7. Conclusion
• People are people, regardless of orientation or
identity
• There is no “us vs. them”
• The LGBT community are not “recruiting.”
• Love is love, period.
Editor's Notes
I am going to start by briefly going over these topics. The first two really do not need much explanation. Heterosexuals prefer members of the opposite sex while homosexuals prefer those of the same sex. The gray area here is where things get a little confusing for some. Bisexuals will have sex and/or form relationships with members of either sex. Transgenders delve further into the gray area and I will discuss that more when I get to that part.
As stated before, heterosexuals are people who have sex and/or form relationships with members of the opposite gender. Commonly called “straight people,” this is the most widely accepted sexual orientation. This is likely due to the majority’s belief that anything else is “unnatural” and thus wrong or immoral somehow. The argument is “supported” by verses in the Bible, claimed by fundamentalists to say that God disapproves of anything other than the union of a man and woman.
Homosexuality is the pairing of two members of the same sex. This is most often a trait with which the individual is born. If one reads about how homosexual teens are bullied every day, one has to wonder why anyone would choose that lifestyle. Often the only ones who actively choose it are those who are totally independent, have had rather traumatic experiences with members of the opposite sex, or are simply rebelling against what they perceive to be an oppressive force. Various religions oppose homosexuality due to its “abhorrent” nature. The most prominent of them lately is the Westboro Baptist Church with their hateful slogans and behavior. Two people of the same sex may not be able to produce a child of their own but that does not mean that they are incapable of successfully raising a child to become a productive member of society.
This is the grey area, where the line blurs. Bisexual individuals have sex and/or form relationships with members of either gender. A person can be bisexual and still have a preference for one gender or the other. This affinity has an unfortunate tendency to end up getting the individual incorrectly labeled as hetero- or homosexual. Those who identify as “bi-curious” are often heterosexual but may fantasize about having sex with someone of his or her own gender and be willing to try it.
Transgender individuals blur the line even further. They are people who are born one sex yet identify as the other. Male-to-female transgenders prefer to be addressed with feminine pronouns and vice versa. In some cases, the individual may want so badly to be that gender that he or she may opt for gender reassignment surgery. This is not always the case. More often than not, the individual may simply change his or her name and begin hormone therapy.
In closing, I would like to point out that regardless of one’s political or religious standpoint, these people are still human beings who deserve the same rights as everyone else. Some people even believe that homosexuality of any degree is a psychological disorder. Maybe it is, maybe it is not. Even if it is, we still allow people with depression or bipolar disorder to marry and start families. If it is not, what is the problem with allowing Susie and Tina or David and Stephan to get married? Whether one is straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, we are all people.
