What if your own parent was the one who was disgusted by your overall "choice" or "genetic" sexual preference? This parent in the article was afraid that she would be "made fun of" for having a gay child. The one thing that gets me is, "He will not stop being gay," and the fact she thinks that he's only "being gay" because she forgot his birthday. Are people that self-absorbed and ignorant? Amy Dickinson wrote the perfect response. "Try choosing a different sexuality." And when you really think about doing something like that, doesn't it feel "wrong"? I mean -- to you? So that's why I sometimes think, yes - it is genetics. Regardless, parents like this should not breed. I remember a long time ago having a debate with a diehard Christian fundamentalist and he said to me, "You were put on earth to procreate! That's why marriage is legal for only a man and woman." What about straight couples who can't have a baby? I've seen many couples, straight or gay adopt children which is a great option because there are so many babies and young children who need a home. There's also artificial insemination as well. But even when I throw that on the table, I get, "Well, a child needs a mother and a father. Who will be the father figure in their life?" I ask, "What about single parents who raise perfectly good kids?" …Nothing.
Whether the bigotry is stemmed from Catholic guilt or just plain ignorance, we were not placed on earth to "procreate". On the religious side, in the bible it does say to procreate and have many children, but this was in the days when people were developing. Earth needed more souls. Why do you think China is limited to only have one child per household? We are overpopulated anyway as a nation, as a world. The conspiracy theorist in me also believes that it is true that they are putting a type of contraceptive into our flu vaccinations. It's certainly not for procreation. A family doesn't need children. A "family unit" can be just you and your spouse. Personally speaking, my partner and I wanted to have children. We always talked about it and discussed raising our kid in a loving home. These days, I would be horrified to have a kid in this world. The world's gone absolutely mad between school shootings, bullying via social media and all the suicides that string along with it. It would drive me straight into the nuthouse. I couldn't handle it and I respect every single parent that I know who has a young child going to school --- they have their hands full. In this day of age, for a parent to even write into a paper making such claims as "make him stop being gay" and lowering his self-worth is absolutely despicable. Isn't it enough that he has to deal with life's pressure as a kid growing up in this mad mad world? What do you think?
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