Fear is what it is, but sometimes becomes what you make it.  The religious right is so afraid that gays are deteriorating marriage, and yet it is their fear that is the culprit, not the communities that they are afraid of. Could it be that the GLBT communities have and continue to be converting all the little boys and girls of the world? Not! Historically, it is the religious right that tirelessly works to convert people, not the GLBT communities. Still, it is understandable why they would make such a claim: people tend to fear in others that which they see most in themselves. 

Science continues to reveal that GLBT are biological traits, not learned or acquired tastes (no pun intended). The book by  Zhou J.-N, Hofman M.A, Gooren L.J, Swaab D.F “ A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and its Relation to Transsexuality (1997 ) states, “gender identity develops as a result of an interaction between the developing brain and sex hormones,”  and researcher Brian Mustanski PhD (a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago ) more recently said in reference to homosexuality that “It builds on previous studies that have consistently found evidence of genetic influence on sexual orientation.” (Fox News.com Jan 28, 2005) 

But either the the right doesn’t get it or doesn’t want to hear it.  They rant that being GLBT is “Un-natural,” yet when GLBT behavior was discovered throughout the animal kingdom, they changed the topic.  Raising an elephant to believe that it is a monkey, now THAT is un-natural, and cruel as well. And yet, that is what they continue to do.  

All my life I listened to stories about the poor guy (or woman) who had a mid-life crisis and left his/her marriage, and in recent years I became one of them. It is traumatic, causing pain and suffering to all concerned.  But, it wasn’t a mid-life crisis; I had a mid-life awakening.  Children are told who they are, should be, and what will make them happy for so long that the ideas and pre-expectations of others become their own.  But in time -- maybe a month, a year, even decades later -- you eventually wake up to realize that you have been an actor in a play written by someone else. Sure, there was a time when children dutifully followed doctrine without question.  But, people also believed the world was flat and that witches should be burned at the stake, so what? Things change. Of course children still need guidance, but they also need encouragement to discover who they are according to them, rather than being held to some preordained script.  

Humans need to control things, so we attempt in our own arrogance to orchestrate a concert of wild things. But, life has it’s own rhythm; it’s not ours to control. We still know so little about the wonder of it, our purpose on this Earth, or what – if anything – follows our time here, that it is simply pompous for any one group to believe they have a monopoly on the truth. With global communication, knowledge and ideas are expanding. Children are educating and thinking for themselves. And it is only when our children can marry knowing who they are, by clear and free choice; rather than guilt, fear, or obligation, that those marriages will last and divorce rates will plummet.  And isn’t that the goal? Shouldn’t it be? 

The right should stop looking for the devil in every shadow, and embrace the beauty that exists in the diversity of all things. That is where Eden really lies. At the very least they should accept the concept of live and let live. They are free to believe and live as they choose, shouldn't others have the same right? It's not always that someone who disagrees with you "doesn't get it," sometimes they do, but just disagree.  So in the words of Lao Tzu: Live your beliefs, rather than worrying about how to spread them or convince others of there validity. 

Copyright 2005 – All rights reserved

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