摘要 :
The prospective readers of this paper are mainly targeted at Americans or those who specialize in American studies or at least those who are interested in such a field,wanting to know more about it.
The paper primarily exp...
展开
The prospective readers of this paper are mainly targeted at Americans or those who specialize in American studies or at least those who are interested in such a field,wanting to know more about it.
The paper primarily explores the understandability of homosexual subculture in the United States, which challenges the mainstream American society. The traditional beliefs that homosexuals were perverts, mentally diseased and promiscuous had once plunged most Americans into a long period of fear, dislike or even hatred of homosexuals for religious and conservative purposes. Nevertheless, the myths held by most hostile heterosexuals have been crystallized by recent studies in psychoanalytic theory, saying that homosexuality is merely a normal variation of sexual behavior and sexual preference expressed in varying degrees and manners by different individuals.
Since a person's sexual orientation is not a matter of choice and its origin remains a mystery, it is well advised to simply accept and respect homosexuals, hoping to be respected in turn. In fact, most lesbian and gay people live ordinary lives, are productive citizens that pay taxes, and have been shown to be as mentally healthy as their heterosexual counterparts. To identify persons with a part of them--in this case their sexuality--is inaccurate and unjust. Homosexuals, after all, differ as much as heterosexuals. There is no one "gay lifestyle" any more than there is one heterosexual lifestyle. Understanding and acceptance or at least acquiescence can liberate Americans from the burden of placing the sub-community into suppression.
Furthermore, no clear and sufficient evidence has ever been found in the Bible,concluding that the only form of sexual behavior was limited to the heterosexual married state. Biblically speaking, God loves people and he does not require non-Christians to live a godly life. And more importantly, biblical standards do not completely apply to the entire World. They apply directly only to those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Lord.
Traditional marriages are no more the definite ending of love stories. Sexual relations end up not with marriages but miscarriages of traditional family values. With 60 percent of homosexuals in the United States living in monogamous relationships,they are virtually as "married" as the straight population. They begin to shoulder the responsibility for keeping children in custody and some lesbians even volunteer to take care of their sick ex-husbands. Interestingly enough, Christian homosexuals believe that being faithful and true to their partners is a good step to set the example for heterosexuals. To that extent, homosexual marriage takes on a new perspective to human union, being a supplement to traditional family values.
This paper may happen to break new ground in the positive understanding of homosexuality. But the author himself does not have any intention to condone or support homosexuals or at least American homosexuals; rather, the real aim is to foster understanding and potential investigation of the sub-community and also to raise awareness and acceptance of gays and lesbians in the American mainstream society. It is also important to note that the studies of homosexual subculture is not conclusive simply due to the varieties of views on homosexuality and changing opinions concerned.
收起
