But I think the most serious problem with this argument is that it reinforces the idea that we need an excuse to be queer. As a result, using this line subtly supports the idea that being queer requires excusing in some way. Don’t use it. Don’t allow straight people to generate an understanding of queer sexuality that sounds like: “Well, of course Bob wouldn’t wish to be queer, but he was born this way. I guess we better give him equal rights – poor Bob, he just can’t help it. We shouldn’t punish him for something he didn’t choose!”
Quote:
We don’t need to justify ourselves to anyone. We don’t need a reason to be queer. Maybe we were born this way, maybe we weren’t. Maybe sexuality is fluid for some people and not for others. It’s totally irrelevant either way. The message we need to send to heterosexists is not that our sexuality was foisted upon us and that they should be “tolerant” and “understanding”. The message is: our sexuality is perfectly valid and none of your business, we offer you no excuses, and we are never going away.
But I think the most serious problem with this argument is that it reinforces the idea that we need an excuse to be queer. As a result, using this line subtly supports the idea that being queer requires excusing in some way. Don’t use it. Don’t allow straight people to generate an understanding of queer sexuality that sounds like: “Well, of course Bob wouldn’t wish to be queer, but he was born this way. I guess we better give him equal rights – poor Bob, he just can’t help it. We shouldn’t punish him for something he didn’t choose!”
It's just another way to interpret it. Every phrase can be interpreted in more than one way. Therefore it is the mind of the user, and not the phrase itself, that determines the meaning of it.
it's a song that's about a lot more than just sexuality, it's about wholescale self-acceptance. I think it's a great message-- you are who you are, love yourself, who you are isn't wrong, we're all deserving of love... great message imo.
it's a song that's about a lot more than just sexuality, it's about wholescale self-acceptance. I think it's a great message-- you are who you are, love yourself, who you are isn't wrong, we're all deserving of love... great message imo.
(Obviously I am not counting Abrahamic religions as serious ethical frameworks: any moral code that has a rule against working on the sabbath in the Top 10 Naughty Things list but no rule against slavery or rape in that same list cannot be taken seriously.)
Poor thing. He thinks the sabbath is about resting from work because it's the weekend. I can't take you seriously either if you haven't even bothered to do your homework.
Yes I agree with the "born this way" argument. No I don't agree with the article.
The article is preaching to a quire of well educated secular people who have all studied philosophy, women's studies or some other social science. It misses the point completely, probably because the author does not understand the importance of it.
No it doesn't matter if being gay is a choice or not but to very many people it does and telling them it does not because "i say so" and "i'm smarter than you" will get us nowhere.
We most certainly do know that being gay is natural, as in it exists naturally and appears in virtually all species. One way or another we were "born this way" even if other factors are involved.
The best way to argue against a religion is to use that religion. Being gay/bi/whatever is obviously not a choice and if it's not a choice then how can it be morally wrong? So many religious people have benefited from this argument. Their religion may be BS (in my opinion) and their morals may not be perfect but we can't appeal to them unless we understand their reasoning and we argue on their level.
No we don't need an excuse to be queer, nobody is saying that and anyone who thinks we are saying that is an idiot. We are saying that it's ok to be what you are and that it's wrong to make people pretend to be something they are not.
The idea that being gay is a choice has lead to so many abuses. It's what is fueling the idea that we can be "cured", so yes it does matter.
About the song: it's not about literal birth, it's about rebirth. It's about being able to change over and over again (rebirth) until you encounter the version of "you" you are most happy with.
About the idea that we're born this way, I don't get how you can interpret that as a bad thing, but "social justice warriors" sure can try.
About the idea that we're born this way, I don't get how you can interpret that as a bad thing, but "social justice warriors" sure can try.
It's just that - in a perfect world - we theoretically shouldn't have to explain our sexual orientation to the outside world regardless of how it came about. We should be accepted unconditionally, "born this way" or not.
The problem with this is that the world isn't quite so nice and demands a reason so as to not brand us as deviant freaks.
It's just that - in a perfect world - we theoretically shouldn't have to explain our sexual orientation to the outside world regardless of how it came about. We should be accepted unconditionally, "born this way" or not.
The problem with this is that the world isn't quite so nice and demands a reason so as to not brand us as deviant freaks.
This is true, it's human nature to fear people who are different and for some people it's just too hard to get over it so they justify it with religion or something else.
The guy who is different will always be expected to justify that. He can cross his arms and say he shouldn't have to but that won't help him or anyone else in his situation.
Moralistically you don't need a reason - a justification - as to why you're gay but in the real world it's quite a blase attitude considering that homophobia is rife in society.
I thought it was about the song, but it's not.
