Homosexuality conference in Beirut, Lebanon

Opening Speech for the Freethought Society's conference on Homosexuality
"Homosexuality: Dispelling the myths, presenting the facts"

Source: The American University of Beirut's (AUB) Freethought society
Event: "Homosexuality: dispelling the myths, presenting the facts"
Location: Bathish Auditorium, AUB
Date: April 28 2009
By: Rita El-Haddad

"I was essentially a homophobe up until I was about 19, which was not that long ago. I grew up being taught that homosexuality was wrong. The reasons why it was wrong were not up for discussion. I was told it was abnormal, disgusting, and against nature. I never really questioned this line of reasoning. Why is that? I guess I didnt feel I had a right to question authority. If they said it, then it must be true. I also didnt know anyone who was gay, so I had nothing to compare such claims to.

My only exposure was from television and movies. Lets face facts, those arent the best representation of what homosexuality truly is. Once I hit 19, my beliefs started to change. Some people that I had known for years came out to me as being homosexual. Thus, my beliefs that homosexuals were disgusting were immediately shattered. They were my friends, I loved them dearly and they were absolutely not disgusting.

My belief that homosexuality was against nature was also shattered during an ethics course. I learned that many animal species did practice homosexuality. So, now I couldnt exactly say it was against nature.

However, I still believed it was abnormal. I figured that if homosexuality did indeed have some biological aspect to it, then there wouldnt be anything wrong in reversing this abnormality. Yet again, I was greatly mistaken. I learned in an abnormal psychology course the actual definition of abnormality. Homosexuality does not qualify as abnormal nor should it ever have been included as something abnormal back in the 1960s before it was removed as a disorder.

I was lucky to have had good friends who trusted me and good courses that shattered my beliefs. Were it not for these experiences I cannot honestly say whether or not my beliefs would have changed. When dealing with such issues it is of the utmost importance to question why we have a belief. I was wrong to simply listen to authority and not investigate whether homosexuals really were abnormal or against nature.

Today, I hope that all of us can take something away from what the speakers have to say. I hope that we all can question our beliefs and challenge ourselves to be open to other points of view. I think, only then can we dispel any myths we may have and hopefully promote tolerance.

Thank you"

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• gay
• lesbian
• bisexual
• LGBT
• homosexual
• homophobia
• lebanon
• beirut
• arab
• aub
• مثلي
• مثلية
• بيروت
• لبنان

[rbjnla]

Thank you for this video

[napoukotonosor]

It's a Greaaaaaaaat VIDEOOOOO!!!! Nice Step Rita!!!

[ameroffsky]

Many societies including Ancient Greece, India, and even the Ancient Arabs, accepted homosexuality in various forms.

It's the Abrahamic religions that forbade homosexuality and made it a taboo, for the sake of procreation and because they somehow felt the need for a strong, masculine, heterosexual patriarch, in the harsh Middle Eastern environments in which they began.

[ameroffsky]

Did anyone watch the movie "Alexander" starring Colin Firth? When Roxana, his bride, walks in on him with Hapheastion, she is shocked. He says "there are many way to love, Roxana", and this is the truth. We were not made to just love the opposite sex, in a monolithic way.

[ameroffsky]

Great video, but I don't like the argument often used, that being Gay/Bi is something we are born with. Yes, it's true, I know, but EVEN IF IT WERE NOT TRUE, it still should not be a problem, and we still should be free with our own sexual orientation/s.

Bottom line, the state and society have no place in the bedroom of an individual.

[carabinieri210]

THE ONLY THING IS ABNORMAL IS RELIGION!

[adolfhitler7]

on of the best things mein Fuhrer did is to kill these sick people. HEIL HITLER!!!

[XforeverlongingX]

@Suede1002 Don't bring "god" into it, don't start with that nonsense. It's because of religion that this video needed to even be made.

[XforeverlongingX]

@velcroxvelcro incest is not abuse, incest just means sex between family members. I don't care if family members have sex with eachother as long as they are of consenting age (same rules apply to heterosexual non-family members, consenting age).

[XforeverlongingX]

At the end it says "this is not to convince people to become gay or that being gay is okay" It's not to convince people that gay is ok? then what were you talking about throughout the entire video?

[XforeverlongingX]

@luxcretia2 Well then they aren't really religious. None of the three major monotheistic religions accept being gay. Stop with your illusions and grow up already. Religion hates gays and it says so VERY plainly in its holiest of texts. Religion is the hideous immoral arch villain.

[Suede1002]

People should be able to have freedoms to do what they want and love freely. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone, let it be between the individual and God!