To Be or Not To Be

Gay- that is the Question, Whether it is Nobler in the Minds to

    Renew one's mind in the Spirit.

Alcoholism is a condition not a disease. A condition can be managed, a disease must either be 'cured' or it flourishes. Some claim alcoholism and other addictions cannot be entirely eradicated if a person possesses it- the biochemical make up is permanent. Others disagree and say the biochemical composition of an alcoholic can change so the person is not an alcoholic any longer. But both models agree it can be managed by not drinking alcohol. A person who self identifies as an alcoholic can manage their condition by not drinking any alcohol. Its the premise behind AA meetings-if you can recondition yourself not to take a drink you won't manifest the alcoholism. If they do not drink any alcohol they may still be considered in their minds an alcoholic but a sober one. In the state in which they are not drinking anything they can't be considered a drunk. The difference between an alcoholic and a drunk is in behavior. A gay person may always consider themselves gay but this is a condition. There should be two different terms as there are in for "alcoholic" and "drunk" because one connotes a condition and the other a manifestation of the condition under certain circumstances. "Same Sex Attracted" is a condition which some say is curable, some not. However, Doing -Acting Gay is not the same as Being Gay. Thousands of people attest to the fact that one can condition oneself to being Not Gay Acting by Not Acting Gay. It is a manageable condition. The difference between same sex attracted people and gay acting people is in the behavior. Its a manageable condition- worth repeating. The only reason one might not wish to manage it is because they do not believe it is wrong. So the Being Gay entails an implicit moral judgment that one is entitled to be Gay and this is not wrong. There is where the Constitution has a right to make a moral judgment as all laws are predicated on morality. To claim some civil right on equal protection grounds over something that is a manageable condition intrinsically unavoidably is loaded with the moral judgment that this behavior is moral. Neither the founders intent, nor The Constitution can support that conclusion.