Journalist, Political Reporter, Cultural Critic, Editor/Proofreader
Alex V. Henderson
Philadelphia, PA
vixenatr
August 9, 2012
By Alex Henderson
RealmNoir, August 9, 2012
Homophobia and gay-bashing were part of the Christian Right agenda long before gay marriage became a major debate in the United States. But Republicans (apart from the GOP’s libertarian minority) never miss an opportunity to demonize gay men and lesbians, and fear-mongering around same-sex marriage has become a convenient way to rally the GOP’s radical Christian Right base. Many heterosexuals, however, support gay rights, and one way to express that support and say “no” to the Christian Right is to organize a new event that could be called Gay Sex Appreciation Day.
To hear the Christian Right tell it, gay marriage is an assault on heterosexual marriage (or as former Christian Right beauty queen Carrie Prejean likes to call it, “opposite marriage”). But truth be told, gay marriage has no negative effects on the romantic lives of heterosexuals. In countries that have legalized gay marriage (which include the Netherlands and Spain), the vast majority of marriages are still heterosexual marriages—and even if same-sex marriage were to become a reality in all 50 states in the U.S., chances are that at least 95% of all American marriages would be heterosexual marriages. Heterosexuals would still fall in love, get married and possibly have kids. So no, heterosexuals have nothing to fear from gay marriage. But we have a lot to fear from the Christian Right.
Dan Savage, an openly gay sex columnist with a large heterosexual following, has often pointed out that the Christian Right extremists who dominate the modern Republican Party are not only declaring war on the rights of gay men and lesbians—they are also declaring war on the rights of heterosexual men and heterosexual women. There are many examples that bear out Savage’s assertion:
When the Christian Right want to ban sex toys, that is an attack on the rights of heterosexuals.
When the Christian Right want to send straight couples to prison for filming their sexual activities and posting the videos on adult websites, that is an attack on the rights of heterosexuals.
When the Christian Right want to outlaw the use of condoms and birth control pills, that is an attack on the rights of heterosexuals.
When the Christian Right inflicts abstinence-only sex education (which has been an abysmal failure) on public schools and causes teen pregnancy rates to soar, that is an attack on the rights of heterosexuals.
As Savage puts it, the Christian Right is not only anti-gay sex—it is also anti-straight sex. And because there is strength in numbers, it is in the best interests of heterosexuals to support gay rights. Gay men, lesbians and non-fundamentalist heterosexuals have a common enemy in the Christian Right, and the easier is it for the Christian Right to attack the civil liberties of gay people, the easier it is for them to attack the civil liberties of straight people.
As a heterosexual male, I don’t feel the least bit threatened by gay marriage. But I most definitely feel threatened by the Christian Right’s attacks on contraception and sex education. The same Christian Right extremists who oppose gay rights are also opposed to the right of straight men to use condoms or the right of straight women to buy sex toys or use birth control pills. Therefore, standing up for gay rights is also standing up for heterosexual rights, and Gay Sex Appreciation Day is one possible way for heterosexuals to stand up.
Here’s the general idea: on Gay Sex Appreciation Day, heterosexuals all over the country can set aside a day to say “no” to the Christian Right by supporting gay businesses. The specifics of Gay Sex Appreciation Day can be worked out. Perhaps it could be called Gay Appreciation Day minus the “Sex” part, although the “Sex” part is relevant because, again, the same Christian Right extremists who attack the sexual freedom of gay men and lesbians are also attacking the sexual freedom of heterosexual men and women.
Gay Sex Appreciation Day need not be anti-religion. The problem with the Christian Right is not that they are religious; it is that they are fanatics. Religion is not the problem; religious fanaticism is the problem. And one doesn’t necessarily have to be politically left-leaning to support Gay Sex Appreciation Day. Some right-of-center libertarians are very good on gay rights. For example, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (who is running for president in 2012 as the Libertarian Party’s nominee) supports gay marriage. With Johnson and Democratic incumbent Barack Obama both having voiced their support of gay marriage, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is the one who shamelessly panders to the Christian Right by promising to stand up for “traditional marriage”—which is ironic in light of the fact that Romney once vowed to be to the left of Ted Kennedy on gay rights. But even northeastern Republicans who used to be more centrist/moderate and carry the “Rockefeller Republican” label will pander to the Christian Right’s bigotry and extremism when it’s expedient to do so, and that’s another reason to get behind Gay Sex Appreciation Day.
Suggestions for Gay Sex Appreciation Day can be e-mailed to vixenatrixx@aol.com and will be published on the SeXXXandPolitics.com site.
The Christian Right’s attacks on the civil liberties of gay men, lesbians and heterosexual men and women are relentless. And they cannot go unchallenged.
Alex Henderson is a veteran journalist whose work has appeared in The L.A. Weekly, AlterNet, Billboard, Spin, XBIZ, Creem, Skin Two, The Pasadena Weekly, JazzTimes, Cash Box and a long list of other well-known publications. He can be followed on Twitter @alexvhenderson.
Sex columnist Dan Savage (above) has often pointed out that the same Christian Rights extremists who oppose gay rights are also declaring war on the civil liberties of heterosexuals.
Copyright 2022 Alex V. Henderson. All rights reserved.
Alex V. Henderson
Philadelphia, PA
vixenatr