7.13.2014
I am in favor of gay marriage, more or less by default. Since I am a straight male, this is an issue that does not have much effect on my life. And since my life is way too complicated and busy to have time to worry about what other people are doing in private or what relationships they are having, I really don’t care if gays get married or not. While I understand the reasons of those who wish to keep marriage between a man and a woman, it seems that if two people are not hurting anyone else and not doing any harm to society in general that they should be allowed to do what they want.
It should be obvious that the battle for gay rights is over, and the LGBT community is quickly winning acceptance in society. As the attitudes of this country have evolved over the last few decades, gay marriage as become more and more acceptable to the average American. This is not surprising as choices about who you fall in love with should be a fundamental right for all Americans. Old prejudices die hard, but they do eventually die.
I will openly admit that as a straight male I do not understand the sexual attraction to the same sex, but i realize I don’t need to understand it. While it is not the lifestyle I choose, I realize that not everyone would choose my lifestyle. Obviously the important thing is that we all must coexist, and we should treat each other with respect, dignity and kindness. When we do that we find that natural and cultural human differences really don’t matter.
As a nondenominational Christian I understand the objection many Christians have to gay marriage and the acceptance of the LGBT lifestyle within society. There are several verses in the Bible that condemn homosexuality. But again, there are hundreds that speak of tolerance, understanding and kindness. We are a society that separates church and state and gives every individual the right to his freedom of choice. Most Christians I know are tolerant of the gay lifestyle, but often feel it is necessary to forgive gays or pray for them in accordance with their beliefs. I respect their beliefs and their willingness to accept that not everyone sees the world as they do, and to want forgiveness for people that they believe are living a “sinful” lifestyle. I really don’t think the LGBT community needs to be forgiven, but if that is your belief then it doesn’t matter if I agree or not. It would be fair for all of us to remember that the act of forgiveness is the highest form of kindness and tolerance.
Most heterosexuals I know accept the gay lifestyle as part of our culture and realize that that is a personal choice that every person has a right to make. We must remember that Christianity is not the only religion that has issues with homosexuality, and that there are many places in this world that still condemn the LGBT lifestyle and in many countries on this planet homosexuality is illegal. There are countries where humans are beaten, jailed and even executed for being non-heterosexual. All Americans must remember that tolerance and respect are at the roots of any peaceful religion and any civilized society.