Jonathan Taylor is 54 years old and incarcerated in Massachusetts, USA

A Hole in the Big Bang Theory

The big bang theory suggests that all of the existing matter and the known universe was essentially regurgitated over 14 billion years ago from what can only be described as the mother of all black holes. Within this massive mind-boggling expansion, gravity, the cosmic choreographer worked its magic and over time transformed matter into swirling galaxies, teaming with rotating stars and planets that dance around each other in an endless orbital waltz.

The Hubble Telescope has given us the extraordinary ability to peer across the vast expanse of the universe and gaze at distant galaxies, which scientists estimate to be over 14 billion light years away. This means that the light from those galaxies has taken more than 14 billion years to reach us so we are in effect peering into the past and seeing the galaxies as they would have appeared 14 billion years ago.

This creates a contradiction, which tends to call the timeline of the big bang theory into question. How did fully formed galaxies get to be more than 14 billion light years away from us over 14 billion years ago when the big bang theory was supposedly just occurring at that time? Unless matter was immediately transformed into galaxies and transported clear across the universe at the very instant that it burst forth from the singularity, there is no apparent explanation for how this is possible. There may be some complex equation that puts it all in perspective but for those of us without PhD‘s in astrophysics, the basic math just doesn’t add up.

Breaking Down Homophobia

While we’ve made miles of headway on the road to tolerance in this country, we still have got a long way to go. Despite being no longer socially acceptable, homophobia persists in private. Although public personalities may suffer backlash for openly brandishing such bigotry, the disease continues to course through the undercurrents of our culture, and the world remains a hostile place for those who walk a path that differs from the ‘straight’ and narrow-minded.

Breaking down homophobia, begins at the roots. What causes someone to have such an irrational reaction to something that shouldn’t concern them at all? If indifference is the natural response to that which doesn’t affect us, why do certain straight people have such a strong aversion towards someone who is gay? Clearly, these conflicted individuals have some underlying issues with their own sexuality to be so apprehensive about someone else’s. If gay people can be accepting of the straight community’s lifestyle, why can’t the road to tolerance run both ways?

Although various factors could contribute to the homophobic condition, there may be a common symptom that is shared by those afflicted. In 2018, researchers announced the results of a study, which found that people are generally bisexual in nature. Their findings were based on the fact that virtually all of the test subjects were aroused on some level by erotic images of both sexes. Even those leaning heavily toward the gay and straight ends of the sexuality spectrum, demonstrated some degree of bisexuality. This falls in line with long held progressive thinking that has considered human sexuality to be more of a fluid state than a fixed one, and shines an interesting light on the subject of homophobia.

The study’s conclusions indicate that individuals suffering from homophobia, likely have a physical attraction to members of their own sex. With the thought of society’s scorn weighing on their minds, this could be problematic for some people, resulting in feelings of guilt or shame. Their self-loathing could then be projected onto the gay community for inadvertently representing a side of themselves, which they have trouble facing.

Not all homophobes are created equal. Some will merely emulate those that suffer from the illness, in a vain attempt to conceal their own sexual ambiguity. Having no actual animosity toward gay people, they jump on the homophobic bandwagon with the misguided belief that projecting an anti purity, when it actually provides a blaring indication of their undisclosed attractions.

While blatant displays of homophobia may draw some criticism, there is a subtle side of the sickness that often goes unchecked. The gay community is constantly confronted with casual cringes, suggestive looks, and raised eyebrows from all sides, including their allies. These mild offenses may seem harmless compared to the hateful language of the hardcore homophobes however; they play an important part in the spread of the syndrome, which could never flourish without planting such seeds.

Even where there is tolerance for the gay community, the acceptance tends to vary. Gay women may be viewed differently than gay men, and those who adhere to traditional gender stereotypes will find it easier to blend in with the straight community than those who don’t conform. Ironically, one of the groups that have the most trouble being accepted is those who openly identify as bisexual. Despite the science showing us that bisexuality is a basic part of human nature, there are few who feel comfortable freely admitting to this truth in light of the stigma surrounding it. Since many bisexuals choose to suppress their gay feelings, they expect others to do the same. However, why should anyone deny a part of themselves because someone else has a problem with it?

It appears that homophobia finds its roots in people’s insecurities over their sexuality, and is amplified by the intolerance that the condition causes in others. In order to eradicate this illness and build an immunity to intolerance, the cure must come from within. Before they can accept others homophobes must learn to accept themselves.