Homosexuality, Politics and Popular Culture
Sure is a lot of it out there now. In our faces. That's homosexuality. From Rosie O'Donnell on The View to numerous designers on HGTV to characters in sit-coms to Congressman Barney Frank. Lots of "them" believe their being discriminated against and lots of those on the "religious right" are opposed to homosexuality as immoral based on the Bible or Koran or... In any case it has permeated our culture to the point that we always seem to be talking about homosexuality or seeing it or having to listen to arguments for or against. It wasn't like this when I was a kid. At least not that I remember. What has happened?
Well, as far as I can find, homosexuals are supposed to be about 10% of the population. About the same as the percentage of blacks in the population. I say about because nobody knows and nobody can know. You see there is a portion of the homosexual "community" who aren't really homosexual. You've got the folks in prison who are "gay for the stay", you've got people like Anne Heche who was straight then gay then straight as situationally appropriate to her needs (at least that's how it appears). You've got folks who likely truly can't see people of the other gender as sexually attractive and you've got folks that think that anyone who might get them off are sexually attractive. You've likely got some who just do it to rebel against parents, society, or something we'll never understand.
Obviously, there's a tremendous number of these people in a society of 300 million and you can't ignore them. But, the age old prejudices often show themselves even among those in industries where homosexuality is apparently common such as among actors, interior designers, dancers, and so forth. Some of the remarks made are infinitely more cutting and more obviously ANTI-homosexual than the don't-ask-don't-tell policy Pres. Clinton forced on the military. Yet, homosexuality has had a huge impact on politics.
Politics on AIDS/HIV, on homosexual "marriage", on adoption, and service in the military have dominated some campaigns. At least the major media outlets have given us the impression that those who ignore the homosexuals do so at their own peril. This view is reinforced by homosexual celebrities such as Rosie O'Donnell. But is it true? How can one be in peril for ignoring the homosexual vote AND, at the same time, for ignoring the "Christian right" vote?
Quite frankly it is all tiresome. Very tiresome. I just wish they would all get out of my face. I'm tired of all the illogical arguments, ad hominem attacks, and just having to deal with it. I think it is a red herring intended by certain politicians to distract us from all the things they were elected to do that they haven't done. Because the subject is so polarlizing, they have been very successful in that. Look for the subject to come up in this fall's general election...
Labels: Culture
