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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/21/whats-wrong-with-choosing-to-be-gay
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| What's wrong with choosing to be gay, anyway? | What's wrong with choosing to be gay, anyway? |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| With the election of Mike Baird as the new premier, New South Wales | With the election of Mike Baird as the new premier, New South Wales |
| is potentially about to embark on a sharp social conservative turn. Baird | is potentially about to embark on a sharp social conservative turn. Baird |
| not only opposes same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption, | not only opposes same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption, |
| but is he also anti-abortion and against heroin injecting rooms. | but is he also anti-abortion and against heroin injecting rooms. |
| In other words, he is the antithesis of Barry O’Farrell's social liberalism. | In other words, he is the antithesis of Barry O’Farrell's social liberalism. |
| But it is one comment in particular which has got people riled | But it is one comment in particular which has got people riled |
| up: a statement in which Baird implied that people “choose” the “homosexuality lifestyle", a line which led comedian Tom Ballard to wonder whether Baird was drunk on a $3,000 bottle of wine. On a more serious note, NSW deputy opposition leader Linda Burney also demanded that Baird explain whether he still held this "backward" view, stating that: | up: a statement in which Baird implied that people “choose” the “homosexuality lifestyle", a line which led comedian Tom Ballard to wonder whether Baird was drunk on a $3,000 bottle of wine. On a more serious note, NSW deputy opposition leader Linda Burney also demanded that Baird explain whether he still held this "backward" view, stating that: |
| People | People |
| enter same sex relationships on the basis of love, not because of some lifestyle trend. | enter same sex relationships on the basis of love, not because of some lifestyle trend. |
| The question has long been a point of contention for lesbian and | The question has long been a point of contention for lesbian and |
| gay people, but the idea that we are "born | gay people, but the idea that we are "born |
| this way" has become | this way" has become |
| an article of faith in recent years. If we are "born gay", we should not be discriminated | an article of faith in recent years. If we are "born gay", we should not be discriminated |
| against, since you cannot and should not discriminate against what is "natural". | against, since you cannot and should not discriminate against what is "natural". |
| It is this argument that is forming the backbone of the reaction against | It is this argument that is forming the backbone of the reaction against |
| Baird’s social conservatism. Unfortunately however, the attack buys very much | Baird’s social conservatism. Unfortunately however, the attack buys very much |
| into Baird’s philosophy. | into Baird’s philosophy. |
| It has to be acknowledged that the "born this | It has to be acknowledged that the "born this |
| way" theory is not necessarily exact. Research shows that people can and do actively | way" theory is not necessarily exact. Research shows that people can and do actively |
| choose their sexuality at times, and that sexuality can be fluid. | choose their sexuality at times, and that sexuality can be fluid. |
| Anecdotal evidence points to this | Anecdotal evidence points to this |
| as well. Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon for | as well. Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon for |
| example has publicly stated that she actively chose to be a lesbian, Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson has spoken | example has publicly stated that she actively chose to be a lesbian, Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson has spoken |
| about a potential willingness to date men in the future, and Olympic diver Tom Daley has described his | about a potential willingness to date men in the future, and Olympic diver Tom Daley has described his |
| experience of being a man who "fancied girls" but entered a relationship with a | experience of being a man who "fancied girls" but entered a relationship with a |
| man. | man. |
| All of these stories describe experiences, or at least a willingness, of | All of these stories describe experiences, or at least a willingness, of |
| people to change and adapt their sexuality and sexual practices throughout | people to change and adapt their sexuality and sexual practices throughout |
| their lives. We all make active choices – whether it is who we decide to have | their lives. We all make active choices – whether it is who we decide to have |
| sex with, how we have sex, and how much sex we have. | sex with, how we have sex, and how much sex we have. |
| And herein lies the problem. When we attack Baird for | And herein lies the problem. When we attack Baird for |
| saying people choose an homosexual lifestyle, we are implicitly saying "who | saying people choose an homosexual lifestyle, we are implicitly saying "who |
| would want to choose this lifestyle?" – something I’ve actually heard gay people | would want to choose this lifestyle?" – something I’ve actually heard gay people |
| say –, in turn buying into the very idea that non-straight sexualities are not desirable. In doing so, we open up those who make these sorts of active | say –, in turn buying into the very idea that non-straight sexualities are not desirable. In doing so, we open up those who make these sorts of active |
| choices to discrimination. We open the opportunity for oppression (social or | choices to discrimination. We open the opportunity for oppression (social or |
| legal) on people’s legitimate sexual agency. | legal) on people’s legitimate sexual agency. |
| We can already see this playing out internally within the | We can already see this playing out internally within the |
| gay and lesbian movement. When Nixon said that she chose her sexuality, she was ruthlessly attacked by gay and lesbian advocates. | gay and lesbian movement. When Nixon said that she chose her sexuality, she was ruthlessly attacked by gay and lesbian advocates. |
| When Daley announced that he had a boyfriend, many were determined to put | When Daley announced that he had a boyfriend, many were determined to put |
| him into the "gay" or "bisexual" box, even though that wasn’t how he described himself. Quite simply, they were told they had to accept that their sexuality is all biology. | |
| This is not the way it should be. We shouldn't | This is not the way it should be. We shouldn't |
| discriminate against people’s sexuality or sexual habits not because they’re "natural", but because there’s nothing wrong with them. | discriminate against people’s sexuality or sexual habits not because they’re "natural", but because there’s nothing wrong with them. |
| The people of NSW deserve to be worried about the | |
| conservative trend Baird may now be poised to take the state on. Many of his | conservative trend Baird may now be poised to take the state on. Many of his |
| positions deserve to be fought against, but his belief that people choose their | positions deserve to be fought against, but his belief that people choose their |
| sexuality is not one of them. Next time we hear him say it, our only response | sexuality is not one of them. Next time we hear him say it, our only response |
| should be “yes, and what’s wrong with that?”. | should be “yes, and what’s wrong with that?”. |