Prejudice is often rooted in ignorance and fear. Prejudice against homosexuality can develop from a variety of factors, including cultural norms, religious beliefs, personal experiences, and societal attitudes. Educating oneself and engaging with LGBTQ+ individuals is the only way I can imagine to challenge negative stereotypes and stereotypes and reduce the current prejudice. 

Anti-gay prejudice has been present throughout history, and although it is difficult to pinpoint an exact starting point, the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire that led to the persecution of homosexuals, who were seen as deviant and immoral might have been the main impetus of the prejudice’s beginning. This persecution continued throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era.

The anti-gay prejudice in the United States gained momentum in the 1970s and 1980s, largely in response to the gay rights movement, which was seeking greater legal recognition and protection for LGBTQ+ individuals. The Bible has been cited as a source of anti-gay sentiment by some individuals and groups who use religious arguments to justify their opposition to homosexuality. While religious arguments were one of the factors driving the anti-gay movement, other factors included concerns about traditional gender roles, fears about the spread of HIV/AIDS, and political conservatism. Anti-gay sentiment is not limited to Christianity or any specific religion but there is no question that Christianity has had a significant influence on the United States since its founding, and it remains a pervasive force in American society today. According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, approximately 65% of American adults identify as Christians, with the majority of these identifying as Protestant.

Where does the prejudice against the LBTQ community begin? There could be a few possibility, but one belief seems to be central in the production of the current day LGBTQ prejudice. 

Cultural norms can be a framework where prejudice is formed. In some cultures, homosexuality is stigmatized and viewed as abnormal or immoral. If a person grows up in such a culture, they may develop negative attitudes towards homosexuality simply because it is seen as unacceptable or taboo.

Religious beliefs certainly play a part in the development of an unhealthy prejudice against the LGBTQ community. Some religious teachings explicitly condemn homosexuality as a sin or immoral behavior. Individuals who strongly adhere to these beliefs may view homosexuality as morally wrong or unacceptable.

Personal experiences can dictate how some individuals begin a negative prejudice against the LGBTQ community. Negative experiences with LGBTQ+ individuals, such as bullying or harassment, can lead to prejudice and bias. If a person associates homosexuality with negative experiences, they may develop negative attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.

Societal attitudes can certainly help form prejudices. Homophobia and negative attitudes towards homosexuality can be perpetuated by societal attitudes and beliefs. For example, media portrayals of LGBTQ+ individuals as deviant or abnormal can reinforce negative stereotypes and contribute to prejudice.

We live in a society that has made tremendous strides in accepting people who identify in the LGBTQ community. The culture we live in today for the most part has been accepting and welcoming – that is until recently. There are some Republican officials, namely Governor DeSantis of Florida, that seem to be in an all-out war against the LGBTQ community with the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, the banning of books in schools mentioning or relating to the LGBTQ community and as of late, a concerted attack on drag queens.

I don’t believe Governor DeSantis was influenced by culture or personal experiences or even society when embarking on these attacks. I believe it is the religious right that has influenced Governor DeSantis as he has chosen to work against the rights of the LGBTQ community in order to gain favor with republican voters.

The evangelical religious right (republican voters) have influenced governing bodies in moral and ethical considerations and with lobbying and advocacy. Religious organizations and advocacy groups have used their influence effectively to lobby for specific policies and legislation that align with their beliefs and values. 

The religious right has engaged in an all-out war against the LGBTQ community out of fear; mainly the fear of indoctrination of youth all while they have used an indoctrination of evangelical christianity as their grounds. The religious right here is the epitome of gaslighting in their fears as they fear a movement to love one another might harm the indoctrination of homophobia that is evident today within the GOP.

The purpose behind the separation of church and state is to prevent the government from establishing or favoring any particular religion and to protect individual freedom of religion. It is a fundamental principle of modern democratic societies that helps to ensure that the government remains neutral and does not show preference towards any particular religious group or belief system.

Although the LGBTQ community is not a religious practice, the practice of the religious right is eliminating the rights of LGBTQ individuals and their freedoms.

Our government was formed to protect its citizens from this.

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence contains the entire theory of American government in a single, inspiring passage:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

An inalienable right, said Richard Foltin of the Freedom Forum Institute, is “a right that can’t be restrained or repealed by human laws.”

The governor of a state is to govern for the rights of all people within that state and not just those who might vote for him or her in another election. What he is doing instead is doing all he can to institute laws against the LGBTQ community, because the religious right believe that would be a good thing. So my questions are, where is the separation of church and state and why would any governor want to exclude a group of people from being treated equally all because that group of people loves different people than him?

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NRSV)

If the religious right, including Governor DeSantis, isn’t loving everyone, then they are wrong.