Addictive!

I was surfing around a couple of news sites and ended up coming across an article entitled "'Quit" Gay Sex' Campaign," written by Cliff Kincade, an editor for the right-wing media watchdog Accuracy In Media. The crux of his article is the argument that because media organizations have started anti-smoking campaigns after the death of Peter Jennings, they should likewise start a campaign against "the dangerous and addictive homosexual lifestyle." His rationale is basically that STDs are all gay men's fault and that it presents a public health risk, similar to smoking.Just imagine - that uber-hot straight guy you've always lusted after... he can be turned, if only you can get him to taste that forbidden fruit -- just one bite and he's hooked 'cause we're irresistable!

Of course, Kincade and many of the conservatives try to reduce being gay to just sex. I suppose maybe that's true for some people. For me, at least, I knew I was gay many years before I ever had sex. And at the same time, let's look at "the addictive homosexual lifestyle." What exactly does that mean? For me, being gay has come to mean that instead of trying to jump through hoops and satisfy the expectations that society places on me I'm actively trying to trust myself, make my own decisions and be myself, relying on the truth that both I and the world are better off when I'm following my heart instead of trying to fit myself into some premade mold. It really isn't about sex, per se... So, when I look at it that way, yes, the "gay lifestyle" really is alluring. Its dangerous too, at least to those who would try to tell others how to run their lives. The last thing they want is for people to actually think for themselves and make their own decisions. Regardless of who they're sleeping with, the world needs more people who are willing to think for themselves.