This is a painfully difficult subject to talk about, in part because the only word we have -- homophobia -- is a political construct created more to obfuscate than to enlighten. And in part because each side of the equation claims the high moral ground and each is blind to its own faults and fallacies. And in part because our society is so heavily sex-drenched.

"Don't homosexuals have a RIGHT to get their rocks off?" I dunno. Where would such a right come from? The whole idea of "right" is a very squishy one. As I see it, it is just the idea of "responsibility" turned on its head. To say that I have a "right" to live wherever I want is the same as saying that landlords have a responsibility to allow me to move in (providing I pay the proper fees and so forth). If I have a "right" to free speech, that means that the police, etc., have a responsibility to allow me to speak my mind, and not arrest me, and further protect me from people who want to beat me up or even kill me because they disagree with me.

Thus nobody has a "right" to hate anybody. That would imply that the victims have a responsibility to accept hatred, or hateful behavior, which is absurd.

So do homosexuals have a "right" to practice whatever sexual acts they desire (I'm assuming we're talking about two consenting adults here and will ignore anybody who brings in paedophilia as being totally irrelevant)? In the sense that society (through its laws, police force, judges, etc.) has a responsibility to mind its own business, I'd say sure. Questions about what sexual acts are "good" or "bad" are none of the government's business. Thus I will (and have) support the "right" of homosexuals to be left alone by the government, to have equal housing rights, equal employment rights (in non-religious organizations), etc.

Do homosexuals have a "right" to do all these things, and claim to be Christians or Moselems or Jews or whatever? In the sense that they have freedom of speech, of course. But if a religion defines homosexual acts as unacceptable, that's the "right" of that religion, and it's the responsibility of the government not to tell various religions what they can and cannot do. Thus, in my religion, homosexual persons are expected to be celibate. Whether they are or not is none of my business, of course -- that's between them and God.

Also in my religion, persons are expected not to harm others, or judge others, or spread lies, hatred, or ill-will.

I realize not everybody agrees with what my religion teaches. That's their "right." As it is mine to belong to the religion I do. Will I be hated? Will I be vilified? That's up to the haters and vilifiers. I choose not to be that way.

I have had many friends, cow-orkers, etc. who are gay/lesbian, some of them were fine people, some were petty and mean -- golly, just like breeders.

The real "cure" for hatred and fear is proximity. Know me, see me, work with me -- and by garsh I'm pretty much like folks. Blacks, whites, gays, straights, whatever. As the restauranteur in "Muppets Take Manhattan" says, "Peoples is peoples."

mixed up and loving it,
Alex