Why do people say bigotry is natural?

In my thread about Transphobia, someone said that kind of reaction is natural. In another thread, PoliticalSmash said that homophobia is a natural reaction in males, implying that if you're a man who's not somehow repulsed by homosexuality, then you're a deluded male. I've heard similar sentiments on this forum in other threads.

Sure, homosexual behavior may be foreign to many people, but that doesn't make the reaction right. Just saying your reaction is natural doesn't justify it. There's many things that were considered natural behaviors, like racism, but it isn't considered natural today, because we've evolved past that.

So why do people say bigotry against those who are different is something that is natural and can't be changed?

 

I find that people who are more secure with themselves and their own sexuality have no problem associating with or joking around with people who are trans/gay/lesbian/etc. and honestly, that even includes those who may disapprove of things like gay marriage and sex changes. People who are secure with themselves aren't bothered being around these kinds of people whether they personally approve of them or not.

People who are extremely nervous around or biased/hateful towards those who are much different from them seem to be extremely insecure about themselves to begin with.

It has a lot to do with projecting. People project their confidence and their insecurity onto others. If someone is not secure with who they are and are always trying to fit into some kind of fixed normalcy they will adamantly reject anything that does not fit into their idea of what is normal. Those who are confident and secure with who they are will be less likely to oppose or even openly object to those who deviate from what society considers the 'norm'.

That is what I think from what I have seen and experienced. I wouldn't say that what I have said here is 100% true all the time, but it does seem that way most of the time in my opinion.

So people who say think that "bigotry against those who are different is something that is natural and can't be changed" have probably only ever experienced this feeling and have never felt secure or ok around those who deviate from their personal idea of social normalcy.

 

It's a natural reaction to repel from things that are not normal. It's biological. Think about it, if everyone became multisexual, the species would become racked with disease and promiscuity, both of which are harmful to structured procreation.

I believe it is a natural biological function to repel from those who are abnormal sexually because it is against nature's path toward the continuation of life. That's why I think homosexuals and all the variants ought leave straight people alone. If you expect us to respect your biology, you ought to respect ours, and ours instills our negative reaction.

 

What you say would only be true if there weren't so many heterosexuals who actually have no issue with or who don't feel disgusted with homosexuals and all the other 'variants'.

There are even those who may not approve of the behavior but who are not repelled or repulsed by homosexuals. There are three people at my workplace who are very religious and who openly oppose gay marriage and the entire lifestyle. One of my co-workers also happens to be a gay man. Even though the three religious people feel the way they do they are not repulsed or disgusted by my co-worker knowing he is a gay man, everyone gets along just fine and they all have a good time. So what you're saying doesn't make sense to me even in regards to some people who oppose the choices/lifestyle but who don't behave as if they are repulsed by these kinds of people.

 

Was the little kid who rejected the friendship of Frankenstein's monster in Mary Shelley's novel a bigot?

The monster thought so.

 

Society is being conditioned (coerced) into accepting abnormal lifestyles for fear of being called a bigot. Some of us simply don't care what we are called.

And just because a person is repulsed by sexual deviancy does not mean we treat people badly, anymore than we would treat a cripple badly, or a retard. We just don't want to hang around butt buddies at parties or hear about their relationship problems. Leave us alone and accept that we were born this way, just like you, supposedly.

 

One solution to this problem you seem to have of being at parties where butt buddies trouble you with their relationship woes would be to go where there are no butt buddies.

I don't like brain dead rednecks, so I don't go to parties where there are brain dead rednecks.

 

Excellent point, my good friend. Whenever possible I do avoid them, but if I find myself in the company of them I put on my nice face until such as I can find a safe exit.

 

Wow, this sounds like a serious problem. Perhaps you have secret butt buddies for friends. Why not find new friends who are more in tune with your world view?

 

Another stellar input. I tend to hang around with people just like me. It's a wonderful life.

 

Odd. It would appear you hang around with a lot of gay people. You are just like them?

I never understood why people hang around with those they do not care for. If you are offended by gay people, then don't go where they are.

That being said, perhaps the issue is actually my not being bigoted at the usual targets. I tend to find irrational hatred a bit odd. A waste of energy of sorts.

 

You misunderstand, my good friend. I was speaking in hypertesticles on firstly. Pay attention, please.

Hatred is not part of my spirit. I think all people are special, even the abnormal ones.

 

lol!

I dunno, sounds too boring being around people who are just like me. That's why I come here and spend so much time with all of you guys!

 

Sounds boring to me. Why hang out with only people just like you?

 

Homophobia isn't natural, otherwise you would see it in species other than human beings (like homosexuality). It's preposterous to argue that it's nature's way of ensuring heterosexual reproduction, when a simple lack of any innate attraction towards the same-sex appears to suffice in the animal kingdom.

 

This whole discussion about what's natural and what's not falls into the naturalistic fallacy. It doesn't matter what's natural. What matters is what people have the freedom to do, and what they don't.

 

While nothing you said here is true it is the message many people use to justify bigotry.

 

Only to those with an addled understanding of human nature.

Actually what's natural for humans matters plenty...

...because those who do not understand human nature will eventually find this question decided for them by those who at least understand it well enough to manipulate the masses.

 

List of natural things:

Walking

Defecating

Spitting

Blowing Nose

Chewing Food

Greeting Others

Those are ALL very natural things. But the truth is, we all learned to control and continue to control those things. The poor excuse (that it's natural) that some use to cover their expressions of fear and hatred toward homosexual people is unacceptable.

Now, they can pretend that they are covered, but their asses are certainly showing.

It is my hope that this society learns to tell them that is the case. After all, we can all defecate... but in the middle of someone's dining room, isn't right/good.

 

that's interesting question...bigotry isn't right because we're smart enough to realize it's stupid... it may have biological roots in our past, we are still essentially hunter gatherers, small family groups that were territorial and wary or hostile towards outsiders who may have dangerous intentions toward us or our resources...we're past that stage now but the HG behaviour may be still hardwired into our DNA...

homosexual behaviour isn't the same, homosexuality is completely normal in nature, aversion to it is a cultural development not biological...nothing in nature occurs without a reason, if a behavioural trait exists and persists it's because there is a net benefit to the species survival...

 

in the big picture there is no abnormal, abnormal is nature's way of ensuring the survival of a species...

 

"Bigotry" is a natural evolutionary reaction intended to alert species to possible threats to their existence.

So saying that it isn't 'natural' while at the same time arguing that homosexuality is natural because it's found in animals doesn't make a lot of sense, lol

 

Elegantly put.

 

Got something authoritative to support that thought?

 

Oh really? Is there a shortage of people on the planet? Is the human race population shrinking or growing? What do you think would happen if everyone were heterosexual and reproducing? Since we homosexuals are such a small percentage of the population, as many of you like to point out, why in the world can't you see that there is a reason nature chooses some of us to be homosexual? Overpopulation will kill a species very quickly. There is no way that that everyone will suddenly turn homosexual. Is that what you think will happen? If so, why?