by Pileated

Created on: May 04, 2008

There are clear parallels between the gay rights and race related civil rights issues in the United States. Both cut to the core of what it means to live in a free society. Both relate to what individual, law abiding civil rights are guaranteed under the Constitution. Both related to the challenge of overcoming personal biases.

But first, it might be appropriate to evaluate the differences between these two issues. One of the primary difference between gay rights issues and race related issues is how these are treated by the dominant religions in our society.

These are important distinctions. Most would agree that, in regards to race, there is no religious basis to support discrimination between ethnic groups. Most religions contain followers from almost all ethnic groups. In fact, most would acknowledge that one of the basic tenants of our religion is that we are to accept people from all ethnic groups. As a consequence, most would also acknowledge that their personal biases are something to be overcome and eliminated thus allowing the inclusion of people of all ethnic groups.

However, in regards to the gay lifestyle, it is a little different. Many religions in our society identify a stigma associated with the gay lifestyle, considering it a sin, and strongly banned. Members who practice this lifestyle are banned, regardless of ethnic background. Because of this, many who discriminate and deny basic civil rights to gays, do so from a belief that they are morally justified. As a consequence, the struggle to separate personal biases from our commitment to civil rights is not as clearly defined.

Yet, it is these distinctions between racial and lifestyle issues that also point to their parallels. The Unites States Constitution guaranties each individual with basic civil rights. It is the law. For many of it also represents a dilemma. How do we treat the individual whose lifestyle or racial background is objectionable? Although we would not like to admit it, most of us have biases. We tend to feel uncomfortable with differences. But we can usually reconcile our race related biases. When it comes to lifestyle biases that trespass our religious beliefs, our ability to separate bias from commitment to civil rights is more difficult. But it is the same struggle.

The key is understanding what law abiding individual civil rights within our society are guaranteed by law. Clearly, we are not talking about child molesters or other illegal behaviors and lifestyles. We are talking about individual legal choices regarding lifestyles and our reaction to those choices.

There is nothing in our constitution that identifies that we must accept or even like individual of another religion, ethnic background or lifestyle. But our constitution does state that as long as the individual is law abiding, then they have inalienable God given civil rights. It is that simple. It is the same for gay lifestyles as it is for race related civil rights. That is why these two issues are parallel.

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