Dear Joe,

Thank You for sharing something so personal.

Dear Banjo,

I'm still on my life's journey - learning as I go.
I accept people as they are and hopefully they will
accept me as I am. To me a person's sexual orientation
like religion - is a personal thing. I think that in
today's world judgements about right and wrong in sexual
matters are based on the attitude that moral behavior
is that which involves mutual affection and respect
and does no physical or psychological harm to those
involved.

Thank You for your comments. I always learn a great deal
from you.

Where to begin?

Through out my life I've known only a handful of homosexuals. And only known them in the settings I've been in. None of them I've known struck me as evil, horrible, or otherwise subpar to the population as a whole. Perhaps you've all had similar findings. Perhaps not. Nonetheless, there has been information I've come across that exceeds my observations. Stories and stats of suicide rates; observations from one individual about gay relationships and how they've been often from his point of view; studies once in a while that highlight homosexual population with risk taking, risky behavior, such as risky sexual encounters, drugs, and alcohol. And finally with regard to my faith, the bible condemning homosexual acts.

Perhaps these ongoing finding have colored my perspective and given me reason to worry about those who are homosexual. Three people I work with currently are homosexual. A few others throughout my life as well have made homosexual issues a struggle because of the struggle I'm sure a friend I see has to deal with.

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Regardless of the struggle, the issues aren't about homosexuals being a victim to society. Though that perception and justification likely has it's own influence and merit based on people standing against something you identify as. The issues are the suicides, self harm, harm to each other (if that is reliable observations from the person I've heard from) as well as the issues of drug and alcohol dependance.

If you all who care so much about homosexuals to defend their case actually do care, then tell me this. How would you approach the topic as a whole looking for fixing the problems within homosexual demographics? Anything you say that is in the negative will be shamed for even bringing it up. Saying instead that it is not true and how dare I or anyone else say such things.

Regardless this conversation has veered far from actually talking about the issues, and instead to each of us defending our own views. So I'll this question.

How would you bring up issues within homosexuality? Things that affect a person's health, their relationships, or over all a negative atmosphere to be in. (Negative from the inside of the demographic, and/or negative from outside sources like society, family history, or previous abuses).

Last thought to consider.

If ....
A). Homosexuality is not a choice and most would not have chosen it for themselves;
And
B). Homosexuality is not genetic but has more environmental influences then genetic influences;

Then what does that mean for the rest of us? How do you apply this knowledge if these two conditions are true? As far as I can tell it means that you and I are to blame for the condition homosexuals are in. As a society being blind or unwilling to face some of the issues we live in that would force homosexuality on another. Both a situation many say they would not choose, as well as issues around homosexuality that make it an un-chosen path.

You might not like that there are negitive aspects within homosexuality, and in defense of the homosexuals you would defend against acknowledging any of those negitive elements. Even if they are the obvious statistical ones of higher rates of STIs that can be verified.

How much more would you all hate the accusation that these negatives are real and they are your fault that you share with society as a whole.

I listen to a fellow tell his story, for 30 plus years he believed he was homosexual, so built a life with another fellow. That relationship was never truly fulfilling. When that relationship broke down he then developed a relationship with a woman. He had a family with his wife, and stated it was the greatest experience of his life as he discovered who he really was. His homosexual identity was largely given him by his peers.

Hi BP,

" .... the dividing line between male and female is often extremely fine. In some cases, it’s almost invisible or even non-existent."

Except that males have male DNA and females have female DNA, and so far, scientists haven't been able to change that.

I've got nothing much against homosexuals although, being male, I'm much easier with gay women than with gay men. Being devastatingly handsome as a teenager, I had the odd hand up the leg from someone who I had thought was a friend. Nowadays, I still watch where friends put their hands.

But live and let live, on that condition. Of course, homosexuality has a long tradition, usually amongst the upper classes, as long as its practice was discreet, andas long as heirs were still produced by one's spouse, who could then do whatever she liked, as long as it too was discreet. I don't think gaols in earlier times were ever crowded with homosexuals, nor have they been recently, so there's a bit of special pleading in their claim of persecution.

Cheers,

Joe