by Patrick Sills

Created on: May 11, 2010

I happen to be among the majority of those who are of straight sexual orientation. I enjoy looking at beautiful women; especially during the summer months when they are wearing shorts and flip-flops; if any shoes at all. At 50, and moreover being of just average looks at best, I don’t expect younger females to give me a second glance. But I’m okay with that. I’m just some old guy, and we’re a dime a dozen. Besides, if guys like me really want up-close and personal attention from some 21-year-old hottie, we can pay to have such a fantasy fulfilled; at least for a few hours, at any strip club. That is such an establishment’s purpose.

But there happen to be some people that are attracted to those of the same gender as well. They are people, too, and their sexual preferences are their business. If they wish to hide this fact, that is their decision. Conversely, if they wish to proudly proclaim their homosexuality , then they likewise have the right to do so. Love is love, as is mere intimate companionship for a temporary amount of time. Who we prefer for such pairings will be as diverse as the number of stars in a spiral galaxy. In today’s relaxed society, we think nothing of a man going out to the bars on a Friday or Saturday night with the hopes of finding a female companion for a casual romp. So why should there be an issue with a gay person with the same intent?

There is a huge misconception about gays. On any given night, one can hear some insecure, homophobic redneck spewing his or her ignorance by saying something like: “ I don’t have a problem with gays as long as they don’t hit on me!”

Just what makes these people think that they will be approached in this manner? Gay people are very perceptive when it comes to finding those who are like-minded. I would venture to guess that they have developed this instinctive trait because they had to in order to avoid hostile encounters with such closed-minded bigots.

Then there are the cold and cruel homophobes who make utterly ignorant statements about AIDS and HIV by proclaiming that somehow, God is punishing this segment for their “deviant” behavior. This stems from the fact that when this horrible disease first became publicly known in the early 1980s, it was primarily found in gay males. While we now know that heterosexuals can also contract HIV and AIDS, a little over half of new cases within the United States are still found in the former group of people. This is not intended to be a lesson in morals, but as a staight person, I would be enjoying as much of a variety of different women as I could if not for the fact that I’ve been married for 22 years. Thus, I feel great empathy for gay males who happen to enjoy variety, for they are the ones who put themselves at greater risks to their overall health and lives all because of some damn monkeys in Africa! This doesn’t seem fair, does it? If some other airborne infection such as that widely-publicized fungus in Oregon were to set sail with the wind currents and kill 25% of the entire population, would some religious zealot claim that it is because we as a society have brought it on ourselves by adopting more relaxed “moral” standards? Indeed I wonder.

Homophobia is a display of insecurity among those who find others to be different. Another word for this is prejudice. Another? Discrimination. Just as skin color or ethnic background, a person’s sexual orientation has absolutely nothing to do with his or her character. Gays and lesbians should be entitled to the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. In fact, it shouldn’t even be questioned in the first place.

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