LGBTQ Rights are Basic Human Rights, and We Should Accept Them as Such

 

 

       It’s Pride month, so I will post about LGBTQ issues, specifically the data on its growing acceptability around the world, and where it is dangerous. In some societies, it is not acceptable, and people found guilty of it are imprisoned, tortured, and generally treated badly. Many people see homosexuality as a crime, as unnatural, as a disease, or as something to scorn and choose to shame those involved with it. Homosexuals were tortured and killed by the Nazis, just as the Jews and Roma people were, all considered less than human. Is it unnatural? If you have ever had farm animals or even pets for that matter, you would know that it is indulged in by animals. That certainly suggests that it is not unnatural at all, but a common feature of nature.

     Some people will point out that many child molesters indulge in homosexual behavior. This is true, but it is often perpetrated by people who are not openly gay or bisexual, and often by those who openly oppose such behavior even though they indulge in it privately in a criminal way.

     Many people like the events of Pride Month, but others hate them, especially things like gay parades. Societies where human rights are suppressed, like Russia, openly hate gay behavior, seeing it as too open and associating it with more permissive European societies. Perhaps they see it as “satanic,” like some religious groups see it.

     As the graph below from humanprogress.org shows, the legality of homosexuality continues to grow around the world and is not likely to backtrack.

     GZero World notes that while acceptance of homosexuality continues to increase, there is still much opposition to it, and the world remains divided about it.

“Twenty-five years ago, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. Thirty-seven countries have since followed — but same-sex marriage remains illegal in far more places than it's legal. In Sweden, 92% support it. In Nigeria, just 2%. As Pride Month begins, the world remains deeply divided on LGBTQ rights.”

     Below, they give the data on same sex marriage for selected countries. The graphic is based on Pew research that shows the percentage of people in different countries who support or oppose same sex marriage.

     Acceptance of same sex marriage allows those people to enjoy the same rights afforded to couples with heterosexual marriages, such as tax advantages, spouse medical coverage, and other rights afforded to spouses. This is simply an issue of fairness.

     I think we can glean from the data that strongly religious in general oppose it, including majority Christian societies (Hungary, Kenya), Muslim societies (Indonesia, Malaysia, and likely many more not listed here), Jewish societies (Israel), and even some Buddhist majority societies (Sri Lanka). There may also be cultural taboos against it.

     In the U.S., generally speaking, it is accepted more by Democrats than Republicans. Republicans tend to be more traditional, supporting religious reasons for opposing it. A case in point is a post and comment thread from two Republican Reps, one anti-gay and the other gay, shown below.

     Unfortunately, many gay people feel oppressed by society, even in societies that generally accept them. In the U.S., acceptance can vary by state. Gay people often move to states where acceptance is higher, to escape perceived oppression. Lots of people hate ideas like Pride Month because they say it promotes gay behavior and grooms people to want to experiment with it. Of course, acceptance does not in itself encourage people to try it, but more people will experiment in societies that accept it. That is a natural side effect of acceptance that those who oppose will just have to accept it and deal with it. Gay people have existed throughout history, sometimes thriving, but often being oppressed as well. Warriors in ancient societies often practiced homosexuality and transsexuality, and at times, such behavior was considered normal.

     Some may argue that events like Pride Month are overly celebrated and that we shouldn't have companies celebrating it. The argument there is often that we can accept it without promoting it. That is a legitimate argument. It is also often associated with so-called "woke" ideologies. 

     My own view is to accept it. It’s not a big deal. People who oppose it tend to make it a big deal, but it’s really not. It’s just loving, liking, or being aroused by whoever you want. As they say, love is love, but also interest is interest. Religious people may see it as the work of Satan, but others see that as a foolish notion that should not hold sway in society. Some people are afraid of being turned gay by a permissive society, but we shouldn’t care about their hangups. Gay is here to stay. It ain’t going away, so get used to it. As the humanprogress.org graph shows, acceptance of it is a trend that is not likely to reverse itself.