Religious Belief, Not Sexual Orientation is a Choice

A group of anti-gay extremists who have made a career out of spreading anti-gay lies and hatred Peter LaBarbera, a/k/a Porno Pete, Scott Lively, who is on trial for international human rights violations, and utter whack job Janet Porter, etc, are at work in Michigan spreading more poison.  (Their insanity is on display here.) After having delivered boxes and boxes of insane "restraining orders" to the US Supreme Court prior to oral arguments in Obergefell v. Hodges, this hate merchants have erected billboards claiming that homosexuality is a "behavior" and, therefore, a choice.  Needless to say, these folks are vociferous supporters of discredited "ex-gay" therapy and choose to disregard the findings of every legitimate medical and mental health association in America about the immutability of sexual orientation.

The images rotate between these identities:

The irony - and lie of it all - is that the billboards leave out the only identity that is 100% a choice: religious belief.   With 33% of Millennials and 20% of the general population now haven chosen to walk away from religion entirely, the proof positive that religious belief is not immutable is there for all to see.  I would argue, that if only attributes that are not a choice are to be protected, then religion needs to be the first category stripped from civil rights protections.  Ban all "religious freedom laws" as unnecessary.

Religion has caused so many horrors throughout the centuries and sadly continues to receive totally undeserved deference and, even worse, respect.  It is disturbing that something that has caused so many deaths and untold suffering and abuse continues to receive any respect whatsoever.  Religious belief needs to be a private affair barred from the public square and most definitely banned from influencing public policy.