Does "The Gay Agenda" Really Exist?

The term "gay agenda" first came into widespread use in 1992.  It is a phrase that continues to be used by certain anti-gay religious groups who oppose the gay lifestyle, and who feel threatened by the fact that so many gay people are demanding their equal rights under the law.  They seem to feel that so-called normalization of the gay lifestyle would only come at the expense of heterosexuals.  What sort of convoluted logic they used to arrive at that monumentally ridiculous conclusion is anyone's guess, but many believe it nonetheless.

We've all heard them spouting their malicious rhetoric that us gay folks are a threat to the sanctity of family and marriage, but when you really get down to brass tacks, all of this is clearly nothing more than a scare tactic.  The term was invented, and has consistently been used as a propaganda ploy to convince everyone that gay people have some sort of “hidden agenda” and are deviously plotting to infiltrate the ranks of what they consider to be "moral" society.  It always amazes and saddens me that there are so many who really believe this garbage.  Anyone who has had any sort of exposure to the gay community, whether they are gay themselves or know someone who is, can attest to the complete and utter absurdity of such claims.

The irony in all of this is that when the term first entered the public vocabulary, there was no such thing as a "gay agenda."  In reality, the anti-gay religious groups who coined the phrase shot themselves in the foot by doing so.  Their belief that a "gay agenda" did exist brought more attention to gay issues and the plight of gay individuals; all they really did was help to bolster the gay rights movement.  In many ways, their anti-gay campaign actually resulted in the complete opposite of its intended effect; it had an almost renewing effect for those who were involved in the fight for gay equality, motivating them to work even more diligently.

Thanks to the exposure that the gay rights movement received as a result, the gay community did develop an "agenda" of sorts, but the true meaning behind it was actually far less sinister than the term itself implies.  The only intention of the so-called "gay agenda" has always been to achieve fair and equal treatment under the law for LGBT persons.  We have never wanted to be given "special" rights as many of these groups have alleged.  We have simply been asking for equal access to the same liberties that others in society already enjoy.

Some of the social changes pursued by the gay community include the right to marry whomever we choose and have that marriage legally recognized, the right to adopt and raise children, the right to hold a job based solely on our qualifications for that job, and the right to serve openly in the military without fear of harassment or violence.  In all of these situations, a person's sexuality has no bearing on his or her abilities to succeed, and should therefore not become an issue which excludes them from the opportunity to do so.

Over a period of several years, gay rights organizations have made progress toward realizing those goals.  The progress has been slow, of course, but that is to be expected.  Every major shift in societal thinking is always hard-won, and often takes years to achieve.  However, the fact that this progress has come in small steps does not lessen its significance.  Gay marriage has now become legal in several states, and more are expected to follow soon. Since this article was originally written, the “Don't Ask, Don't tell policy instituted by the military has been repealed, allowing open service by gay and lesbian individuals.  Adoption has also passed in a handful of states, but is still blocked by most.  But in spite of all this, many of the basic rights that most enjoy have continued to be denied to or revoked from those of us who are gay.

Unfortunately, with each step taken toward the realization of equality, those who oppose the gay lifestyle have collectively become more and more disgruntled.  Realizing that their original statements about the so-called "gay agenda" hold no validity, they began to back-peddle, quickly redefining what they consider to be the threat posed by this mythical "agenda."  Among other things, they make the outrageous claim that the only reason that we want to secure the full benefits of legal marriage is so that we can use the marriage tax credit to support organizations that will destroy heterosexuality, and that once we achieve this, we will divorce one another for the sole purpose of mocking the sanctity of the institution of marriage.  And as unfortunate as it sounds, the lies do not stop there.  They have made a whole list of other equally insulting claims, which are so utterly ludicrous that they do not even deserve to be dignified with a response!

Luckily, the majority of sane, rational people do not believe any of this to be true.  Most can easily see this nonsense for exactly what it is: a completely unwarranted and malicious attempt to smear the character of a community of kind people which only wants to be treated with the same dignity and respect that every human being is entitled to, and be left to live their lives in peace!