The UN Millennium Goals don't mention same-gender love or attraction. Why should they? Who I send a Valentine's Day card doesn't really have much impact on issues that matter to people's lives (other than mine and my sweetie's). So, why is it that so many people, politicians, and pugnacious preachers spend so much time worrying about what makes me (or anyone) breathe heavy??? The perverse obsession with what consenting adults do is getting a little boring.
Hunger. Now that's an issue. It's also something we could actually wipe out. But not if we waste our time and energy on silliness, like trying to prevent Alice from marrying Sandra. Hello??!!
Education for ALL children. This is actually a radical concept in some parts of the world. This is also something we can accomplish, if and when that becomes our priority.
Improved health for mothers and children, effective treatments for HIV and malaria, environmental protection...these are biggies. We need to address these issues, and we can and we can make a huge difference. But instead, we argue over procreative freedom, same-gender love and attraction, and how to fund war without raising taxes. It's all very frustrating.
So, Anglicans, Catholics, right wing politicos, fundamentalists of every stripe, try to wrap your brains around this: Gay people exist. We always have. We always will. You can hate us, preach against us, write discrimination against us into constitutions, and none of that will make your marriages stronger nor will it make us disappear. More importantly, none of that will feed a single hungry person, improve the health of one child, educate one struggling person, or prolong the life of one person living with HIV. None of that will reverse global warming or bring peaceful, diplomatic, bloodless resolutions to international conflicts.
So, can we finally drop it? Gays exist and that is as constant as gravity. You don't have to like it, but you need to accept it. You don't have to like me, but please don't let your discomfort with my love life (I'm flattered that you care though) distract you from spending time, energy and resources on things that need to be settled for the good of our whole world. Hunger. Health. Education. Environment. Peace. Let's work on those things. You'll never wipe out homosexuality. But we can wipe out hunger, disease, illiteracy, and war. So, let's accept what's here to stay and get to work on what can be and needs to be eradicated. Fair enough?
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