Are You Anti-Gay?

“I’m not anti-LGBT! I just don’t think they should get married!”

“I’m not anti-LGBT, I just believe that is not God’s way and if they don’t turn from their wickedness they will go to hell.”

“I’m not anti-LGBT, I just don’t want to SEE it in my face!”

Of late, the trend has been, “PLEASE ALLOW ME TO DO AND SAY HATEFUL THINGS TOWARDS A GROUP OF PEOPLE, BUT DO NOT ASSOCIATE ME WITH ANY LABEL THAT CASTS ME AS A BIGOT.” In other words, people want to be racist, sexist, homophobic and bigoted (which is totally their right by the way) but they want to be free of any negative commentary by others (totally not their right) about it. They want to say ignorant, irrational things and promote injustice and people should just smile and never be called out on it.

Well, I’m sorry that words do have meaning. Being against something is being “anti” something.  So if you are against LGBT people being LGBT; against LGBT people openly and honestly living their lives free of fear of stigma, violence and discrimination; against LGBT people being accepted or and their talents admired; against LGBT enjoying the same citizen’s and tax payer rights you enjoy then I’m sorry to say it but you are indeed anti-LGBT.  

You are also anti-LGBT if you:

• Reject what medical science has to say about the natural complexity and diversity of gender and sexual orientation.  You believe that it was God’s/Nature’s intent that every single human on the planet be cis-gender/heterosexual, reproduction must be the be all and end all of love, relationships and sexual intimacy and must abide by strict gender roles according to some gender hierarchy system within your culture/religion.

• Believe that any orientation outside of cis-gender/heterosexuality and/or any attempt to fulfill the human need for self-actualization, love, relationships, family life outside of cis-gender/heterosexuality, is unnatural, “fallen” and/or a deliberate sinful choice, right up there with murder, rape, lying, stealing and oath-breaking (e.g. adultery)

• You consider those who are not cis-gendered/heterosexuals to be abhorrent human beings and believe the public laws should reflect that and be enforced even on those who do not share your religious beliefs on the matter.

• Belong to and support anti-LGBT organizations and believe that if any LGBT person wants to join your organization they must be celibate for life or preferably (because celibate LGBT people are still treated as suspect) try to become cis-gender/heterosexual or act like it. 

• If a LGBT person goes through the debunked, psychologically damaging and medically denounced rigors of ex-gay therapy and fails (as most do) to live as a cis-gendered/heterosexual, even if they kill themselves trying, you believe it was the fault of the LGBT person for not trying hard enough.

• You completely deny that attitudes such as your own have been hurting and continue to hurt LGBT people. You completely deny the role of beliefs such as yours in promoting and excusing violence and inhumanity against LGBT people.

Step up and claim what you truly stand for and what you truly believe. You might as well just be honest about it.  There is no need to try to present yourself as a loving, humane and tolerant person towards LGBT people, when you are not. Even worse, stop with the “token LGBT friend” thing. Nobody is truly a friend of someone who feels that way about them.