Is it okay to dislike the LGBTQ2S+ Community because you think it's abnormal and unnatural?

I had a question asked of me and I wanted to answer it but it was complex and led me to multiple answers so I broke it down into two questions. With Pride month almost at an end, this feels like the best time to post this topic. I have split the topic into two blog posts over two days. This is part two.

Part B: Is the LGBTQ2S+ community abnormal or unnatural?

Short answer: Yes and No.

Long answer: Abnormal and Unnatural are not the same thing...

1. What is normal?

As I have written in the past, words change over time to better our understanding of each other and promote accurate communication. The word normal, therefore, has changed structurally since its origination. The word normal, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, came from the Latin word normalis. Originally, it meant a mathematical “right angle” formed in a square by carpenters. It was used by a specific group of people in one particular way; therefore, it was a professional/jargon-style word. Over time, normalis evolved to mean “according to rule” or “right by rule”. Therefore, at this time, the word normal meant following an established set of rules or expectations. The rules were not specific to any set type at the time so the rules were dependent on the group utilizing the word. The most common use of the word now is “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”. As you can tell, it also does not specify whose rules are correct. It notes that people must “conform” or fit into what is expected but the type is dependent on social norms. Therefore, normal is completely subjective.

There was a time when owning slaves was normal and even expected of those in power but now, we abhor the owning of another person. Was slavery every right? No. But it was accepted, so it was normal. Also, depending on the society, certain groups normalize men in skirts or dresses (like in old Scotland), while others normalize trial by combat. Some of the normal things are morally questionable, others are morally acceptable, and others are morally neutral (I don’t like to say wrong or right). So, normal does not mean good or right, it means right according to an acceptable set of social standards.

2. What is natural?

The origin of the word natural is from the French word Naturel in the early 1300s meaning “innate”, “by birth”, or “one’s inborn character”. So that just means they were born that way and come into the world with those traits. It evolved into “conforming to nature” but the meaning remained generally the same in the 1400s and the Latin form was called Naturalis. It also morphed to include the natural world (environment) as in existing in nature without human influence but of natural influence alone. Over time, it has meant natural qualities, with nature, not artificial, exist naturally, and blood relations. In general, all the words lean toward something that exists in nature, made by nature, and not affected or created by artificial means.

So, what is natural? Natural lends itself to anything that can occur naturally (in nature) without the influence of humanity. Now, since humans are a part of nature, in a way, we are natural. But humans have a way of manipulating nature and changing it. So, what is natural in terms of humanity? Well, it is whatever exists in other animals that humans also follow, as well as anything that has existed in human nature for a very long time.

3. So, which does the LGBTQ2S+ community fall under?

The answer to that is really easy if you look at the previous definitions. We stated that normal is what society accepts as normal and following a set of rules that fit into the group. In most first-world countries, the LGBTQ2S+ community has been normalized by those who consider themselves a part of that community. Also, with the legalization of same-sex marriage, the law and society accept it. There are still certain groups and countries that do not accept the LGBTQ2S+ community, so it would not be normal in those areas. So how normal the LGBTQ2S+ community depends on where you are and what you believe. That does not answer the question of whether it is good or right, just whether it is socially acceptable.

Now, is it natural? According to science, yes. Since other animals seem to present with same-sex relationships and interactions, it is something that can happen in nature. Also, humans live in houses we build, so there is an aspect of higher thought that other animals may not show. We, like many animals, choose our mates based on specific criteria. But unlike the animal kingdom, we choose based on a multitude of unnatural reasons (money, status, fame, family obligations). Therefore, our attraction is slightly more complex. Additionally, mutations and evolution occur naturally in the animal kingdom and humans as well. So, maybe something did not exist in the same way millennia ago, but we have adapted to fit. These mutations allow us to survive better as a species and individually. While we may not have found the “gene” for LGBTQ2S+ presentations, that does not mean that it is not natural. I believe that it exists in people from birth and so do many members of the community. Therefore, it is as natural as anything else that humans do, probably more so.

In Conclusion:

Should you dislike people because you think they are abnormal (do not fit your rules) or unnatural (were not born with it)? No. The LGBTQ2S+ community is as normal and natural as anything else, so what one must do is respect another person’s right to live the most natural way for them.

*Disclaimer*

This is not politically motivated or biased toward the right or the left. These statements are my opinions alone and therefore I could be wrong and humbly accept my limits.