By Stephen Fratello

Homosexuality is getting more buzz than the shoe sales at Barney's in the past few years. To gay or not to gay seems to be the question. But it's not just being gay that draws the attention. It's the simple fact that gay men and women want the same rights as everyone else. Being gay has become socially acceptable, as long as homosexuals remain wallflowers and don't demand anything too "out of the ordinary" -- for example, wanting to get married.

Perhaps it's the idea that gay marriage will desecrate what marriage means? Maybe it's because we feel that it will lead to the demise of society? Let me bring to your attention the disgrace heterosexuals have made out of marriage in general. Celebs use marriage for publicity and some people make an absolute mockery out of their vows. I’m not prejudice by any means, but rather, just making an observation. My point is, maybe it's not the gender and sexuality that degrades marriage, but the integrity of the people entering the union. In any case, is opposition to gay marriage discrimination or a classic case of history repeating itself?

I happened to have been raised by two women. The most amazing, loving, loyal and devoted women I have ever known. I was cared for by my mother and grandmother. As I grew up, same sex families were the norm for me and many others around me. I was not raised by gay parents, but two female role models. How many children today are raised by mothers, fathers, cousins, uncles and other members of the family? If you do just a little research, you will find the commonness of this scenario.

Should the gay community get the same rights as the straight community? Well, before you answer that question I would encourage you to think back to the civil rights movement, when African Americans didn't have the same liberties as the whites. When they were denied the right to vote, to own property, to even sit in the front of the bus. Today we look back on that era in shame, disgust and horror. Many of us think back and ask ourselves how could we have been such tyrants? Are we suggesting with our gay marriage prejudices that we return to that mindset? That we go back and take away rights from black people? What about when women were considered inferior to men? Doesn't this issue fall under the same category? Is America really living in a time that encourages the evolution and acceptance of all its citizens or just a certain group? We've come so far in 40 years, yet have such a long way to go. Ignorance tends to be bliss and lessons are repeated until they are learned. Yes, mom and grandma taught me that. What they also taught me is that we are all here for the same purpose. We are all searching for love, happiness and acceptance. So the real lesson here is neither biblical nor profound. The true underlying message here is, until we fully accept ourselves; we cannot fully accept anyone else. As a global community, we must expose ourselves to God’s diverse universe. If we are going to live truly, we have to learn to see the bigger picture and that picture is equality for all. Give it some thought?

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