By Dennis McClatchey
Kirk Cameron, star of the 1980's sit com "Growing Pains," made news recently with his comments on homosexuality on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight. According to Mr. Cameron, homosexuality is "unnatural"..."detrimental"...and "destructive...to the foundations of civilization."
To be expected, those words created a chorus of outrage and support from many quarters. To those of us who found his notions outrageous he blames Piers Morgan. You see, poor Kirk came on the show simply to promote his documentary "Monumental" not to discuss his personal views on social issues. Although he holds steadfastly to those views and has gone on the Today show and Fox and Friends to repeat them while blaming Piers Morgan for giving his insights a platform.
First, why should we care what Kirk Cameron says? Second, he has a right to his opinion and a right to express that opinion when asked about it.
True. But, when someone says something that I feel is wrong, detrimental, and destructive that same right prevails. So, I choose to exercise my right to speak out in protest.
Homosexuality is not unnatural. Anything that occurs in nature is, by definition, natural. And, even Cameron has to accept the fact that homosexuality does occur in nature. Perhaps, though, to a greater degree than he realizes.
Naturalists have witnessed and documented same sex behavior in: Bisons, Brown Bears, Brown Rats, Caribous, domestic Cats, domestic Cattle, Chateaus, Chimpanzees, Dolphins, Marmosets, Dogs, Elephants, Foxes, Giraffes, Goats, domestic Horses, Lions, Orcas, Raccoons, barn Owls, Chickens, Gulls, Emus, King Penguins, Mallards, Ravens, Seagulls, and the list goes on and on and on.
Now, I don't know about Kirk, but for me being straight was not something that required a great deal of thought. When I became sexually driven-a time not by choice but by hormones-I did not have to set out a piece of paper, draw a vertical line down the middle and jot on one side the advantages of being gay and on the other side of the page the advantages of being straight.
Or, I can be gay which may require keeping my love partner a secret, become estranged from my family, church, and friends. I would not be allowed to marry, open myself up to ridicule, being called a deviant, labeled as immoral by a 1980's sit com star, and possibly being bullied, beaten, and murdered.
I am straight because I am and always have been attracted to the opposite sex. And, I trust it is the same kind of urges and desires that drives a gay person to his/her desired partner.
But, as long as we have the likes of Kirk Cameron judging and denouncing a gay person's orientation, there will be those who find comfort in calling out and hurting a person based on who that person loves.
As long as we allow the uneducated and the uncaring to classify gays as "unnatural, detrimental, and destructive to the foundations of civilization" we will continue to see young people confused, ashamed, and suicidal.
And, to me, that is about as evil as one can be.