by A.J. Rusli

Created on: April 25, 2010

A cure for homosexuality?  I am dumbfounded by that statement at the very least. I do have friends who are homosexuals, and I have never treated them any differently, and sexual orientation categories are merely labels; they don’t tell me the quality of the person’s heart.  What matters to me is the person’s sincerity, compassion, and dedication.  My friends who are homosexuals have been just as supportive and helpful to me as my heterosexual friends, and honestly I feel that a person’s sexuality is none of my business. Sexuality is an intimate right between the person and his/her very own soul, and how a person deals with it depends on his/her own beliefs on the right thing to do in life.

Granted, there are certain cultures and religions that condemn homosexuality, but just like the concept in evolution states, either you adjust to the environment, or if it is possible to change the environment, then do so!  In this case, if the prevailing culture in that person’s environment is totally rejecting different sexual orientations other than heterosexuality, and prohibits and condemns homosexuality, the only thing left to do is to find an environment that is more supportive if the person chooses to do so. 

Of course, any human being, whether heterosexual or homosexual (or even asexual!) has the right to be treated equally without being prejudiced by race, religion, and sexual orientation, and people in general need to learn to accept those who are different than they are, and to not use the differences as a weapon to attack the other party and to judge them unfairly.

Perhaps people need time to adjust and accept those who are different than they are, and to stop labeling people just because they are different.   Having said that, I also find it funny that some people profess to being 'liberal' and 'compassionate' but when homosexuality comes as a topic, they would then be saying things that are completely opposite to what they were professing earlier.

Now, coming back to the title of this essay, linking the word ‘cure’ to ‘homosexuality’ implies that there is something wrong with being homosexual, and ‘curing’ it will bring the person back to his/her ‘normal’ state (whatever that is).  Again, this is the prevalent belief to cultures and religions that prohibit homosexuality.   I am assuming at this point that whoever who believes in this notion comes from such cultures and religions.

Taking this argument at face value, frankly I’m not sure on what needs to be ‘cured’… is it based on the (wrong) assumption that all homosexual people will prowl and pounce on heterosexuals like predators? Or is it because homosexuals are just different in terms of sexual preference and therefore are not part of the mainstream?  Whatever the reasons are, if one were to test the statement by reversing the situation and to instead try and find a cure for heterosexuality, wouldn’t the outrageousness and silliness of that idea be as clear as day?  Both heterosexuality and homosexuality are sexual preferences, and a test for one preference should be applicable to the other in order to be logical.

In short, there is nothing that needs to be ‘cured’.  All that is needed now is more understanding and less bigotry.

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