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By the same token, it's not "normal" to be left handed, to have red hair or to have green eyes. The incidence of green eyes in the human population is less than the measured incidence of homosexuality. Yet, nobody runs around telling green eyed folks that they are "abnormal."
BUT, if the understanding of the word normal is, "expected variation in a range of options".... then sexuality differences (same sex attraction at least) ARE normal. Human sexuality is complicated and implicates all sorts of chemical, biological and physiological factors in our bodies and brains vis-a-vis other humans. However, it would NOT be normal or expected for humans to have attraction to animals, machines or to go around humping trees. So THAT is "not normal."
It's all in the context and you shouldn't use the word "normal" as a weapon. Just like how with handicapped kids or delayed development kids or even little people (dwarves) they don't use "normal" anymore. They use "average" to denote what is "normal" or "expected" among kids a certain age, or the expected height of a human.... because it better captures the sentiment. Unless you're just trying to be an ass about it. Then don't be upset when someone pushes back.
I could not agree more with the bold! (And ditto for the word "abnormal".)
By the same token, it's not "normal" to be left handed, to have red hair or to have green eyes. The incidence of green eyes in the human population is less than the measured incidence of homosexuality. Yet, nobody runs around telling green eyed folks that they are "abnormal."
BUT, if the understanding of the word normal is, "expected variation in a range of options".... then sexuality differences (same sex attraction at least) ARE normal. Human sexuality is complicated and implicates all sorts of chemical, biological and physiological factors in our bodies and brains vis-a-vis other humans. However, it would NOT be normal or expected for humans to have attraction to animals, machines or to go around humping trees. So THAT is "not normal."
It's all in the context and you shouldn't use the word "normal" as a weapon. Just like how with handicapped kids or delayed development kids or even little people (dwarves) they don't use "normal" anymore. They use "average" to denote what is "normal" or "expected" among kids a certain age, or the expected height of a human.... because it better captures the sentiment. Unless you're just trying to be an ass about it. Then don't be upset when someone pushes back.
I would say that homosexuality is not "unusual" but it is certainly not "normal" in the sense of "typical" to be gay or left handed or green eyed. It's atypical. People contort definitions to meet their agendas. People contort the bible to meet their needs.
Homosexuality is something that I am uncomfortable with and don't like seeing. However, that is something that I just have to accept and live with in society as I do believe they deserve all the rights that I do. I don't want to infringe upon their freedoms just because I am uncomfortable with it. There is nothing that can be done to make me feel comfortable with it either.
It bothers me that people distort the meaning of the word 'normal' to make it equivalent to "nothing wrong" (with it). If I'm not mistaken, the American Psychiatric Association started it when they said that homosexuality was "normal".
Well, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with someone if s/he is homosexual or bisexual, but that does not make that person 'normal' according to the dictionary definition of 'normal'.
nor·mal
/ˈnôrməl/
adjective
1.
conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.
"it's quite normal for puppies to bolt their food"
So red heads are not normal, nor are left handed people or Jewish people. We still afford them all the same rights and protections as all other American citizens.
By the same token, it's not "normal" to be left handed, to have red hair or to have green eyes. The incidence of green eyes in the human population is less than the measured incidence of homosexuality. Yet, nobody runs around telling green eyed folks that they are "abnormal."
BUT, if the understanding of the word normal is, "expected variation in a range of options".... then sexuality differences (same sex attraction at least) ARE normal. Human sexuality is complicated and implicates all sorts of chemical, biological and physiological factors in our bodies and brains vis-a-vis other humans. However, it would NOT be normal or expected for humans to have attraction to animals, machines or to go around humping trees. So THAT is "not normal."
It's all in the context and you shouldn't use the word "normal" as a weapon. Just like how with handicapped kids or delayed development kids or even little people (dwarves) they don't use "normal" anymore. They use "average" to denote what is "normal" or "expected" among kids a certain age, or the expected height of a human.... because it better captures the sentiment. Unless you're just trying to be an ass about it. Then don't be upset when someone pushes back.
I would say that homosexuality is not "unusual" but it is certainly not "normal" in the sense of "typical" to be gay or left handed or green eyed. It's atypical. People contort definitions to meet their agendas. People contort the bible to meet their needs.
Homosexuality is something that I am uncomfortable with and don't like seeing. However, that is something that I just have to accept and live with in society as I do believe they deserve all the rights that I do. I don't want to infringe upon their freedoms just because I am uncomfortable with it. There is nothing that can be done to make me feel comfortable with it either.
Excellent post! What you wrote in the first paragraph was what I was going to add to my previous post after thinking about it some more, but you said it better than I would have. I think "atypical" is a MUCH better word to use to describe traits that are found in a (relatively) small percentage of a larger group.
I also agree with the second paragraph, except that I am comfortable around people who are homosexual or bisexual -- but I admit that I am not at all comfortable around people who are transgendered. But as you said, "I just have to accept and live with them in society as I do believe they deserve all the rights that I do. I don't want to infringe upon their freedoms just because I am uncomfortable with it. There is nothing that can be done to make me feel comfortable with it either."
Last edited by katharsis; 11-22-2019 at 10:02 AM..
If you are not comfortable around gay people. That is YOUR problem not theirs. They are probably not comfortable around a bigot either.
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