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“There are people with an orientation that they cannot control, and we must give them the full sympathy and support that they deserve. That sometimes means being nice to people who are real Ba’alei Aveirah”
If you have feelings and try to deal with them privately that is one thing. But to engage in the act itself or be public about it is another thing altogether. If you fall deeply in love with a married woman, no one would say it is ok to have an affair with her. If all the women you know are married, no one would say it would be ok to have an affair with any of them because otherwise you would be stuck alone without another outlet.
“There are people with an orientation that they cannot control, and we must give them the full sympathy and support that they deserve. That sometimes means being nice to people who are real Ba’alei Aveirah”
If you have feelings and try to deal with them privately that is one thing. But to engage in the act itself or be public about it is another thing altogether. I heard from Rov Schachter of YU that those homosexuals that are outspoken about their homosexual feelings and are proactive about it should be treated with no respect and one who does this should be considered as a rashsa gemurah while those who privately seek psychological help and perhaps tell select others their feelings in a modest way while admitting that the act is in no way permitted should be treated with compassion.
People do engage in homosexual acts in prison and heterosexuals even develop long term romances with other men. You can call it something else but that does not change reality- it is certainly a sexual experience.
When I say “become homosexual” I mean to say they start feeling desires they have not previously felt or considered. Nothing can stand before the fire of Torah and if a human being with powerful, deep-rooted homosexual drives falls once along the way there is no excuse to actually perform the act itself or demand it be respected. Making a public national statement embracing homosexuality will do much harm (just like legalizing prostitution and gambling will even if people will do it anyway).
I think the OU response was very watered down, they can take part in the democratic process without praising it: it is only the better of two evils. Torah values are the only ones that should be praised. “we do not expect that secular law will always align with our viewpoint….and today the process has spoken and we accord the process and its result the utmost respect.” That is shameful in my opinion.
Also, how do you explain people becoming gay when in jail? It is perhaps because they have no other outlet. It is also perhaps because a lack of Torah and a surplus of averos will make someone have a taiva for homosexuality: along with all sorts of other issues. The leaders that gave Hitler power and strong-handed his enemies (the SA, prior to the SS) were gay (before he killed them that is. I am not convinced that a gay person cannot find other women attractive. Nothing can stand before the fire of Torah and if a human being with powerful, deep-rooted homosexual drives falls once along the way there is no excuse to actually perform the act itself or demand it be respected. Making a public national statement embracing homosexuality will do much harm (just like legalizing prostitution and gambling will even if people will do it anyway).