Anti-gay

Overview

"Anti-gay" refers to any viewpoint, opinion, or person advocating against tolerance of homosexuality. Anti-gays are often referred to as "homophobic", given that much of their dislike for homosexuality seems to be based in unreasoning fear. A milder term is "heterosexism", which is the unthinking presumption that heterosexuality is preferable to any other forms of sexual expression.

Conclusions

While popular with (and heavily promoted by) religious fundamentalists (the Westboro Baptist Church being the textbook case) and far-right conservatives, anti-gayness has not proven to be rationally defensible; none of the anti-gay arguments examined by Issuepedia thus far have held up under examination.

Any argument against homosexuality (or indeed against any activity or lifestyle) must address in detail the question Is it harmful? (And how is it harmful, and what do you propose doing about this, and why do you think your proposal will be more helpful than harmful if implemented?) All the anti-gay arguments so far examined have largely been fear-based appeals to emotion, leaving the audience to fill in the answers with whatever horrors their imaginations can conjure up.

The anti-gay movement is part of the ongoing wars on the family (especially where it targets gay marriage) and individuality.

Causes

The vast majority of anti-gay sentiment seems to be driven by powermongers seeking a target which can be successfully demonized, causing people to fear them and look to the powermongers for guidance and safety. Gays are handy bait for this sort of operation, as they are a minority whose distinguishing feature strongly pushes many non-gay people's cultural squeamish-buttons. Squeamishness can be overcome, but it is also very easy to convert into fear and hate, and it is unfortunately easier to make money (and gain power) – at least in the short term – through fear and hate than through cooperation and understanding.

The myths, lies, and distortions surrounding homosexuality are a power structure meme: they exist solely to support powermongers who feed on anti-gay fears, and who in turn encourage those fears in order to build their power base.

Habitat

Anti-gay positions are most commonly argued from Biblical premises. The Bible condemns homosexuality in a number of places, and the arguer usually takes it as a given that this automatically means all right-thinking people should condemn it as well.

A few non-Biblical arguments argue from a social conservative standpoint of preserving social order, though these arguments generally lack substance.

The anti-gay viewpoint is most commonly expressed as political opposition to gay marriage, but it can also be violently physical. Many people (not all of them gay) are killed in personal assaults each year because of hatred and fear of homosexuality; many more are raped or injured.

Historical Context

Homosexuals were one of the groups targeted for extermination by Adolf Hitler's Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II.

Arguments

• Being gay is a choice: completely irrelevant but often used as a red herring to sidetrack the debate
• God condemns homosexuality: only if you choose to follow certain parts of the Bible over others.
• Homosexuality is unnatural: so is civilization. Are you saying we should avoid doing anything unnatural, like... wearing clothes, drilling for oil, flying in airplanes? Are you in support of anything that is natural, like breastfeeding?

Links

Reference

• Homosexuality article index at 100777.com, a religion-based site

Projects

• Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AfTAH) (web site): this must be some strange new meaning of the word "truth" I wasn't previously aware of... or perhaps it's just the neocon reality inversion again
  • president: Peter LaBarbera

Related

• 2014/05/01 [L..T] Why the Mormon Church Won't Say "Homosexuality" "In the LDS leadership, you will rarely hear someone say the words "gay" or "homosexual". Occasionally in older talks they will mention "homosexual" or "lesbian behavior". If you go to their site to research topics, this is what you will find when you search for "homosexual":" ("see Same-Sex Attraction")
• 2014/02/03 [L..T] The painful case of Pastor Scott Lively, homophobe to the world In fact, I argue, minorities are much better off in a system that protects hateful or discriminatory speech than in a system that protects them from it.
• 2013/09/30 [L..T] The Barilla Boycott, A Lesson In Respect "When Guido Barilla gave a radio interview last week, he stepped on a land mine of LGBT issues. While attempting to write about it from a mass market retail angle, this contributor did too."
• 2012/07/16 [L..T] Chick-fil-A's flippant response to years of LGBT controversy: 'Guilty as charged' Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy defends the company's anti-gay activities on Biblical grounds.
• 2008/02/28 [L..T] Announced project proof of 'gay agenda,' says DC activist “Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Washington, DC-based Concerned Women for America, says the project puts to rest the notion that there is no "gay agenda." He says the homosexual lobby is committed to infiltrating the executive branch with people who define their identity based on changeable, sexually deviant behavior.” As Box Turtle Bulletin points out, his singling out of the "gay agenda" for attention while neglecting any mention of the anti-gay agenda of groups such as Focus on the Family shows that they too have an agenda.
• 2000/08/18 [L..T] Wake up, parents! "Schools have already taken over the decision as to when and in what manner your child will be introduced to sex. Some schools are teaching various techniques of homosexual acts and some have gay activists visiting the schools, passing out cards giving the addresses of local homosexual hangouts."