With the upcoming Coming Out Week, I wish to convey why we should celebrate homosexual and bisexual relationships. Now many of us have been told that we should be “tolerant” and “open-minded” about lifestyles different from our own. We have been told not to judge others simply because they are different. The main problem with this moral relativist stance is that it fails to grasp the value that any sort of relationship, especially an intimate one, has. When we allow ourselves to make value judgments about relationships we can truly celebrate the ones that are valuable.

What makes a relationship valuable? The purpose of these types of interactions is to provide just and satisfactory happiness to both parties. When this is achieved the relationship’s inherent teleological principle has been fulfilled and is therefore valuable. When this type of exchange is not present in relationship where one person’s happiness is not achieved then the relationship is not valuable and could be harmful to each individual.

For example, in the case of abusive relationships (by abusive I mean that there is harm that causes unwanted physical, emotional or moral damage) one of the partners is not achieving the happiness that is necessary for a relationship to fulfill its purpose.

Because homosexual and bisexual relationships can provide this happiness, just as heterosexual ones can, they are valuable when they achieve their purpose.

So as we celebrate different types of relationships next week, please do it because they are valuable not just because we want to be “tolerant”.

 

Sam Hoppe

Philosophy ‘14