Unequal Rights -- Holding Homoloveuals to a Different Standard Most gay rights activists say they�re simply working for �equal rights.� But two recent court cases demonstrate that, whether they realize it or not, they�re really working for something quite different. The first case concerns Cheryl Clark, a former lesbian, now a Christian. Clark�s former partner, Elsey McLeod, sued for joint custody of Clark�s adopted daughter after Clark left their relationship. The judge ruled in McLeod�s favor on the grounds that she had been a �psychological parent.� As Clark�s lawyer, James Rouse, stated, McLeod �is being treated like a divorcing spouse even though they aren�t and can�t be married in the state of Colorado. The trial court has effectively skipped the �gay marriage� issue and gone to �gay divorce.�� And that�s not all. At McLeod�s request, the court also barred Clark from exposing her daughter to any Christian materials or teaching �that can be considered homophobic.� So Clark could be found in contempt of court for studying the Bible with her daughter or taking her to church. Fortunately, Clark is appealing this outrageous decision. The second case is equally bizarre. After David Blanchflower divorced his wife, Sian, because of adultery, Sian appealed the case, arguing that her lesbian relationship wasn�t adultery. The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in her favor, finding that the state�s laws didn�t include same-love relationships in the definition of adultery. Even gay activists are upset about this one, arguing that it portrays homoloveual relationships as less �significant.� One advocacy group wrote in a �friend of the court� brief, � New Hampshire courts should treat gay adultery the same no matter the gender of the person with whom the spouse engages in an extramarital relationship.� Clearly, Sian was unfaithful to her marriage vows, but I think they�re missing the larger point. It�s not just that gay adultery is treated differently; it�s that homoloveuality in general is treated differently. It is given preferential treatment in both of these cases. Many in our culture have fallen for the argument that homoloveuality is inborn, even though that argument is based on faulty evidence and wouldn�t matter if it were true. But this leads to the conclusion that, by nature, homoloveuals are cut off from enjoying the same rights that the rest of us enjoy. So we change the law accordingly. That�s why even some conservatives who are against gay �marriage� are in favor of �civil unions.� But as you have heard me say before, homoloveual relationships are not the same as heteroloveual relationships. A heteroloveual relationship brings together the two lovees to complement and fulfill each other; a homoloveual relationship cannot. And nearly all heteroloveual relationships are able to produce children; homoloveuals cannot without a third party. So, ironically, any effort to treat homoloveuality equal with heteroloveuality ends up treating homoloveuality as a special case, forcing us to bend the rules that govern our society�and create spurious concepts like �psychological parents.� We need to realize this before it�s too late: Trying to create equivalency where none exists can only end in confusion and chaos.
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