Opinion Page

Surely it can't be easy to put up with the irrational, closed-minded hatred day in and day out. I'm not sure I would have the strength.

Homophobes, for the sake of rationalizing their bigotry, commonly argue that homosexuals are "choosing" a lifestyle that is "evil" or "wrong."

Let's first assume, for the sake of argument, that homosexuality is a choice." Is it also "wrong?"

Why?

Some homophobes, again to justify their own bigotry, point to various definitions of "wrong."

They cite various texts (the Bible being one example) as "proof." They might cite either a loose subjective translation or a strict literal translation, but both present problems.

One, a model of morality based on a subjective translation of any text is subject to the preconceptions, however unjustified, of the translator.

Any text subjectively translated by a homophobe is bound to sound homophobic. This is an obvious fact of human psychology.

Two, a model of morality based on a strict, literal interpretation of a text is subject to the errors of the text. The Bible, for example, is absolute nonsense when taken literally.

Homosexuality, in and of itself, does not hurt anyone (I am ignoring the physical and emotional threat that an intolerant society poses to homosexuals for the time being). This is enough to convince me that there is nothing "wrong" about it.

Now let's assume something different. Let's assume that psychologists are correct in attributing homosexual behavior to the structure of a particular part of the hypothalamus region of the brain.

Let's also I assume that the homosexual behavior observed by primatologists in nonhuman primates (like bonobos, for example) is equivalent to homosexual behavior observed in humans.

Maybe homosexuality is innate. This might explain why homosexual behavior exists in a society that is so hatefully intolerant of it. Think about it.

If you had to live in a society as intolerant as ours, would you choose to be a homosexual?

It is true that a behavior is not justified on moral terms simply by being natural.

Homosexuality, however, is a behavior that is most likely innate, and meets no rational definition of "wrong."