Respect for Homosexuals. Earned or required ?

Question

Before you reply please read the following by Immanuel Kant, moral philosopher - writings dd.1785 /1788 /1797.

"All persons are owed respect just because they are persons that is; free rational beings. To be a person is to have a status and worth that is unlike that of any other kind of being: it is to be an end in itself with dignity. And the only response that is appropriate to such a being is respect. Respect (that is, moral recognition respect) is the ackknowledgment in attitude and conduct of the diginity of persons "as ends in themselves". Respect for such beings is not only appropriate but also morally and unconditionally required : the status and worth of "person" is such that they must always be respected.".

THE CONCEPT OF RESPECT

A great read from Stanford University.

"Elements of respect / Respect for Nature and Nonpersons / Self Respect "

* Most of us were taught at a very young age to "respect" our elders. What did the "elder" do to earn respect from a 5 year-old? Do younger people by "rule" deserve no respect from elders?

Kant is only one of hundreds of philosophers researched for The Concept of Respect. Of course his ideas are "his".

Answer 1

I agree with Kant, and hence think that homosexuals, like any other person, deserve respect as human beings. I follow, however, that everyone has the potential to lose that respect based on their actions. In my moral code, homosexuality isn't wrong at all, so they are on the same level playing ground with heterosexuals and any other kind of -sexual in terms of what respect I will allot them, which is the minimal amount without knowing them, and more or less afterward.

So in a sense, to me, it is both required and earned.

Answer 2

Respecting others as Kant suggests leads to civility between members of the human race.
I've always found though, that respect of any kind is a two way street.
Demanding rights beyond what laws provide is an indicator of contempt and disrespect.

Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell are perfect examples.
Rosie uses the media and The View as a platform for her sexuality, flaunting it in everyone's face.
Ellen uses her show to promote her talent as a comedienne, and that has nothing to do with her personal preferences in expressing her sexuality.

Both are talented individuals. But I watch TV to be entertained, not to be put under politically correct pressure.

Answer 3

Bravo. A great question. I will stay away from a wonderful dialectic on Kant, and he has a wonder thinker who deserves to be studied and critiqued. But a great statement on your part.
As for me I think should be a social norm with a guarantee of basic civil respect. But I think that each person with in each group must earn any level of respect over that.
But that comes into any group. I feel the same way weather it is a group of homosexuals, or people in jail.
B

Answer 4

I think that respect is a misguided ideal. I do think that people deserve respect for being human beings, but that, in and of itself is superficial...

I respect honorable and trustworthy people; I don't respect people filled with hate and bigotry. I respect people who recognize their flaws and strive to be better people; I do not respect people who make excuses for their failings in life - i.e. "I killed my five kids because I suffer from post-partum depression."

Do I respect homosexuals? I can, but it has nothing to do with their being homosexuals or even just human beings, because I look at the character of the individual. There are plenty of straight people I would want to be within ten yards proximity and then there are some gay people I think have decent ideals for humanity and are caring and generous people...

Answer 5

While I agree that all persons are to be respected based on their personhood, I disagree with the idea that a person's choices and/or behaviors need to be respected.
For example, I would hold people who bully other people in low regards because, while they are people, the activity they engage in is offensive.
Likewise, homosexuals are due all the repect that all persons, everywhere are due. However, the activity of homosexuality does not need to be respected by anyone who finds it offensive.

You cannot force anyone to accept anything they find offensive.

By the way, while quoting Kant is intellectually engaging (I Minored in Philosophy in college), Kant's ideas are just that.
His ideas.
Hope this helps!

Answer 6

i believe you have to respect others in order to be respected. there is a time and a place for everthing. if you respect other peoples boundaries they should respect you AND your partner. however there will be those pigs that will look and talk just because your in the presence of a "gay looking" (whatever that is) person. but those are the people that you shouldnt even give a second thought. they are not worth your time and effort.

Answer 7

Respect for any person is required. Even those about to receive the death penalty are deserving of respect.

The problem is that many view homosexuals as something less than persons. They try to dehumanize GLBT folk, just as they are trying to dehumaninze Islam as terrorists and not human.

People categorize whole groups of people as less than human, and therefore, not deserving of respect.

How many LGBT folk have been beaten? Some of us killed! People who can be separated and singled out can be grouped as less than human and deserving of no respect as people. That's the way groups such as Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church function.

Answer 8

Everyone deserves respect as a human being, however, gay or straight, certain parts of respect need to be earned. I am a straight man and would never be disrespectful to anyone based solely on their sexual orientation.

Answer 9

Respect on the level of "I'm not going to look down on someone just because they are attracted to members of the same sex and I am not..."- that is deserved up front...

Anything above and beyond... that should be earned just like with anyone else.

Answer 10

I hold respect for anyone, as a default position, until they do something to lose that respect.

A person's sexuality is neutral, with regards to respect, just as their race, religion, or the shape of their nose.