Response to Nazrul Islam on Gay Marriage

This was published in News From Bangladesh on May 24, 2008.
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I read Nazrul Islam's letter on above subject. His views on the subject are typical and as expected. He said: "It is a paranormal union of people of same sex which if accepted would seriously contradict the basic foundation of genesis of Human civilization as per all popular religions". I would like to point out that ten percent of the world's population are born as homosexuals. This is now an established fact. Their sexual attraction to the same gender isn't a decease that can be treated but is a natural state of being for them. And since they constitute only ten percent of the world's population, there is no need to fear end of human civilisation or what not!

As far as how will religious people come to terms with this? This is where it is important to differentiate between gay marriage and gay civil unions. In the UK, there is no such thing as gay marriage but there is something called gay civil partnership. The latter is a way of giving legal status to the relationship between two consenting men or two consenting women. Once legalised, they enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as traditional heterosexual married couples. But going about it this way means that Churches, Mosques, Temples etc. don't need to get involved in such civil partnerships and can hold on to their own beliefs and structures. What has happened in California in the US is slightly meaningless since other states in the US will not recognise such marriages and the US Federal Government will most certainly not recognise them either. Depending on who gets elected in the next American general election, the Federal Government may legalise and recognise same gender civil unions in line with what has happened in the UK.

What does all this mean? People of various faiths around the world need not feel threatened by the existence of homosexuals or their right to have their unions recognised. For those who realise that they are gay but have grown up practicing a faith that traditionally considers homosexuality a grave sin either tries to reconcile his/her homosexuality with his/her faith (usually with not much success), or leaves the faith altogether. On the other hand, there are already debates going on in certain Muslim quarters in Europe and Middle East about whether Islam has indeed expressedly condemned homosexuality and homosexual unions. Similar debates have already taken place among Christians. But that is a completely different topic and not for this time around.