Let’s deal with the absolutes!

Dell Gines has a post about WNBA superstar Sheryl Swoopes coming “out the closet” about her homosexuality. I’ve had the homosexuality converstation with Dell before and he is of the strict mindset that homosexuality is a choice only. I, however, believe that homosexuality can be a choice and/or genetic predisposition. Some choice words from his post:

In Swoops scenario, she was happily married for a period of time, got divorced and then made a choice to be with a woman, for whatever reason that choice was made. So lets play the slippery slope game with the pro-homosexual as genetic argument. You can have a woman who is married for 50 years, produces 10 kids, has an enjoyable and pleasant relationship with her husband during that duration. Her husband dies, she gets desparately ill, goes to the hospital, falls in ‘love’ with a hot female nurse and then 4 hours later, after telling her nurse of her new found love…she dies.

According to those who believe that homosexuality is a genetic trait that can take years until you ‘find out’ this woman, who expressed her lesbianism at her final hour, regardless of her previous 50 years of satisfication with a male in marriage would be…gay from birth.

Ridiculous? Yes. But that is the logical end game of their argument.

So as we continue to debate and discuss the veracity of homosexuality as a ‘civil rights’ issue, we must consider Sheryl Swoops. She says it was a choice, so who are we to disagree with her who has to live out the results of that choice personally? But a greater question is what does this mean to those who claim homosexuality is not a choice as a premise for civil rights inclusion?

Some people say that homosexuality is deviant and/or perverted behavior and they shouldn’t be afforded the same rights as normal folk. HMMM! So what should we do about them then? See that’s the adorable thing about us in America; we like to throw out absolutes but in reality, we can’t deal with them. This is a hot or cold issue to me. To heck with being lukewarm. Either we give homosexuals the full rights of every American citizen or we don’t. And if we don’t and find their behavior so deviant, perverted (and for some religious people, against the word of God), then let’s deal with it. What say you my dearest readers? Psycological treatments? Extreme re-conditioning therapy? Neurological surgery? Ostracism? Dare I say extermination? Don’t get squeamish on me now. This is a real issue that demands real solutions. You can’t say “I don’t want the homosexual lifestyle around me” and just leave it at that. You have to follow through.

What’s wrong with our dearest country is that we maintain a lukewarm public persona at times but harbor absolute feelings inside. Since we’re all about the democratic process, let’s put it to a nationwide vote. Uh oh! Did I say nationwide? Silly me. This issue is for individual states to decide. OK! So if Illinois passes a law banning homosexuality for all aspects of society and Michigan doesn’t, that means those Illinois homosexuals will run to Michigan. And then Illinois folks will call Michigan folks “harborers of deviants and perverts” and Michigan folks will call Illinois folks “barbaric backwards Nazis”. Now that isn’t very nice. So if we come up with a national yes or no, we’ll be on the right path. I myself will vote yes on homosexuals afforded the same rights as everyone else regardless of choice or genetic predispostion.

See! Wasn’t that easy? I made a decision. No ifs, ands, or buts. Can I count on ya?

[zing! to Dell Gines]

4 Responses to “Let’s deal with the absolutes!”

1. james old guy says:

   October 28, 2005 at 9:08 am

   First visit great site. I will go along with the “yes on homosexuals afforded the same rights as everyone else regardless of choice or genetic predispostion.” But I would add if you want the rights you also pickup the responsablitys it is after all a two way street.
2. Mahndisa says:

   October 28, 2005 at 1:13 pm

   10 28 05

   Thx T Steel for being a voice of reason among those who are blinded by dogma. I told Dell that he suffers from the following errors in perspective:
   1. Black and White thinking
   2.Unwarrented assumptions
   3.”Mine is better” thinking
   Oh and the list goes on…T Steel this is why I had a major ideological disagreement with him and DO NOT post on his site. I feel that strongly about this issue. I have often pondered about the religious implications of that lifestyle and yet still come to the same conclusion; they deserve rights across the board. I DO think a Federal vote should be conducted, otherwise the scenario you mentioned will occur where MI says its ok for gays to be there and marry but WI says heck no. Consistency in treatment must occur irrespective of sexual preferences etc. Well, I qualify that with saying preferences and actions BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS. Geesh! Why is that so hard for people to understand! Thx for the great post T Steel!
3. Tony says:

   October 28, 2005 at 1:39 pm

   (Full disclosure: I am a practicing Catholic)

   Heck, I’ll play. Genetic disposition or choice, homosexuality is much like alcoholism. Either way, it’s damaging to the people who partike in it. Studies have shown that homosexual men, on average, die 10 years earlier than heterosexual men.

   Same sex attraction (SSA) is not a sin, it’s a disorder. As such, those who are afflicted by it (like alcoholics) should attempt to fight the urges and possibly get help to have a more normal attraction to the opposite sex.

   That having been said, homosexuals should not be mistreated. They should not be denied job opportunities where their disorder doesn’t affect their job performance (as in the case of being a teacher in a religious school that teaches homosexual behavior as being a sin). They should be treated with dignity and respect, and be afforded whatever rights that are available to heterosexuals.

   But we have to decide on what is a “right”. I don’t consider the ability to marry another man (or another woman) a “right”.
4. ej says:

   October 28, 2005 at 11:10 pm

   Hell YES, you can count on me.