Bacon and Homosexuality

Not many people would see much similarity between the two things listed above. However, they are actually quite similar, especially to a Jew.

While I myself am not Jewish, my fiancé is, and I am more than happy to use her as my example. She grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home that was kept kosher. When I met her, she was 24 years old and had never tried bacon.

Eventually, I got her to try it. She loved it of course, because bacon is delicious. Most people would agree with this statement, and people who don’t like bacon would probably not mind me saying so. In reality, this is very similar to how homosexuality could naturally be treated, if there was not such a heavy-handed opposition to it in our culture. The only people who might be offended by my fiancé trying bacon would be Jews or maybe Muslims, but I doubt a Muslim would care what a Jew eats. So why are Christians so nosey about gays?

I don’t believe homosexuality is genetic. This belief garners strong criticism from liberals, who insist it is not a choice. Yet, I agree: homosexuality is not a choice. People do not wake up one day and decide they want to be attracted to people of the same gender any more than people decide to be attracted to the opposite.

There is in fact no natural order to this preference. Those who oppose homosexuality are quick to point out the physiological process of procreation, as if sex is merely an activity for making babies and nothing more. Never mind that this is tantamount to saying a tool such as language should only be utilized for business, but never poetry, fiction or any kind of frivolous enjoyment.

Homosexuality is a natural occurrence. Homosexuality occurs naturally in all types of animals, from fish to reptiles to birds to mammals. There's even queer insects. There is simply no denying the natural state of homosexuality. Like masturbation, it is simply another way of enjoying life that culture (primarily religion) has deemed pointless, and therefore immoral.

But what does this all have to do with bacon? Well, quite frankly, homosexuality is merely a particular taste that can satiate an appetite present in all of us. It would be inaccurate to claim everyone was homosexual; it would be more accurate to assert that all humans are bisexual (in that it is technically possible for them to have sex with either gender, which it is). However, just as some people enjoy bacon, others do not, and others are told never to try it and may go their whole lives never doing so, homosexuality has its fans, indifferent observers and blind opposition.

All the arguments against homosexuality hold up for bacon: bacon is not necessary and a person can lead a long (perhaps even longer) life with a varied diet that does not include bacon. In fact, bacon isn’t good for you, even in moderation. Yahweh has even stated his dislike for both. However, the idea of outlawing bacon is ludicrous to us. Why is it acceptable to be intolerant of homosexuals?

We would all find it a great injustice is one day Jewish people fought to ban bacon (and all pork products for that matter). We would tell them no one is requiring them to have any. Their defense would likely sound something like the defense against homosexuality: “I don’t care what you do in your own home, but you bring it out on the streets and entice my children with it and we got a problem. You people put up billboards with bacon in cheese burgers, a double kosher no-no!"

The anti-homosexual side is merely petty and needs not even be addressed; suffice to say, those who oppose homosexuality or gay marriage are fools who can be led to believe anything as long as you get to them first or when they're questioning their life. However, the pro-homosexuality side is receptive to logic, but is misguided. They struggle to convince others of untruths in the name of justice; it is not that they are convincing people of lies for some evil cause. Because they lack the tools to win the debate in which they are correct, they rely upon inaccuracies for justification.

To say homosexuality is genetic is a dangerous claim. One must understand what this claim entails before realizing why it should be abandoned. For one, it assumes a lack of free will. It assumes we are hardwired at birth to do certain things. Who’s to say someone isn’t genetically a murderer, and therefore should not be held accountable for their actions? In the end, the pro-gay side seeks to somehow prove that homosexuals are out of control and can’t help their condition. This is clearly not the case, as they are in complete control and need no help besides the basic human rights they deserve.

This argument comes from a good place but leads to a bad one. Homosexuals have been subjected to dehumanizing treatment in Western Civilization since Christianity overtook paganism. “Homosexuality” in fact finds its naming origin in 19th century medical writing, where it is classed as a mental disorder. Even today, centers exist where homosexuals go (or are sent against their will) to be “fixed” or “reprogrammed.” It seems a logical step to prove that it is not something that CAN be fixed in order to prevent this kind of treatment. However, there is sufficient evidence to show one can essentially "acquire" a taste for heterosexuality, just as one can for homosexuality. It's just not as simple as being "born gay" or "born straight."

When my fiancé was born, there was nothing in her genes that dictated she would prefer men and also enjoy bacon. As she was raised, she had no exposure to bacon but was driven towards finding the love of a man. Her current situation, in which she has chosen to follow her culture’s gender role while ignoring her culture’s dietary rules, is a triumph of her freedom to determine what is best for her, personally, rather than what is best for all people at all times. This is the very definition of freedom: acknowledgement that what is best for you is not necessarily best for all, and that those different from you have every right to be that way.

Indeed, homosexuality is not something that needs to be fixed or altered. The preference for homosexuality is not a conscious choice, but it is something that the person has control over. The choice to perform a homosexual or heterosexual (or a non-sexual) act lies solely with the individual. This is not something anyone should dispute. What is disputable is whether or not they should be allowed to, but any person who is a supporter of freedom has only one choice in the matter: allowance.