It’s time to dispel some hasty generalizations that a disturbing number of people have about gays.

1. We are the main spreaders of AIDS.  In fact, the incidence of AIDS has been falling in the gay community for over a decade.  There is a larger and growing incidence among intravenous drug users and African American women.  In Africa, AIDS has always been a disease of heterosexuals.

2. We are sluts.  Some gay men are, sure, but the biggest whores I have ever known are straight men.  Wilt Chamberlain? Gene Simmons?

3. We will hit on anyone we can.  This one is pervasive in the military and on sports teams.  Truth is, we can sense if an advance is wanted or not.  We’re like everyone else; we don’t want to be rejected.  Why bark up an impossible tree?  This fallacy has more to do with straight men’s homophobia and insecurity than it does our actual behavior.

3. We are pedophiles and sexual predators.   Statistics prove over and over again, that the group mostly likely to abuse children is straight, often married, men.  And society conveniently ignores the truth that most children are abused by people they know well, not strangers.  Most gay men I know are rarely around children.

4. We will make a mockery of marriage.  How so?  Because we want to live committed, stable lives with someone we love deeply?  It seems to me that the serial monogamists of the world – usually celebrities – are the ones making a mockery of marriage.

5. We are basically different than the rest of society.  Most gay men I know want very normal things: family, friends, home, career.  If we live differently, it’s often because we have been forced to do so by our families and jobs and neighbors who will not accept us.

6. The Bible says God hates gays. If you read it honestly, Leviticus also condones slavery and allows a father to sell his daughter.  Does anyone take that seriously?

A lot of lip service is given to political correctness, and people feel self righteous that they are tolerant.

But the truth is, we all have attitudes we have been taught that are counter-productive.  The best thing we can do is recognize the humanity in each other.