by Melissa Washington

Created on: February 06, 2010   Last Updated: February 07, 2010

When it comes to accepting homosexuality in America, there is a huge contradiction. It's chic to have cool gay guys give us fashion advice and decorating tips, yet when the subject of gay marriage comes up, people often freak out. Fully accepting homosexuals is what we need to do as we continue to move into the 21st century because the many arguments against homosexuality just do not hold up.

1. Religion—According to various religions, homosexuality is a sin. Well, not everyone is religious and those that are religious may not interpret the holy scriptures in the same way.  There are many religious views and there are no absolute right or wrong answers.

2. Children—Some people claim that children will be scarred for life if they hear about/come in contact with homosexuals. Children are more resilient than we think and they will accept what adults tell them. No child considers homosexuality wrong until they are told that it is wrong. If children are taught that homosexuals are just as normal as heterosexuals, then the taboo would disappear. Also, it would save a lot of mental anguish for those children who at some point, realize that they are gay or lesbian.

3. Fear of being propositioned—I have often seen straight people who don't want to interact with homosexuals for fear of being hit on by someone of the same sex. Well, gay people don't go around hitting on straight people any more than straight people go around hitting on gay people. Plain and simple.

4. Pedophilia—The most horrible thing associated with homosexuality is pedophilia. Pedophilia is a psychological disorder that has nothing to do with a person's sexual orientation. Gay or straight, mentally healthy adults are not sexually attracted to children.

5. Homosexuals chose to be gay—I would like every straight person who feels this way to think back to when they chose to be heterosexual. I bet no one can pinpoint a specific time. Why? Because they didn't choose heterosexuality, it's just the way they turned out. Sexual attraction starts long before we are even aware of it. Everyone can probably remember their first crush long before they had any real concept of sex or dating. Some young people just happen to have crushes on people of the same sex instead of the opposite sex.

There was a time when Americans thought that accepting people of all races would cause the downfall of civilization. Well, civilization is still standing and it will continue to stand if we accept homosexuals. Not every gay or lesbian person fits a stereotype and you cannot always be sure of who's gay and who's isn't. It could be a neighbor, friend, coworker, or even a family member. Ask yourself if you would love these people any less if you found out they were gay. People are complex and just like race, sexual orientation is just one of many aspects of a person and not the only thing that defines them.

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