Speaker Shares Views on Homosexuality

Multiple events help support National Coming-Out Day

“Sexual orientation is not only based on gender, but the type of people you are attracted to—the characteristics that you like about them,” said Dr. Corvino during his presentation titled, “What’s Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?”

He went on to say that “Homosexuality is not something of which to be ashamed. It’s not something to be terrified of or something to discriminate against.” .

Dr. John Corvino, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wayne State University, has been talking about homosexuality issues for almost 18 years.

FSU professor Katherine Harris, President of the Gender Alliance of Ferris Employees, said, “I’ve seen some of his lectures before on video. He is very polished and because he uses humor and doesn’t argue right in front of your face, he helps give leeway to talk about the issues at hand and make you think about them.”

FSU professional medical technology, pathology, and physiology major, Carl Byington, said, “I thought everything he said was correct and easy for most anyone to understand. His humor and use of example were very entertaining but kept in mind the seriousness of the subject of gay, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender issues.”

Dr. Corvino goes on to say that when we argue about issues such as gay marriage or homosexuality in general, “we need arguments that have reasons—not just someone’s opinions based on their religious background or conservativeness.”

Same-sex relationships make some people happy, so why disrupt that? We have to stop this moral abomination said Dr. Corvino. “We should make moral judgments,” said Corvino, “Not just judge people on who they are or what they do.”

He talked about why homosexuality is right and didn’t give reasons why it’s not wrong. He explained that the arguments people come up with, such as, “homosexuality is unnatural” or “animals don’t do that,” are lousy arguments.

Byington said, “The conflict of interest and use of nature vs nurture were very interesting to listen to. The idea that natural versus unnatural events within a heterosexual and homosexual couple was also just as intriguing.”

He went on to say, “If society as a mass views heterosexual relations as natural then why view homosexual relations as unnatural? We are all human beings, some just choose to be with the same sex. This doesn’t change our DNA or alter our genetic code to be anything less than what we are—human.”

Corvino said that people cannot choose their feelings, but they can choose the activities they participate in with regard to those feelings.

That could cause uproar because people say homosexuals should just choose other activities then. When thinking about that, Corvino said, “Just because it bothers you on a visual level doesn’t make it morally wrong. We make other people’s lives more difficult when we think homosexuality is morally wrong.”

“Straight people talk about their boyfriends and girlfriends just fine in public, but once gays and lesbians talk about their partners it becomes an issue,” said Corvino.

President Eisler said, in regards to Corvino’s lecture, “It was well presented. He’s a very articulate and thoughtful person. His issues were well presented and had well-reasoned questions. I’m very pleased with the Ferris employees who put this together with Dr. Corvino.”