The push for gay rights has been quite heated over the past year. However, the granting of such rights is counter to reason and also would set a bad precedent.

Unlike race or gender, both of which are physical qualities and easily verifiable by almost anyone, being gay is not a physical quality and isn't something most other people are going to know. Unlike gender and race, there aren't any known scientific tests to test if someone is gay. Statistically, the greatest predictor of being gay is a self-report of such inclinations several years before a person considers themself to be gay.

It's a rather bad precedent to grant rights to any group whose makeup is entirely determined by self-identification. The reason is because anyone, even if not the least bit gay, can claim membership in the group with no way to refute the claim. This is why, unlike the Civil Rights movement, the push for gay rights may well lead people to falsely claim to be gay to reap the benefits.

The logical implication of granting such rights are also not good. It would mean any group which claimed its defining characteristic was innate, but of which there was no refutation, could also clamor for rights. The example which comes to mind is that of the polygamists, who can argue quite easily that they are innately drawn to love many others, and should thus have the right to marry them all.

Other potential groups to watch out for are the pedophiles, pederasts, polyandrists, nudists, and vegans. After all, their reasoning would be the same as that of gays - these are their natural inclinations, and they might want benefits/protections to be able to engage in their lifestyle. As with gays, there is no way to prove their behavior is a lifestyle choice as opposed to something innate.

Pray that our elected representatives will save common sense from going into cardiac arrest. They will listen if they can be convinced the people at large matter more than a small group of activists.

- Posted by in Common Sense at 8:44 PM