Subject: Column on "Heterosexual Deviants"
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 10:01:59 -0500

******************************************************************************
**********
******************************************************************************
**********

NEWS YOU DIDN'T SEE ON TV

 Syndicated column by Patricia Nell Warren    1/26/96

******************************************************************************
**********
******************************************************************************
**********

A DEVIATE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

By Patricia Nell Warren

In a recent issue of the Colorado Springs Gazette News, the executive
chairman of Colorado for Family Values, Will  Perkins,  was going off on
homosexuals in his usual manner.  What fascinated me about Perkins'
remarks was that he characterized heterosexual adultery as one of several
"heterosexual
deviances."

Today the nation's media shudders with controversy about homosexuals.  Thanks
to cultural, religious and medical prejudices, homosexuals have been labeled
"deviants" since sometime in the 19th century.  But gosh, I don't recall
seeing any religious-right leaders being as wrathful about "deviant
heterosexual adultery" as they are about "homosexual deviance".  Yet the
Bible condemns homosexuality and adultery with equal ire -- it demands death
for both "offenses."

This is a very illuminating thing to think about.  It means that  the
religious right are soft on heterosexual adulterous deviants.   

As an American who wants to stay informed, I listen to religious-right radio,
and visit some of the major RR sites online.  But I  never see the religious
right campaigning for the death penalty for heterosexual adulterers.  No
signs at
demonstrations reading DEATH TO ADULTERERS, though you see plenty of DEATH TO
HOMOS signs around.

In California, Sen. Rob Hurtt, who is in the pocket of the RR, has said he
will move to reinstate the old sodomy penalties of the state, which included
-- as many will recall -- castration and lobotomy for homosexuals. Similar
legislative moves are being made in other states.   But gee, I  never see the
RR legislators or lobbyists advocating similar treatment  for adulterers.  

Nor do adulterous heterosexual deviants get routinely incarcerated in mental
hospitals, as homosexuals have been -- complete with shock treatment, forced
sexual re-programming and the gamut of "therapy."   We never see RR leaders
or legislators wanting to bar these awful adulterous deviants
from teaching in public schools, or fair treatment in employment,
benefits and housing, or holding government office.

Amidst the throes of the same-sex-marriage controversy, 
all heterosesual adulterous deviants have access to  the rights and joys of
 marriage, whereas homosexuals who wouldn't dream of stepping out on their
 partners cannot legally marry. A few states still have adultery laws, but
almost never 
enforce them.  Under U.S. law, adulterers get to mess around with impunity, 
divorce and remarry again and again without a care in the world.  No Jesse 
Helms rants in Congress to deny federal funding
to any state or school district that is soft on heterosexual adulterers.

Perkins brings up the old RR terror of homosexuals endangering morale in the
armed forces.  As a matter of fact, our U.S. military are just as soft on
heterosexual adulterous deviants.  Today's U.S. military law
still makes adultery a criminal offense.  Yet in practice these horrible
"heterosexual deviants" whose deaths are mandated by Biblical law are not
deemed a threat to red-blooded military  morale.  There's no ridiculous 
"don't ask, don't tell" for adulterers -- in fact, some military men get 
macho points with their buddies for bragging about two-timing  their wives. 
Men and women who routinely violate the regulations on adultery
never do serious time in military prison, as did my gay friend Larry
Meholick, who did five years, including some time in solitary.  Nor are
adulterers hounded by military interrogators, and drummed out of the service
with dishonorable discharges.  A 
 flagrant adulterer can still have high security clearance, enjoy the
trust of the U.S. government in war time, and every kind of social perk
that is denied to uniformed "homosexual deviants." 

I wonder why the religious right are so soft on adultery.   Possibly it's
because
they'd have to kill half the country, in order to enforce this kind  of
"family values."  

Another little problem is pastors in the religious-right movement who have
committed adultery. I have listened to talk shows where pastors openly 
discussed their extramarital heterosexual relationships, their 
divorces, etc.  But nobody is taking away these pastors' lives or civil
rights
 because of their confessed deviance.   Compared to the horrors that the
average homosexual has to live through, including gay-bashing, these
heterosexual deviant pastors get emotional support, cushy therapy programs --
in short, a slap on the wrist.   Newscasts never tell us of adulterous
pastors being adultery-bashed on the street by angry heterosexuals who are
hell-bent on enforcing Biblical law  by the
vigilante method.

There are  political reasons too.  Lots of presently unchurched adulterous 
heterosexual deviants are potential church-joiners and money-givers to the
religious-right cause.   A Bible-style crackdown on adultery would  alienate
too many people who might go to the polls later this year, and vote
the religious-right way.   Heterosexual deviants might be the
swing vote that puts an ultra-right-wing President in the White House.
Whereas the RR feel they can dispense with the homosexual  vote.
After all, it is only (according to them) less than one percent of the
population.

It seems to me that the religious right's  position on heterosexual
adulterous deviance is glaringly inconsistent with what the Bible teaches.
The inconsistency  also reveals that religious extremism has
much to do with controlling other people's lives  -- and little to do with
the
"word of God."

Perhaps if the same massive machine of hateful feeling and wrathful law  were
to start crushing legions  of adulterous American heterosexuals like so many
insects, they would wake  to  the danger of legislating Biblical belief  into
20th century American life.

____________
Patricia Nell Warren wrote "The Front Runner," "Harlan's Race" and other
bestselling novels about gay life. She lives in Los Angeles, where she serves
on the Gay & Lesbian Education Commission of the Los Angeles Unified
School District.   Her publisher is Wildcat Press.  Visit her Web page at
http://www.gaywired.com/unity/wildcat/wildcat.htm.

***************************************************************************
Copyright 1996 by Patricia Nell Warren.   May be cross-posted on the
Internet. All other rights reserved.   For reprinting by print media, contact
Wildcat Press at wildcatprs.aol.com or call 213/936-3666  for permission. 
****************************************************************************