Unfortunately, there are still plenty of people hostile to homosexuals. They talk about homosexual behaviour which is supposed to be optional to everyone. Presented as evidence of this is rape committed against individuals of the same gender as the perpetrator. In some types of environments this commonly occurs. This is not an expression of general human homosexual tendencies. Instead, it is a matter of abuse of power. In practice nothing prevents superiors from treating their subordinates badly. Then the superior person will more or less do so.
Homosexuality also differs from paedophilia. In particular it is much more common than sexual attraction to children. 10 – 14 percent of humanity is willing to have sex with individuals of the same gender as themselves. I think it is less than one percent which have any desire to have sex with children. At least if one by “children” mean individuals under 13. (There might possibly be an underreporting due the age of individuals being overestimated.) Moreover, such paedophilia is twice as common in men as in women. In contrast I think homosexuality is equally common in both genders.
I think the mix-up with paedophilia comes from a faulty analogy. Some societies have historically allowed men to have sex with young boys. Many of those young boys would now be considered too young to have sex. I don’t think people realised how exploitive that often was. In modern times homosexual relationships has been mistaken for analogous with that. In addition there is the mix-up between sexual attraction and sex crime. To sexually exploit teenagers is lumped together with sexual attraction to considerably younger children. Such crimes don’t have to mean that.
I think the willingness to have sex with individuals of the same gender is inborn. There is documentation of homosexual behaviour in societies without a word for “homosexual”. Still today it occurs in countries where sex with someone of the same gender is illegal. Why would someone choose something leading to persecution? Because the person feel it is the only right thing. I think half of those with sexual attraction to individuals of the same gender are exclusively homosexual. They as such lack sexual attraction to individuals of the opposite gender. Why should they not be allowed to have consensual sex with each other? It is not the behaviour that spreads but openness about the willingness to it.
One way of viewing ethics is to start from the golden rule. Do you want to have your sexual attraction condemned every week for years? I identify as a woman and lack such attraction to other women. But I have no problem imagining that someone can experience the opposite. So why should you condemn the later just because it is unusual? One has to take into consideration that people have different tastes. However, I don’t think hate preachers try to live according to the golden rule in any practically useful form. They still believe in hierarchism and demand the unconditional obedience of others. As if that could be attained.
Another way of viewing it is based on the categorical imperative. What would happen if everyone in society only had sex with someone of the same gender as themselves? (This is purely theoretically since most don’t want to.) We would still be able to have children through artificial insemination. The only difference I think there would be is there being no unplanned children. I don’t think unplanned ones are needed to uphold population levels. So homosexual sex is fine form this point of view.
A third way of viewing it is based on consequentialism. Which are the consequences of having sex with someone of the same gender? I don’t think it differ from sex with someone of the opposite gender. If there is any difference, why would it only be harmful? Is it not rather about relying on one’s religion? If so, a religious doctrine was formulated with the intention of maximising the birth-rate. Something which is not constructive today.
All this does not mean I promote homosexual behaviour. I have just never seen anything wrong with some being homosexual. Some unusual mental characteristics don’t need to constitute problems unless they are made into ones. Homosexuality is one of those which don’t have to be. What are people actually afraid of? I don’t think they are more likely to commit sexual misconduct. At least not if they get the chance to came into contact with each other. Then they can find someone to have sex with under mutual consent. A concept some individuals still have difficulty understanding. But difficulty to understand this concept is a different type of problem.
Uploaded on the 7th of December 2023.
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