Civil rights have little to do with morality
COMMENTARY
Brandon Ortiz

Debates over gay rights often gravitate toward issues of morality. As valid as that discussion may be, it misses the point of debate about civil rights.

Supporting civil rights for gays is not endorsing what some label “the radical homosexual agenda.”

I don’t agree with the gay lifestyle. And the Skiff’s co-managing editor, Priya Abraham, apparently doesn’t either based upon her Wednesday column.

In a rebuttal to the Oct. 2 Skiff editorial, Abraham argued that flying the rainbow flag on the poles in Sadler lawn would have been wrong, regardless of university policy.

The campus gay rights organization, eQ Alliance, considered asking the Student Government Association for its support to fly its flag, but decided not to request that the flag be flown because students would find it offensive.

“eQ did make the right decision — but not because flying the gay rights flag would have thwarted its goal. Rather, it’s an issue of moral fairness,” Abraham argues.

It certainly is an issue of fairness, but not the way Abraham sees it.

The Skiff editorial board vigorously debated what stand it should take on the flag issue. Lacking a clear consensus, I exercised my duties as editor in chief to break the logjam.

I decided the newspaper’s stance before eQ changed its mind, but even then my argument didn’t change substantially.

If other organizations are allowed to fly their flag on the three poles in front of Sadler, then a request by eQ shouldn’t be denied simply because it is a gay rights organization.

On the other hand, if other organizations can’t fly their flags, there should be no exception made for eQ just because it’s a gay rights organization.

It turned out that university policy only allows the U.S., Texas and TCU flags to fly on the poles. I was prepared to write an editorial opposing eQ’s request, but I didn't have to.

Is homosexuality morally wrong? Perhaps. I don’t even pretend to know because I am not God.

Is homosexuality destructive? Perhaps. Abraham did cite evidence that there could be a correlation between homosexuality and promiscuousness, domestic violence and suicide. Other studies call those correlations into question.

But is homosexuality cause for denying basic civil rights? No.

Abraham asks whether homosexuals “have specific legal rights based on the fact that they are gay?”

My question is do heterosexuals have specific legal rights based on the fact that they are straight?

An answer to both questions is that gays and straights alike should have the same basic rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

Consider free speech. People certainly do say factually wrong things the rest of us would prefer not to hear, but they have a constitutional right to say what they want.

People must be granted the right to be wrong.

Americans, and in this case university students, have the right to live the lifestyle of their choice. If one is denied basic rights simply because of his or her sexual orientation, that ability to choose is impeded.

Abraham was right on one point: flying the flag would have given “undue ascendance” to the gay rights argument.

That, I imagine, is why the university does not allow any organization to fly a flag on those poles.

It is a wise policy.

Editor in Chief Brandon Ortiz is a junior news-editorial journalism major from Fort Worth.