The following repercussions, because they involve economic matters and
social arrangements, are not significant factors in determining the moral
status of homosexual activity. They just illustrate how troublingly
complicated the systematic integration of homosexuality into a society would
be if such integration is done fairly--fairly in relation to heterosexuals as
well as homosexuals (and bisexuals).
For example, if it makes sense to have separate barracks for male and
female soldiers because of sexual attraction, then it also makes sense to have
separate barracks for homosexual soldiers and separate barracks for straight
soldiers, so straight soldiers are not ogled or sexually harassed by
homosexual soldiers.
Now, while having separate barracks for homosexuals and heterosexuals would
help solve the problem of homosexuals ogling or sexually harassing
heterosexuals, it would probably exacerbate the problem of homosexuals ogling
or sexually harassing each other since they are sexually attracted to each
other and they would be confined in close quarters. Oddly enough, in order to
ameliorate that problem it would make some sense to mix male homosexuals with
lesbians in the same barracks because they do not sexually attract each other.
This mixing would reduce the amount of sexual desire or tension in homosexual
barracks. (We would have a problem housing bisexual soldiers since they can
ogle homosexual men and lesbians and heterosexual men and
heterosexual women and other bisexuals.)
The logic we have applied to barracks would similarly apply to all public
bathroom facilities and to public showering facilities, like those in high
school gymnasiums. If we condone homosexual behavior, then we would logically
have to build separate public bathrooms and showers for homosexuals and
heterosexuals, and the bathrooms for homosexuals should probably be shared by
lesbians and male homosexuals. (We would have a problem regarding public
bathrooms for bisexuals since they can ogle everybody, including other
bisexuals.)
Regarding groups like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, because they do not
normally have grown men sleeping in the same tents with girls as they do with
boys, adult homosexual scoutmasters should not be allowed to sleep in the same
tents with Boy Scouts (but, oddly, it may be okay to let homosexual men sleep
in the same tents with Girl Scouts since the former are not sexually attracted
to the latter). Similarly, adult lesbian den mothers should not be allowed to
sleep in the same tents with Girl Scouts (but they might be allowed to sleep
in the same tents with Boy Scouts). Bisexual scoutmasters should not be
allowed to sleep in tents with Girl or Boy Scouts.
Are we beginning to appreciate the difficulties involved in a society
condoning and fully integrating homosexuality and bisexuality into its various
communities?