Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Homosexuality as we know it

The latest scandal in the news about U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) raises up the social issues around homosexuality once again. We as a society have struggled with ethical and moral questions of public policy regarding homosexuals. Maybe a directed review of what we know and don't know might help shed some light on things.

First I will risk being labeled a homophobe by making an absolutely correct statement. Homosexuality in a biological sense is dysfunctional. Humans have multiple systems to successfully exist as a species, including digestive, respiratory, skeletal, muscular and of course reproductive. We do not understand everything there is to know about sexual desire, but I can say one thing for certain. Without heterosexual attraction, most mammalian species, including and especially us, would face extinction. In other words if everyone is strictly gay, then there would be no children. So having heterosexuality is a necessary thing for perpetuation of our species and our society.

How and in what specific ways are we programmed with sexual attraction? I have never seen a complete explanation. I just knew one day in my early years that those of the opposite sex were more interesting to me than those of my own. What causes homosexual attraction? I cannot say personally, but I imagine it is the same mechanisms where something is just working differently. I do believe one is born with a certain predisposed sexuality, but that life experiences and development have an impact on our sexual identity after puberty.

What does this tell us? Homosexuals are most likely born, not made. Have you ever heard the rhetorical question "Why would anyone choose it?" This supports the born not made theory.

Still not convinced that homosexuality is dysfunctional? Suppose there was a shot you give to every pregnant woman that is perfectly safe and would guarantee a heterosexual child. How many heterosexual couples would pass on that? Few if any would pass. The human race would live on but those born homosexual would eventually die off. Would this be bad? There are some ethical concerns here, but it certainly shows the point.

Does this make it okay to discriminate against gay people for jobs? Of course not (unless there is a BFOQ). Does this change the fact that we should trust our military leaders to tell us how they would handle recruitment?

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