During his State of the Union address, President Bush supported a constitutional amendment excluding same-sex couples from the institution of marriage. Last month, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings pressured the Public Broadcasting Service to cancel an episode of its “Postcards from Buster” children’s series because it portrayed a family headed by lesbian mothers.

In the wake of these actions, I cannot help thinking about something Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave and abolitionist, said when he described the dehumanizing effects of slavery not on slaves alone, but also on white slave owners whose position on slavery corrupted their humanity.

Although the social conditions of Douglass’ time were very different from today, I believe Douglass’ words hold meaning by analogy: “No [person] can put a chain about the ankle of [another person] without at last finding the other end fastened about his [or her] own neck.”

Though it cannot be denied that the actions of the Bush administration on this issue serve its interests in a number of ways, I believe such a policy is misguided and uninformed — therefore, it will eventually backfire.

In truth, homophobia (prejudice and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people) is pervasive throughout our society. Each of us, regardless of our sexual or gender identity and expression, is at risk of its harmful effects.

Homophobic conditioning compromises the integrity of people by pressuring them to treat others badly, which are actions contrary to their basic humanity. It inhibits one’s ability to form close, intimate relationships with members of one’s own sex, generally restricts communication with a significant portion of the population and, more specifically, limits family relationships.

With all of the truly important issues facing the world, homophobia diverts energy and attention from more constructive endeavors. It also prevents heterosexuals from accepting the benefits and gifts LGBT people offer to society, including theoretical insights, social and spiritual visions and options, and contributions to the arts, religion, education, family life — indeed, to all facets of society. Ultimately, it inhibits appreciation of other types of diversity, making it unsafe for everyone because each person has unique traits not considered mainstream.

The meaning is quite clear. When any group of people is made a scapegoat, it is ultimately everyone’s concern. For today, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are targeted. Tomorrow, they may come for you. Everyone, therefore, has a self-interest in actively working to dismantle all the many forms of bigotry, including homophobia.

I believe that we are all born into an environment polluted by homophobia (one among many forms of oppression), which falls upon us like acid rain. For some people, spirits are tarnished to the core, others are marred on the surface, but no one is completely protected. Therefore, we all have a responsibility to join together as allies to construct protective shelters from the corrosive effects of bigotry while working to clean up the homophobic environment in which we live. Once steps are taken to reduce this pollution, we will all breathe a lot easier.

Warren J. Blumenfeld

Assistant Professor

Curriculum and Instruction