I am deeply saddened to see some people I thought were well-educated to fall for the National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM’s) latest fallacy, which is shown here. This image is being passed around on Facebook.

It says, in part, “if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle…,” referring to those of us who are gay. It doesn’t say that directly, but if you know or have heard anything about NOM, you know what they are referring to. They despise gay men and women, and have been on a crusade to foist their misguided opinions on the world.

The fallacy here is that being gay is NOT a “lifestyle.” I was born gay. I did not choose to “be” gay, “live” gay, or adopt a “gay lifestyle” (whatever that is.)

For those who think that being gay is a “lifestyle,” let me share the dictionary definition of what a “lifestyle” is:

the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group.

My habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, and economic level are pretty much middle-class American. My ethics, integrity, and moral standards reflect how I was raised: to be a good person, do good unto others, be honest, kind, gentle, helpful, and financially responsible. My husband’s lifestyle is the same. I figure most of my readers would consider themselves to be decent, law-abiding, honest, kind and helpful people too. Most of my readers are not gay, and neither are my friends.

We share common bonds in believing that doing the right thing, living honestly, caring for others, paying our bills, looking after our neighbor — as defined, our “lifestyle” — has NOTHING to do with being gay.

Damn, I wish those NOM-nuts would get over their hypocrisy. They say, “love one another,” but their documented record of actions extends downright hatred toward men who love men, or women who love women. Interestingly, most of their funding is organized religions or their membership.

When they say that “our culture has accepted two lies” — one is about “accepting a lifestyle” that one disagrees with. Being gay is NOT a lifestyle, Q.E.D. above.

Second, they say that the “second lie” is that “to love someone means you agree with everything they say or do.” I love all of my cousins, but some of them are so wrapped around what they were taught by their church that they espouse hatred toward the mere fact that I am gay — and refuse to recognize that some of their sons are gay, too. I do not agree with some of my cousins’ points of view, but I still love them. Family ties and blood run deep, regardless of their misguided and wrongful beliefs (my opinion.)

I cannot believe that some of my friends fell for NOM’s latest marketing maneuver. I wish they would read the documented history of NOM’s classification as a hate group. Perhaps then they will understand why their actions to pass on NOM’s filthy lies makes me angry. As I said to one of my friends who shared that image on Facebook — am I any different than the guy you knew since we were six years old?” To that, they had no reply.

Life is short: know the motivations behind certain organizations and think before you act.