RATIONALIZING HOMOSEXUALITY

Rationalizing Homosexual Love

This is an attempt to justify the morality of homosexual love by arguing its naturalness.

I. The Main Argument against Homosexual Love

“Homosexual love is immoral because it is unnatural.”

To properly understand the context of this main argument, we have to divide the discussion into two parts: (1) the morality of the ‘natural’; and (2) the essence of ‘heterosexual love’.

Sub-argument one: What is natural is moral.

The natural is that which is truthful and rightful since it is grounded on the ‘end’ proper to any being. This ‘end’ is defined as perfection. Thus, to follow the natural is to follow perfection.

Example: It is natural for a chick to become a chicken since by becoming a chicken the chick reaches its individual perfection.

Sub-argument two: Heterosexual love is moral because it is natural.

Heterosexual love permits the conjugal union of man and woman for the generation and education of human species (Natural Law). The naturalness of heterosexual love is based on its ordination towards pro-creation. Thus, to follow pro-creation is to follow the perfection of inter-personal love.

Implication of two sub-arguments: Homosexual love is immoral because it is unnatural. It is unnatural because it cannot pro-create.

II. The Error in the Main Argument

Now, let’s try to address the logical flaw by stating that the morality of inter-personal love can be understood by looking at either of the two facets:

1. The ‘sexual fit’ between the persons involved, that is, that the man is for the woman and the woman for the man; and

2. The love that binding the persons involved, that is, the objective aspect of inter-personal love.

III. Justifying Homosexual Love

Ando so, let’s justify the morality of homosexual love by establishing this main argument:

“Homosexual love is moral inasmuch as the love binding the persons involved follows the objective aspect of inter-personal love.”

Sub-argument: Homosexual love is moral if it perfects both the lover and the beloved.

If love is the movement of the self towards the good to attain perfection, then the objective aspect of inter-personal love (whether heterosexual or homosexual) consists in the perfection of both the lover and the beloved. Perfection entails the cultivation of character, which can only transpire in reciprocal love.

To make this part clearer, we have to consider the development of authentic inter-personal love in four phases:

1. Inter-personal love as attraction.

The lover is attracted to the beloved through his/her physical attributes. Beauty is the essential ‘mover’ of attraction since human beings are naturally attracted to that which pleases the senses.

2. Inter-personal love as desire.

The lover now wants the beloved. Desire is marked by self-centredness insofar as the lover sees the beloved as being good for himself/herself. With desire, the lover’s assessment of the beloved shifts from physical attributes to non-physical attributes like character and intelligence.

3. Inter-personal love as recognition.

The lover now sees the entire self of the beloved—what he/she truly is. This phase combines both the physical and the non-physical attributes of the beloved to form a clearer picture of his/her personhood. If desire is highlighted by choice, recognition is highlighted by acceptance.

4. Inter-personal love as reciprocity: the authentic love.

The lover and the beloved now engage in mutual relationship. Reciprocity follows self-transcendence insofar as the ‘good for the lover’ mindset is transformed into the ‘good for the beloved’ mindset.

In this light, it is only through an ‘other-centred’ perspective that reciprocity can transpire. Reciprocity provides authentic meaning to inter-personal love since it paves the way for the convergence of two persons. This convergence is both exclusive and intimate.

Through reciprocity, both the lover and the beloved become selfless since they aim for the good of each one. Through selflessness, they are able to cultivate their character and become better persons. This is the objective aspect of inter-personal love, that which makes it natural.

Conclusion: Homosexual love is natural if it follows this path to authentic love. By being able to do so, it then becomes moral.

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You may be surprised how different this is from the way I write. Well, it's because it's not me who wrote this. The Kid wrote this for me. A few days ago, I asked him to write something for me. This is the one he came up with. It's supposed to be about our relationship.

It made my nose bleed a little, but he's been patient with me, explaining this whole thing.

But he did end up writing something shallow for me. But I'll post it in my other home. :)