do not. Homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism, transexuality, and asexuality are already normal sexual orientations. All have recurred with startling regularity throughout human history, and throughout nature in every species studied. Statistically and scientifically, they are already normal.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that all religions condemned various sexual orientations. That’s untrue. Some religions never condemned sexual orientations. More importantly, every major religion now has some clergy who bless same-gender couples, and/or perform same-gender weddings.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that different sexual orientations “run counter to procreation.” That’s untrue. The 2010 U.S. Census counted 1,292,928 adult residents in LGBT families, many with children by prior marriage and/or surrogacy. People of any sexual orientation who wish to procreate are able to do so.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that different sexual orientations “run counter to the family unit.” That’s untrue. Today’s 646,464 LGBT families are proof of that, and most extended families have one or more LGBT members. Finally, every credible scientific study to date has found that children in LGBT families fare as well or better than children in other family structures.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that different sexual orientations “run counter to the stability of society.” That’s untrue. There’s no credible scientific evidence that the existence of the five sexual orientations ever destabilized any society, or that any same-gender marriage ever made an opposite-gender marriage become unholy.
continued . . .
Pushing the gay agenda is one way liberals can break another societal pillar. What better way to destroy the family unit than by normalising homosexuality? My problem is the 'slippery slope' predicament. Once gay marriage is recognised, then what is next to be normalised? Already polygamists are trying to push their agenda and it won't be long before pedophiles also want their rights. What will stop the LGBT group from supporting their fellow oppressed? Nothing. It's a Pandora's Box best not opened. Already our morals and ethics are disappearing and we are left with unruly youth with nothing to guide them as to what is right, wrong and moral behavior. Another 20 years of liberals pushing their agenda and we'll sit with anarchy.
Ned, you just made my case.
He also wrote — also incorrectly — that equal civil rights for LGBT people is "patently absurd" based on his assumption that the U.S. Constitution already protects all citizens equally. He's wrong. Despite what the Constitution says, since 1996, all LGBT citizens have been denied 1,138 federal rights that are always granted to all other citizens. Just as former slaves had no rights, LGBT citizens today have no spousal rights for education, health care, housing, employment, insurance, court testimony, disability, taxation, immigration, inheritance, burial, and other areas. Other than slaves, no demographic group in American history has ever been this disenfranchised. Even in the 9 states where same-gender marriage is fully legal, LGBT people have less than full citizenship because of the federal Defense-of-Marriage Act.
He also wrote — also incorrectly — that only "eight" states recognize same-gender marriage. That's untrue. Nine states have already enabled fully legal same-gender marriage (CT, DC, IA, MA, MD, NH, NY, VT, WA).
He also wrote — also incorrectly — that only "six" states recognize some form of civil union or domestic partnership. That's untrue. Twelve states (CA, CO, DE, HI, IL, ME, NJ, NV, NM, OR, RI, WI) have already done so.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that "homosexuality is part of the curriculum" in Massachusetts schools. That's untrue. It is not.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that employees "can now be fired for expressing religious objections to same-gender marriage." That's untrue. They cannot.
He also assumed — also incorrectly — that "most Americans" find different sexual orientations "offensive." That's untrue. Multiple recent polls show most Americans are accepting of all five sexual orientations, and most Americans are supportive of equal civil rights for all LGBT citizens.
Finally, Caruba is ignorant of the 23 same-gender marriage cases filed in state and federal courts since 2009, four of which have already petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, and all of which are winning at both the district and the appeal levels.
Ned Flaherty
Boston, MA
Projects Manager
Marriage Equality USA
In reply to the anonymous Lime Lite:
Guaranteeing equality for all does not break society; it strengthens it. LGBT people have existed throughout history, without causing any decline in heterosexual families; in fact, legalizing same-gender marriage in Massachusetts led to the lowest state divorce rate in the nation, thereby strengthening the institution of marriage, and increasing the number of married couples.
The ideas of a slippery slope and Pandora’s Box are only false myths; there is no such thing, as proven by the fact that none of the 21 American states or other nations that recognized same-gender couples later considered legalizing polygamy or pedophilia. The link that you imagine does not exist.
Artificial fears about “unruly youth” and declining “morals/ethics” and “anarchy” are common hallmarks used by bigots; similar claims were made when interracial marriage was legalized a half century ago, but were proven completely unfounded.
