Strollerderby

Sarah Palin pro choice -- for gays

Posted by Brett Singer

Sarah Palin is pro-choice - well, for gay people. Cuz its a choice. Right? Hello?Sarah Palin uses the word "choice" a lot.

For example: Bristol Palin's "choice" to have her baby (as Madeline pointed out). Now we have Sarah's gay best friend. Her friend, you see, made a "lifestyle choice." One that Sarah herself wouldn't choose, but hey, live and let live, right?

We've established that I can be a tad naive at times. But I really thought that most people were past this idea that gay people are "choosing" to be gay. Every gay person I know gives me the impression that they are, you know, gay. It's not like they woke up one morning and said, "you know what? No more women/men. I've decided to only be sexually attracted to members of my own sex." (One gay man I know claims that his first word was "mink stole," and I don’t think he was joking.)

What always intrigued me about this notion of "gay choice" is that it would imply that we heterosexuals – or "breeders", as we prefer to be called – also made a choice. That would be the logical assumption, right? That straight men and women at some point in their lives made a conscious decision, or "choice", to be with the opposite sex?

Any of our gay readers – does this bother you?

(Be sure to read this post by Shannon LC Cate, which also attacks this issue.)

Image: Mother Jones

Read more:

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Morning News: Sarah Palin Has a Gay (and Probably Pissed) BFF


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Comments

 

diera said:

I have mixed feelings about whether this should be how the issue is argued.  On the one hand, no, I don't think most gay people are making a 'choice' any more than straight people are.  Even if they were, though, why shouldn't they?  Using 'choice' for homosexuality is only a problem if 'choice' is code for 'evil, wrong, immoral, against-God's-will choice'.  If Palin genuinely believes that her friend's 'choice' is OK, then maybe it doesn't matter whether she 'chose' it or was born to it.  It's only a problem if the person who's insisting you're making a 'choice' is then going to argue that you should have made the other choice and forfeit all your societal rights by not doing so.  

October 2, 2008 1:50 PM
 

Brett Singer said:

@diera: well-put. Another aspect that I didn't put in the post is that I think the idea of sexuality as choice leads to events like "Pray Away the Gay"

www.news24.com/.../0,,2-10-2339_2389093,00.html

which may or may not have been held at a church Palin attends. It opens a door to "save" gay people. (Bill Maher also deals with this in his new movie: www.nytimes.com/.../28lela.html)

October 2, 2008 2:30 PM
 

Brad said:

The truth is is that both are right.  A homesexuality gene has been identified under the human genome project which as we grow in our depth of knowledge of DNA will uncover more evidence for the "gay gene."  That being said, homosexuality has also been show to occur through one's environment and its impact on human thought and behavior.  Finally, there are people who make a "homosexual choice."  Some people believe that they can get sexual pleasure from both genders and regularly choose between one or the other.  Does that make a woman less of a homosexual because she can get sexual pleasure and satisfaction from both genders?  Finally, the truth is, all of this is a political need for both sides.  Gays need the incontrovertible evidence that to be gay is a genetic trait so that right wingers have nothing more to say and give them the rights they deserve and Right Wingers need the opposite as all the dogmatic bull@#$% they spew depends on refuting evolution and homosexuality and reason overall.  

October 6, 2008 2:45 PM

About Brett Singer

Brett Singer is a writer and father living in Manhattan with his wonderful wife and two terrific sons (referred to here as Thing 1 and Thing 2). He writes about music for the Boston Phoenix, parenting for Babble and daddytips.com, and other topics for anyone else who will have him.

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