At pivotal moments in our
nation’s history, when people are dazed and bewildered, and when things look like
they could go either way, I like to emerge from my lair and sort the matter
out. The recent heated debate in Ireland about whether or not
opponents of same-sex marriage are homophobes is one such momentous moment. Is your mind going around in circles trying to get to the
bottom of the great impenetrable question of what exactly a homophobe is? Do you find
yourself lying awake at night, tossing and turning, wondering whether you might
be a homophobe? Are you bored off your head listening to
people drone on endlessly about this idiotic question? Well fear not! I intend
to bore you about it as well. Duty calls for a clarifying intervention from www.brianbarrington.com.
There is an argument that
people who oppose same-sex marriage are not necessarily homophobes. In my view
this is incorrect. People who are afraid of equal rights for homosexuals are
homophobes – they are afraid of homosexuality.
The argument against this is
that many people who are against same-sex marriage, like perhaps some elderly
relatives you might have, are really nice people and therefore not homophobes.
Do you really want to label these nice people that you love so much with the
horrible term “homophobic”? Well, it is true that they may be nice people but being
a nice person and being a homophobe are not incompatible, just as being a
misogynist\sexist and being a nice person are not incompatible. Nor is being a
racist\xenophobe and a nice person incompatible. For example, perhaps you have
elderly relatives who are very nice people but who are also sexist and racist –
the fact that they are nice does not stop them being sexist and racist. Someone
who thinks women should stay in the home and not work may be a nice person, but
they are also sexist. Similarly, someone who thinks all blacks or foreigners
should be “sent home” may be a nice person, but they are still racist and
xenophobic.
Here is another argument
against the view that opponents of same-sex marriage are homophobes: “There are
some homosexuals who are against same-sex marriage. Are they homophobes? Are
you saying that these people are self-hating homosexuals? Surely that is very bigoted
of you.” Well, it is true that there are some homosexuals who are against
same-sex marriage – these homosexuals oppose equal rights for homosexuals so
they are, in fact, homophobes. This does not necessarily mean that they hate
homosexuals, it means that they are afraid of granting equal rights to
homosexuals.
In the past there were
doubtless some women who opposed giving women the vote – these women were
sexists and misogynists because they were afraid of granting women equal
rights. In the past there were doubtless some blacks who opposed ending racial
segregation – these blacks were racist because they opposed granting blacks
equal rights.
So people who oppose same-sex
marriage are, as a matter of fact, homophobes. Now, a separate question is
whether or not it is “helpful” or prudent to call them homophobes. Perhaps it
would be better to go easy on them and not use provocative language, so that we
can keep the debate civilised, and gently encourage people to accept same-sex
marriage, rather than calling them terrible names? Well, maybe. But in my view
the best tactic for expediting equal rights is by making opposition to equal
rights appear wrong and pernicious, and that means labelling opponents of equal
rights for homosexuals what they are: homophobes.
But
ultimately I think it makes little difference one way or the other. In Western
societies same-sex marriage is either legal or it will soon be legal – this is
inevitable because the power of the idea of equal rights will eventually overcome
any homophobic objections to it, just as the power of the idea of equal rights eventually
overcame any sexist objections to women having the vote, and also eventually overcame
any racist objections to blacks having civil rights. So you can call objectors
to same-sex marriage homophobes if you want to, or you can call them principled
conscientious objectors - you can call them fried-chicken if you like. It won’t
make any difference. Same-sex marriage is going to become legal - it is just a
question of when not if.
