Gay Rights?

According to Wikipedia the term “gay” to describe “homosexual” has been a long time coming, though it’s shift as an antonym for “straight” seems to have picked up steam in the mid 20^th century (say, 1950s) as a defense against other pejorative terms such as “queer.” Today it is even risky to use the term “homosexual” in public discourse for fear of offending. In today’s (October 6, 2009) Washington Times article “Obama To Address Major Gay Rights Group” author Matthew Mosk uses the term “gay” seven times without ever using any other synonym, four times with the word “rights” as its modified noun. But when did “gay” (homosexual behavior) get to be a right? Oh, most certainly the right to choose one’s moral decisions was given in the beginning when God gave mankind a free will. In that sense gays have the God-given right to choose homosexual behavior as much as do adulterers, thieves, liars, murderers, and blasphemers to choose theirs. In fact, that would include all of us if we are candid about our sinfulness. Yet I suspect the rights in question aren’t referring to the code of conduct which is the subject of J. Budziszewski’s “Written on the Heart” but rather the legal claim of justified due that is granted to all citizens. In others words, homosexual activists insist that the right of same-sex behavior be recognized by law and by culture as equal to the recognition of rights by virtue of race, color, religion, national origin, sex and age. However, there are two important questions with respect to the homosexuals’ claim that must be answered. First, is there a moral equivalence between homosexuality and the other recognized groups? Second, what are the consequences to our national security and longevity in affirming the claim? Each of these questions deserves a treatise in answer and I won’t attempt that in this essay. Nevertheless, don’t be under the mistaken illusion that it doesn’t matter.