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the homosexuality debate

	What a week it has been on the L.  Lots of interesting discussion.
Very educational, to say the least.  
	First, i want to clarify my purpose.  I do know TD Barnes pretty
well.  He's a nice guy.  I was, partly, defending TD, the person, not the
views.  I made it clear in my very first post that I feel homosexuals
are equal to heterosexuals and discrimination should not be tolerated.

But I also saw something that I thought was wrong.

This is what I saw:

1)  The post informing us of discrimination against gays.
2)  TD's post that seemed to take a stance that was interpreted as being
against gays.
3)  Numerous responses attacking TD(calling him names:  idiot, bigot,
stupid, not worth listening to, etc, etc, etc)

	This is what I thought.  Most of us seem to agree that
discrimination against homosexuals is wrong.  I see discrimination as
being treated differently because one is different in some way.  When I
feel that discrimination is wrong is when it is negative.  

Whether or not it has been proven, I will agree that a person has no
control over their sexual orientation.  I have said this from the
beginning.  
But I also think that, to a certain extent, we don't have much control
over our beliefs.  Take me for example.  My parents are Catholics.  They
raised me as a Catholic.  Catholicism is my belief in terms of religion.
I never chose to be Catholic.  Sure, I have the choice to change that
belief.  But for nineteen years, catholicism has been my life.  I have
been taught that it is the most important part of my life.  As a result,
I believe that it is the most important part of my life.  I have been
taught all of the ins and outs of Catholicism.  It is my life.  It is not
easy to just change that belief.  It's possible.  But it isn't likely.  It
is too much a part of me.  
This is just one example.  It is in my opinion that beliefs are a part of
you.  True, you can change your beliefs.  But it is not that easy.  They
are a major part of your life.  
So how do I see these as similar.  My sexuality defines who I am.  My
beliefs also define who I am.  My beliefs are me.  My sexuality is me.
They are both equally a part of me.  They both equally define me.  This is
my point.  It is not whether or not either can change.
This is how I see discrimination against sexuality and discrimination
against beliefs as being equal.  They are both such a great part of me.
They both define who I am.  And I feel that it is wrong to attack me
because of my sexuality or my beliefs.   

This is what I thought the double standard was.  I know that some of you
disagree with me.  Tell me why.  Why are beliefs not as much a part of me
as my sexuality?  I know that my beliefs can change.  But does that mean
that they are not as much of a part of me as my sexuality?  They are not
as much a part of me because there is a possibility that they could
change?  That possibility means that my beliefs do not define me as my
sexuality does? If there was a possibility that my sexuality could change,
would that make it less a part of me?

This is what I don't understand.  I do believe that my beliefs are as much
a part of me as my sexuality for the reasons that I have stated above.


				Sincerely,

					Tom O'Toole
					Florida State University
					tmo3560@garnet.acns.fsu.edu
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