Ned,
Your polls are nothing more than wishful thinking and are far from facts!!! Re: disenfranchised...no where in human history has any group of people with aberrant sexual behavior attempted to fool the people into believing they should have special rights and that they were born with some special genes. But no, now they are like everyone else you say.("Homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism, transexuality, and asexuality are already normal sexual orientations") Homosexuality is nothing more than a sexual perversion such as pedophilia or beastiality. You may be fooling yourself, but you will never fool the entire human race. More importantly, your argument is not with the human race, it is with God, and this is all that really matters, since He is never fooled! God is a just God, and perfect. He would not condemn a group of people for being what He made them to be. (Remember Sodom and Gomorrah) Just as He would not condemn a women for being a woman, a black person for being black,these aren't considered a sin. Sexual perversion/preference is not a race or gender, don't kid yourself!
In reply to the anonymous Sandra:
Your bible isn’t everyone else’s bible. Your deity isn’t everyone else’s deity. Your religious sect isn’t everyone else’s sect.
You have the right to follow any religious superstition you wish, but the U.S. Constitution doesn’t permit you -- or anyone -- to enact civil laws that subject other people to your religious sect beliefs or junk-science assumptions.
That’s why all 23 same-gender marriage cases in the state and federal courts continue to win, and the defendants arguing in favor of bigotry continue to lose.
Ned,
Your fairytale beliefs that a man can have sex with a man and procreate are just that-a fairytale.(You know it must be the opposite sex) Your delusional belief that allows you to think you were created to have sex with a man are just that-a delusion. I don't care if you choose to believe you were created by an atomic blast in outer space-some real far fetched up faith that would require!(good example of junk science)You are making a mockery out of marriage and you know it. How can you say it would be any different for me to demand a priest or preacher, pronounce me and my dog legally married if that were my sexual preference? Why don't we just legalize polygamy again? Why not intermarry within families? Where do you draw the line? or do you? If you find marriage to be such a joke, why do you even care to get married in the first place? The answer is simple, it bothers you that you can't make the world accept your lies. Even if you could be successful in this,(and you can't) you wouldn't be satisfied, because you know it is wrong. God created you with a conscience, regardless what you believe.
@Ned - you can try and normalise the LGBT behavior as much as you want and at the end of the day we can all see that it's a small percentage of people who want that lifestyle. Other NORMAL people are quite happy to do as nature intended. You are a prime example of why we no longer listen to your ilk. You can be as glib as you want but as Sandra says, why not legalise polygamy, bestiality and pedophilia is they're equally 'normal'. Oh I see, you want to be selective! Now you're just starting to sound like us crazy normal people. You sure know how to cherry pick your causes.
ATTENTION NED: Apparently you are too dense to realize you are not welcome here, so let me make it official. Your comments will not be posted. At some point you may realize how wrong you are, but none of us have the time to wait for that to occur while you repeat inanities.
YAH Mr Caruba, I was getting tired of neds the gay guy ranting, all old rehash arguments on their part, I ain't gonna like "them" or condone their abhorrent behavior.Just a educated redneck who clings to his Bible and multi-round weapon...
Alan Caruba,
Thanks for your great posts! Really appreciate the moderation too.
Lime Lite,
Totally agree, morals and ethics are disappearing, so it is certainly refreshing to see such a great turnout of support for the brave Chic-Fil-A owners!
"Homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism, transexuality, and asexuality are already normal sexual orientations. All have recurred with startling regularity throughout human history, and throughout nature in every species studied. Statistically and scientifically, they are already normal...."
That's a well-worn argument that just doesn't hold water. Just because something occurs regularly doesn't make it "normal" Ned. A certain percentage of people rape and steal regularly too, but I certainly wouldn't encourage society to become tolerant of that. It's just not "normal" behavior by any definition.
Alan is perfectly correct in "assuming" that the LGBT community seeks to "normalize" their behavior, because we see evidence of that every day in their actions. They peddle their lifestyle to our children in our schools, they aggressively seek to redefine marriage, and they boldly flaunt their way of life at every opportunity,hoping to desensitize us to it. The LGBT community is desperately seeking society's acceptance, but it will never come, because by-and-large people are too intelligent to accept fantasy as reality.
At best, homosexual behavior will be tolerated, but it will never be considered "normal" by anyone with an ounce of sense.
I don't persecute or discriminate against people based on their sexual preferences (with the exception of those who attempt to indoctrinate our youth in the ways of homosexuality) but I'll be damned if I'm going to ignore nature and biology and swallow a lie in order to make a few deviant people feel better about themselves.
"Gays in Massachusetts have focused efforts on its schools"
That's the really worrying part. It confirms all the suspicions that opponents of the gay lobby have always had. Targeting schools for gay propaganda is creepy.
Can anyone tell me where I can get acopy of the pamphlet referrenced?
@Rev James: You can download it or purchase it at www.MassResistance.crg
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