Campaign2008VictoryA: Gay Americans

Note: This is one of two columns for Monday, September 10, 2007. Your Comments are Very Welcome, except for those from "Anonymous." TOMORROW, 9/11, A DAY FOR HEROES AND SADNESS, I WILL WRITE ABOUT 9/11 AND "THE TWO AMERICAS."

In my return to total candor in my discussions of national politics, I will discuss two related issues: (1) the way that small group of my fellow evangelical Christians have damaged our representative democracy with their commitment to a theocracy; (2) the anti-Christian and thoughtless way they have used gay Americans – including millions of gay moderates and conservatives – as scapegoats for America’s social problems. Let’s look at my second point.

As Christians, we are under divine admonition to love God and our neighbors (basically, all other human beings). We don’t have to agree with everyone on issues. We don’t have to vote for people we feel would not be good leaders. We don't have to change our individual definitions of what constitutes sin.

Yet, we absolutely must show respect to people who disagree with us and perhaps conduct their lives in ways different from us.

I despise two terms: (1) “gay lifestyle”; (2) “the gay agenda.” My observation is that gay lifestyles (plural) are as diverse as those of “straights.” Also, the implication (“gay agenda”) that gay people form some monolithic political and social movement is nonsense. When people rely on such terms, they indicate they’re homophobes – or worse.

To all gay Americans, I -- as a Christian committed to our universal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ -- apologize sincerely for the contemptible treatment of people portraying themselves as Christians who have done harm to the lives and reputations of gay and lesbian people. I realize small segments of evangelicals have, in violation of the teaching of Jesus Christ, used Christianity as a weapon. Their behavior, in the past and now, has been reprehensible. "What ye do unto the least of them ye do unto Me."

It is well past the time when homophobes and gay-bashers should have grown up. They need to stop portraying the Republican Party as some sort of hate group. It is time to restore the GOP as an institution committed to decency, a legacy that traces back to Lincoln.

Frankly, the way other ADULTS conduct their own lives is none of my business. It’s also none of YOUR business. Granted, traditional marriages and traditional families face some great challenges, but it’s thoroughly improper to blame them on any group, including the (relatively) small cohort of gay and lesbian Americans.

It is a sin to scapegoat others. Such behavior is destructive of the tolerance and unity our society so desperately needs.

Recently, I re-visited a prominent gay conservative blog, http:gaypatriot.org/. I checked out the blog roll, which consists primarily of other gay conservative sites. If you go there yourself, and I hope you will, here’s what you’ll see (plus a final comment).

(Let me add that I disagree with some regularity with GayPatriot on certain issues. To me, they're much too willing to accept the views of Republican elders about the need for Beltway experience. To me, much of that "experience" is the kind true leaders could do without.)