Acceptance Of Homosexuality Grows, Even Among ‘Conservatives’

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By William M. Briggs, a Senior Contributor, The Stream, May 28, 2018

William M BriggsGuy Benson is a conservative talk radio “personality” at Fox News and political editor of Townhall. He made headlines last week after he proposed the impossible to a man in a rowboat in France.

What makes the story interesting were the more than two thousand positive responses Benson garnered, many from prominent “conservatives.” Conservative bad boy columnist Kurt Schlichter tweeted a picture of clinking champagne glasses. Associate Editor at Commentary Noah Rothman said congratulations. As did Jonah Goldberg and the Iowa Hawk David Burge. Republican National Committee member Harmeet K. Dhillon wished happiness. War strategist talking head David Reaboi said Mazel Tov.

Dozens and dozens of Blue Cheka (Twitter verified users) journalists from the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Washington ExaminerNational Review, and so on gushed with enthusiasm.

And no less than Brett Baier said “Guy — congratulations! It takes guts to ask in a wobbly boat — all the best. Thanks for sharing the moment. Love is cool.”

Baier, who is Catholic, forgot that supporting the intrinsically disordered desire for sodomy is not love. Real love would have said, “Men, you are imperiling your immortal souls. Do not do this.”

Perhaps Twitter censored negative responses, because I was unable to discover any. Or perhaps those who understood that marriage between two men is metaphysically impossible, feared the mob, and so kept their mouths shut. Either way, given the enthusiasm for Benson’s folly from those ostensibly on the right, the results from Gallup’s new polls on (let us call it) non-traditional sexuality will come as no surprise.

First Poll

The first is “Two in Three Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage.” Two in three Americans, in other words, have forgotten the reality that matrimony can only exist between men and women.

Twenty years ago the proportion was just over one in four. Support has steadily grown. If the trend holds, in a decade we can expect something pushing 90%.

There are still some differences between Democrats as Republicans. Eighty-three percent of Democrats support fictional marriage — and not 100%, as might be expected. Republicans are closing in on 50%. If the responses to Benson are any guide, the rate among prominent Republicans is probably higher.

Gallup’s bottom line said it best:

With the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision nearing and no formidable opposition trying to undo gay marriage’s legality, it’s likely that the percentage of married LGBT adults in the U.S. will continue to grow as new generations of same-sex couples enjoy their newfound rights.

Second Poll

Poll number two is “In U.S., Estimate of LGBT Population Rises to 4.5%.

Clearly this stats have nothing to do with biology. The high and increasing rate for Millennials points to the fashionable nature of irregular sex.

Gallup’s tracking for those identifying as LGBT didn’t start until 2012, when 5.8% of Millennials claimed to have non-biological “orientations.” That number soared to 8.2% in five short years.

Contrast that group with the numbers for Generation Xers (born 1965-1979), Baby boomers (born 1946-1964), and Traditionalists (born 1913-1945). Rates of non-biological orientation for these folks held fairly steady or were unchanged over the same period. It was 3.5% for Gen Xers, 2.4% for Boomers, and 1.4% for Traditionalists. Clearly these stats have nothing to do with biology. The high and increasing rate for Millennials points to the fashionable nature of irregular sex.

Gallup didn’t report on those born after 2000, probably because these folks are not yet adults. But evidence from the CDC indicates the rates for teens are about the same as for Millennials. The surveys are not equivalent, so there is some uncertainty in the numbers.

Third Poll

The last poll is “More Say ‘Nature’ Than ‘Nurture’ Explains Sexual Orientation.

More than half of Americans now say that people are born desiring non-biological sex. Some 30% admit upbringing or the child’s environment cause people to develop unnatural desires. And about 10% say both nature and nurture play a role.

The trends in belief should be no surprise. In the late 1970s, only 14% said people were “born that way” (or perhaps “made by God” that way), and now as stated it’s just about 50%. All groups tracked by Gallup — from church goers to conservatives — saw large increases. If the trends continue, more than two-thirds will have convinced themselves people come equipped at birth with disordered sexual inclinations.

Bottom Line

Gallup assays the politics correctly: “Americans who believe gays and lesbians are born with their sexual orientation are much more supportive of gay rights than are those who say orientation is due to upbringing and environment.”

It’s also become clear that these more supportive people are becoming less tolerant of contrary judgments. The prediction that in one or two decades speaking of reality will be classed as “hate speech” becomes less outlandish each day.

_________

William M. Briggs is a Senior Contributor to The Stream. Author of Uncertainty, he is a writer, philosopher, and itinerant scientist living on a small but densely populated island in the Atlantic Ocean. He earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University in statistics. He studies the philosophy of science, the use and misuses of uncertainty, the corruption of science, and the uselessness of most predictions. He began life as a cryptologist for the Air Force, slipped into weather and climate forecasting, and matured into an epistemologist. He maintains an active and lively blog at wmbriggs.com.

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