You're not allowed to disagree with them. At all. On anything. Ever.

I have no problem with homosexuality. The thought of homosexuality doesn't sicken or revolt me. I consider it no different than heterosexuality. It's all just attraction - and they can't help who they're attracted to any more than I can. I think that homosexuality is genetic, or at the very least it's biological. In fairness, the jury IS still out on that - but you'd be a fool to ignore all the science that lends to a biological conclusion. I think that any person should be allowed to love and be with the person they love - so much so that I'm even OK with legalizing polygamous and incestuous relationships. Whatever floats your boat, right?

I am for gay marriage. Or, at the very least, I'm not against gay marriage (frankly, I don't care one way or the other. Let 'em get married, don't let 'em get married - either way it doesn't affect me in the least). I am OK with gays adopting children. I am OK with working with gays, going to the same school as gays, living in the same neighborhood with gays, so on and so for. I am NOT OK with "Gay Only" establishments (I think it's a hypocritical, discriminatory double standard). I am NOT OK with some of the methods and means by which gay activists seek to achieve their goals. And I am especially NOT OK with the constant "Oh woe is me!" bitching and whining the gay community does.

Yes, they're getting slighted in a lot of ways - but good god man, these people NEVER shut up. I understand and sympathize with your plight, but watching you people constantly play the martyr in as loud and as shrill a voice as possible gets old.

Somehow that makes me a bigot and a homophobe.

Additionally, being against anything that they're for also makes you a bigot and a homophobe. Remember back in February, the antics of the gay community in response to a Washington State court decision regarding the definition of marriage? I was against this little political stunt. I think it's a waste of taxpayer money, I think it's an unnecessary burden on the legislative process, and I think it's especially hypocritical in Washington where the people are always complaining about the similar antics of Tim Eyman. Yes, I think the Washington Courts were wrong - but their wrongful action does not justify what the gay community did in response. Apparently, thinking and saying this makes me a bigot and a homophobe.

You're not even allowed to use non-approved terminology without them throwing a hissy fit. Recently I used the term "the lesbo couple next door". I meant nothing by it - but yet, I'm apparently a bigot and a homophobe merely for using words that aren't approved of by the gay community. I wonder, by the way, how many gay activists took offense at the episode of Scrubs where the straight, white male told all the "old queens" to "get outta here!" Hmm.

Now... take a moment. Consider the absurdity of this. They chastise me - A SUPPORTER OF GAY RIGHTS - someone that's AGREES that homosexuals are getting a pretty raw deal on this marriage issue - simply because I disagree with the way homosexuals are going about furthering their goals, simply because I use a colloquialism like "lesbos", simply because I'm against political stunts and media circuses meant to further gay rights (or at least "promote awareness"). Does that make ANY sense?

I think that the reality is that most heterosexuals are a lot like me - they don't really give a rip and are quite happy to leave the gays alone to do whatever the heck they want. But I suspect that gay activists are SO angry and SO militant that their judgment gets completely clouded and they simply tune out anything that isn't complete and utter agreement with them and dismiss it as bigotry. As a result, they sound irrational and overly emotional - and I think this is going to be to their detriment for a very long time.

The problem with it is, it's basically the equivalent of a temper tantrum. In an online debate of this subject, some girl stated that "[she] will scream at the top of [her] lungs!". Yea, you know what? I admire her passion, but as I said to her:

“All you do when you scream is put people off. You put them on the defensive and they don't even hear what you have to say - all they hear is a loud, irrational temper tantrum. And that's the problem with the gay rights movement. They keep burning their own bridges because ALL THEY DO is throw whiny temper tantrums.

And the worst part, the WORST PART is: they don't even HAVE to. They have ALL THE STRENGTH OF REASON on their side! Their side is the one that MAKES SENSE. They are right, and all the anti-gay bigots out there are wrong! But nobody cares. Nobody listens to them, because all the gay community ever does is scream at people.

Can you really blame anyone for not listening? It's that kind of petulance, it's people like [these gay rights activists], it's the whiny crybabyism of the gay rights movement that's doing the most harm to gays. It's as simple as that.”

And I have to admit - despite my position on gay marriage, even I'M a little put off after having this debate. If I were a more petty person, I'd vote against gay marriage just to spite them for how immature and obnoxious they've been towards me and for repeatedly insinuating (if not outright stating) that I'm a bigot or a homophobe simply because I don't march in lockstep with everything they say and do. Why should I support you when all you do is scream at me over the smallest degree of dissent?

But I guess that's my point, isn't it. If the behavior of all gay activists is anything like I've seen in the last 24 hours (and I think it is, or at least the media, my old college campus, and having lived in Seattle has led me to believe it is), all they're going to do is further polarize those who are already against them, and tick of the people like me who aren't. The point is, if they use force, they're just going to put people on defensive. If they scream at people at the top of their lungs, the people aren't going to hear what they're saying - they're just going to hear a shrill angry whiny person. And if they try and circumvent people with political stunts and media circuses, they're only going to build resentment.

The gay-rights activists don't have to resort to name-calling and publicity stunts because they have the truth on their side. Why they won't simply USE it is beyond me. And why they insist on attacking and demonizing people who ARE ON THEIR SIDE is beyond me as well.

But hey, what do I know. I'm just some homophobic bigot because I don't agree with certain aspects of the gay rights movement.