By now, I'm sure you've heard about Operation Rescue's protests against Disney for, among other things, allowing Gay Day to take place at Walt Disney World.
This is just one more example of the upsetting tendency of many on the far right to link opposition to abortion with opposition to gay rights. Not only do I think this is wrong in itself, I also think it is harmful to the pro-life movement.
As a proponent of the consistent life ethic, I realize that I am opening myself up to charges of hypocrisy for saying that a particular position (in this case, anti-gay) should not be linked with opposition to abortion. Nonetheless, it is my fervent belief that such linking is inappropriate.
Now, I understand that the religious and/or moral beliefs of some people lead them to believe that homosexual practice is wrong, or at least should not be considered equal to heterosexual practice. While I strongly disagree with these people, their beliefs are their business. How they treat other people is everyone's business. And a vocal minority of people who disapprove of homosexuality treat gay people with disrespect, contempt, and sometimes outright viciousness. What's more, they engage in this life-diminishing treatment while claiming that their activity is pro-life.
Too often, people speak of an abstract "respect for human life" without backing it up with respect for actual human beings. Operation Rescue and other anti-gay activists say they are really acting out of love to save gays from themselves. But this seems to me a patronizing sort of love, one which assumes the inferiority of its object. In addition, much anti-gay activism is simply cruel, whether intended to be or not. As someone whose pro-life views stem from the radical notion that all human beings have equal human rights and dignity, I cannot understand how looking down upon and being cruel to another group of human beings can be considered pro-life.
Everyone has an opinion, of course, and mine is not likely to sway the diehard opponents of gay rights. However, there are also pragmatic reasons for keeping anti-gay activity separate from anti-abortion activity. An obvious one is that gay supporters of the right to life are alienated by events like the Gay Day protest. Not everyone realizes that Operation Rescue is not synonymous with the pro-life movement.
But beyond that, abortion and homosexuality are simply not in the same category. Even those who consider homosexuality a sin must admit that it is a "victimless crime" -- nobody's rights are violated when consenting adults of whatever gender have sex. Abortion advocates would like to portray abortion the same way. They would like the public to believe that there is no victim in abortion, and that those of us who would restrict it are really just trying to dictate other people's sexual morality. In other words, they would like to put abortion and homosexuality in the same category. Pro-lifers shouldn't do their job for them.
Last modified June 25, 1998.