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If you had asked me twenty years ago if I would ever write an article or have any significant discussion
with anyone about gay rights I would have said that you were crazy. What is amazing to me is how the relatively
small minority of homosexual men and women in our country has elevated itself in the national conscious. Clearly
more people have been willing to come out and publicly announce their sexual preferences to their families, friends and
the world in recent years. As this group has become more and more public with their orientation and professed love for
others of the same sex, there have been increasing demands for "Gay Rights". Gays want "Equal Treatment"
in the same way that ethnic and other minorities have fought for equality under the law. In some ways I find this
request quite reasonable and in other ways quite ridiculous.
Gays are no different than any other
minority group in many respects. When Gays conduct their lives in accordance with all other cultural norms, other than
their private sexual activity, than there should never be an issue about equality. For example, a
person that has the skills to perform a job should not be prevented from holding that job just because the person is gay.
Except that if the person's gay lifestyle results in any form of sexual harrassment or exhibitionism in the
workplace then the gay person must be penalized in the same manner as a heterosexual person would be penalized for an
equivalent act. Just because a person is gay does not give them a free ride in terms in terms of sexual harassment laws
or standards of conduct.
The sexual conduct of any consenting adults behind closed doors is the business of
those individuals and should not be of interest to any public authorities. However, inappropriate conduct in public
places, subject to local government standards, by anyone, including Gays, should be prosecuted consistent with local laws.
We should recognize that local standards may differ. What is appropriate conduct in San Francisco may not be appropriate
in Chattanooga.
One of the big issues of the day is Gay marriage. Many members of the Gay community are demanding
the right to marry in the same manner as heterosexual couples. I find this demand ridiculous. Marriage is by definition
the bringing together of a man and a women for the purpose of creating a family unit and procreation. In the US
the rights of marriage derive from the Judeo-Christian beliefs of our founding fathers. I believe that those Judeo-Christian
beliefs form the bedrock of our society and must be observed.
The alternative approach to marriage is some form
of civil union beween gay couples. Civil unions could be very important in certain circumstances. One of the
benefits of the civil union approach is that it can be applied for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. I
look at this option as a local government decision based on the standards of each individual community. Some people
believe this approach to civil unions is unfair since it might limit mobility of some couples. I look
at this option as a privilege that is being extended to all couples based on the standards of each community.
Another major issue impacting gay couples is the potential opportunity for adopting children or serving as
foster parents. The need for responsible adults to adopt children or serve as foster parents is great. In recent
years single parents have been approved for adoption. I am personally aware of situations where single persons became
wonderful single parents. It is hard to argue against giving a child a chance at some form of a normal family life if
both members of the gay couple are responsible individuals. As long as the authorities in charge of placing these children
in good homes take appropriate care in checking out gay couples then the benefit of permitting gay couples to adopt or care
for foster children outweighs any negatives.
More recently lesbian couples have begun raising children from
birth as one member of the couple undergos invitrofertilization from a sperm donor and carries a baby from "conception"
to delivery and the baby has genes from one of the partners. I hope that as more and more children are brought
into the world in this manner that these couples will raise these children in a responsible manner. Who knows what
additional miracles medical technology will bring to the world in the future. We may have to adapt to further changes.
As I said at the beginning I would never have believed 20 years ago that I would write something like this but the
world changes and we all have to evolve and change as well.
Copyright 2006 by TPM
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