If homosexuality is neither a normal nor a healthy lifestyle -- as I believe this article demonstrates -- then the most loving thing we can do is to help homosexuals realize this and offer them our help and encouragement. But millions of people in our society believe that homosexuality is a healthy and acceptable alternative lifestyle. This debate over the acceptance of homosexuality in our culture is one that has been clouded with many misrepresentations and inaccuracies. These misrepresentations include the assertion that ten percent of all Americans are gay (the figure is actually closer to one or two percent), that all competent psychiatrists and psychologists believe homosexuality is a healthy lifestyle (the majority do not), that homosexuals are born that way (most therapists disagree) and cannot change their sexual preference (disproven by numerous accounts where gays have converted to heterosexuality).  

In recent years homosexuals (especially men) have had to battle through the difficulties associated with the discovery of HIV and the AIDS virus. Initially AIDS was seen as a 'gay plague' (as it was only found among gay men).  But as more heterosexual people became infected AIDS is now seen not merely as a 'gay problem' but as a global concern. An AIDS epidemic is something that should concern us all.

Whether we accept homosexual behavior as normal will depend on a number of factors. First, it depends on our family and upbringing. If we have been exposed to homophobic attitudes then it is likely (although not certain) that we will be homophobic as well. Religion also plays a large part and can have a dramatic effect on our morals, values and ethics.  Another factor is whether we have been exposed to homosexual behavior. If we have had a bad homosexual encounter this may lead us to see homosexuality (and homosexuals) as perverted. However, a positive encounter could lead one to embrace homosexual values and way of life. All these factors have an influence on whether we see homosexuality as 'normal' or not. Thus homosexual practice seems to be assessed primarily in the light of our presuppositions concerning homosexual behavior.

The outcome of this is that many people do not believe homosexual behavior to be the issue but people's attitudes. One's acceptance or rejection of homosexual behavior seems to have little to do with the homosexual 'act' itself but how we feel about such 'activity'. Despite the fact that homosexual reproduction is not normal as far as evolution and our genetics is concerned it does seem to be normal when it comes to people living honestly as the person they believe they are. On this basis many people believe it to be wrong to deny homosexuals this right. It also seen as wrong to deny them the right to express this in physical ways. Thus it seems homosexuals do not want the world to be gay but they do want people to be more accepting of them for who they are. Is there anything abnormal with that?