Saturday, September 16, 2006

That's so Gay.

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
-Mohandas Gandhi


I am in my car, released from the hells of a 60 hour course I was taking for work, when a white Ford Taurus catches my eye. The popular ichthus surrounding "WWJD" and then a sticker with stick figures of a man + woman = marriage dawn the rear bumper. I recall what a family member (who's occupation is as a youth minister at a local Christian church) once said about homosexual people; he asserted that though he considers their sexual orientation a sin, they are children of God nonetheless. So, what would Jesus do? Would he approve of legislation to deny God's children the ability to live "in sin." Now, I am no Christian, but this rhetoric seems like such hypocrisy.

Let me go to my favorite view - the biological one. Current evidence converges to suggest that homosexual people's brains are structured differently due to prenatal exposure to androgens. Now, let's take a look at a condition called congenital adrenal hyperlasia (an excessive exposure to androgens prenatally)there was a study (Money, Schwartz, and Lewis, 1984) that reviewed women with this condition - Here are the facts: 37% described themselves as homosexual, 40% as heterosexual, and 23% would not answer the question. Take the 23% out - homosexuality rises to 48%. (This is not the only study.) Can't forget the genetic surveys too (Baily & Pillard, 1991; Baily et al., 1993; Pattatucci, 1995), which suggest that there is an increased occurrence of homosexuality in families. (Twin studies of monozygotic twins reported a 52% rate.)

So, what does it all mean to us?

Once again, my ignorant governor has made his bigotry that more obvious. Missouri State University has recently adopted an addition to their anti-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation. Mr. Blunt expressed his disappointment: "Today's decision bows to the forces of political correctness. It was unnecessary and bad." Unnecessary and bad, huh? Treating others with the dignity and respect they deserve is an unnecessary policy?

Where is Bush's legislation for marriage by the way? Shouldn't his Christian Conservative base be pushing for this promise? How can one promise liberty and equality while promising restriction?