Biological Essentialism

While I consider myself an advocate of gay rights, I am troubled by the biological essentialism I have seen in certain segments of the gay rights movement. The argument goes something like this: A person is born biologically attracted to people of the same gender, so their being gay is ok.

I agree with the first part of the statement - that sexuality (at least for men, for women the picture is slightly more ambiguous) is biological, however, I do not believe that simply because a behavior is biologically mandated that makes it moral.

Thus, while one's attraction is a matter of biology, how one chooses to act - or not act- about those attractions is a matter of choice. It is possible to be attracted to members of the same sex and not act on that attraction. Of course, to do so would be extremely difficult, not to mention emotionally, psychologically, and physically unhealthy, and could easily result in misery, but it is possible - which means that not do so, to choose to act on one's desires - is a choice.

Studies show that much of who we are is influenced by genetics. Murderers are often born pre-disposed to violence. I dread the day a murderer gets off in court because he shows a DNA test that proves he was biologically pre-disposed to violence.

Recent studies have showed that pedophilia, like homosexuality, is a biologically pre-determined sexual orientation. Yet pedophilia is still a crime - and rightly so. We expect pedophiles, as difficult as it may be for them, to keep it in their skirt/pants, for the safety of our children and the health of our society.

Of course, unlike pedophilia, I do not believe that homosexuality is immoral - which brings me to my other point of contention: By fighting for gay rights on the platform that being gay is biologically pre-determined, the gay rights groups are inadvertently and implicitly acknowledging that homosexuality is immoral. If homosexuality is moral, it should not matter whether or not it is biologically pre-determined - no one asks if my desire to share my toys with my neighbor is biologically pre-determined, because it is considered a moral action - I only need to use biology as an excuse or justification if my action would not be moral, were it not for the fact that I was biologically compelled to do it, and hence had no choice in the matter.