I thought and I was hopeful that we had finally moved beyond a particular comparison and argument used by gay activists in their attempt to reweave the social, cultural, and political fabric of America.

However, the argument, the comparison of “gay to slavery” has come my way again and I am compelled to respond.

Apart from the broader goal of normalizing and legitimizing homosexuality, the alleged aim of all gay rights initiatives is to protect homosexuals from discrimination based solely on sexual orientation.

Too often, gay rights are presented and promoted as an issue of civil rights with the gay community likening themselves to African-Americans or other minorities who have suffered under discriminatory laws and social policies.

Is such an argument and analogy really justified? Have homosexuals really been the object of prejudice and discrimination in the same way as African-Americans?

The color of one skin is not a matter of choice; that is genetically determined. However, homosexual behavior is not genetically determined. Therefore, it is one thing to say that we believe in civil rights for all regardless of one’s skin color. It is quite another matter to say that we believe in civil rights for all regardless of one’s behavior.

Homosexuals frequently speak of themselves as if their being gay is fundamental to who they are as persons and as a community. Ultimately, they are in effect defining themselves by their gayness. As a result, they set themselves off as a separate class, a group needs, if not demanding, special attention and deference.

Are we as a society really being asked to connect and equate civil rights and homosexual rights as the same? Yes, it would seem so.

As a member of the gay community for 17 years, I was never denied the right to vote, own property, or attend the college or university of my choice. History clearly dictates and reflects that African-Americans cannot say the same. Therefore, comparing homosexual rights to the civil rights of African-Americans is shallow and ultimately insulting. Homosexuals, as a class, have not suffered discrimination as African-Americans.

The attempt to blur the lines that homosexual practice is clearly about morals by comparing behavior to an issue of civil rights is dishonest and misleading. A significant number of homosexuals do not suffer from economic or other key forms of discrimination as do African-Americans.

As citizens of the United States, homosexuals have all the afforded rights extended to every citizen. These fundamental rights include the right to vote, the First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, and freedom of religion.

Ultimately, there should be no comparison to the history nor to present day of African-Americans.

Pastor Phillip Lee
Executive Director
His Way Out Ministries