The data I used is from adherents.com and doesn't cover all Christians, just denominations whose dogma is officially anti-gay: Mormon, Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Southern Baptist, etc. Approximately 45% of the population of the US is an official member of one of those religions. (As quoted exactly above. How you made the leap from "belong to religions which actively encourage anti-gay discrimination." to assuming I think all Christians are anti-gay, I'm not sure.)
I've mentioned this several times in past posts, and perhaps you've missed it, and I probably should've made it more clear in this post as well: Obviously, there are plenty of religions, both Christian and non, which do not have anti-gay dogma, and several which are actively open and affirming. I'm well aware that merely being Christian, and even being Catholic or Mormon does not make someone anti-gay (I have Catholic and Mormon friends who are quite gay-friendly) but the religion itself does have those tenets, and they pressure their members quite intensely to hold to those beliefs. Catholic leaders, for instance, have been urging priests to withold communion from Catholic politicians (such as Kerry) who support gay marriage. Also, yes, there are people who are not religious at all who are anti-gay, but generally speaking, most of the anti-gay rhetoric and action in the US is based in anti-gay tenets of a few religions. Nearly all anti-gay legislative activity comes from people who refer to the Bible to justify their views, and the reason for that is that there is little to no logical justification for being anti-gay outside of that.
As for homophobia, one doesn't have to support violence or active discrimination to be a homophobe. The mere belief that being gay is in any way abnormal, sick, or less than being straight is homophobia, no matter how people may try to sugar coat it, just as the belief that non-Caucasians are only 2/3 of a person is racist, even if one doesn't actively apply that racism. Same-sex behavior is a perfectly natural thing which is found in all primates, most mammals and hundreds of other species. It harms absolutely no-one. There is, therefore, no reason whatsoever to deny gays any civil rights or privileges that straights have. Individual religions may believe, according to their teachings, that being gay is wrong, but religious belief cannot be made into public policy in the US, and those rules apply only to members of those religions, not to everyone. e.g., just because Jews aren't allowed to eat pork doesn't mean eating pork should be made illegal for the rest of us.
The possible alternative [though note possible, just what came to mind first], is that it hasn't been enough of an issue for them to have needed to legislate on it;
Definitely not the case. Anti-gay discrimination happens every single day, and even in places that might seem liberal on the surface. A friend, for instance, was fired from a job in southern Oregon just because he "seemed" gay, even though he wasn't. Most of this discrimination goes unreported simply because it's not illegal, therefore there's nothing one can do to report it. Every state has had a push for anti-discrimination legislation, and it's very frightening that only 12 still have anything there at all.
Incidentally, it may interest you that while only approximately 10% of the population is exclusively or near-exclusively gay, around 50% have at least had same-sex fantasies, and 37% have had some form of same-sex sex in adulthood.
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2004-05-01 12:46 am (UTC)I've mentioned this several times in past posts, and perhaps you've missed it, and I probably should've made it more clear in this post as well: Obviously, there are plenty of religions, both Christian and non, which do not have anti-gay dogma, and several which are actively open and affirming. I'm well aware that merely being Christian, and even being Catholic or Mormon does not make someone anti-gay (I have Catholic and Mormon friends who are quite gay-friendly) but the religion itself does have those tenets, and they pressure their members quite intensely to hold to those beliefs. Catholic leaders, for instance, have been urging priests to withold communion from Catholic politicians (such as Kerry) who support gay marriage. Also, yes, there are people who are not religious at all who are anti-gay, but generally speaking, most of the anti-gay rhetoric and action in the US is based in anti-gay tenets of a few religions. Nearly all anti-gay legislative activity comes from people who refer to the Bible to justify their views, and the reason for that is that there is little to no logical justification for being anti-gay outside of that.
As for homophobia, one doesn't have to support violence or active discrimination to be a homophobe. The mere belief that being gay is in any way abnormal, sick, or less than being straight is homophobia, no matter how people may try to sugar coat it, just as the belief that non-Caucasians are only 2/3 of a person is racist, even if one doesn't actively apply that racism. Same-sex behavior is a perfectly natural thing which is found in all primates, most mammals and hundreds of other species. It harms absolutely no-one. There is, therefore, no reason whatsoever to deny gays any civil rights or privileges that straights have. Individual religions may believe, according to their teachings, that being gay is wrong, but religious belief cannot be made into public policy in the US, and those rules apply only to members of those religions, not to everyone. e.g., just because Jews aren't allowed to eat pork doesn't mean eating pork should be made illegal for the rest of us.
The possible alternative [though note possible, just what came to mind first], is that it hasn't been enough of an issue for them to have needed to legislate on it;
Definitely not the case. Anti-gay discrimination happens every single day, and even in places that might seem liberal on the surface. A friend, for instance, was fired from a job in southern Oregon just because he "seemed" gay, even though he wasn't. Most of this discrimination goes unreported simply because it's not illegal, therefore there's nothing one can do to report it. Every state has had a push for anti-discrimination legislation, and it's very frightening that only 12 still have anything there at all.
Incidentally, it may interest you that while only approximately 10% of the population is exclusively or near-exclusively gay, around 50% have at least had same-sex fantasies, and 37% have had some form of same-sex sex in adulthood.