Straight Answers challenges the order perspective of the charmed circle and the social hierarchy that defines "good" sex and "bad" sex, factors used to justify disagreement and hate towards homosexuality. This site approaches the issue of condemnation by religious conservatives by stating that even if their religious doctrines state that homosexuality is a sin, it is people who condemn. Condemnation is a social process by which one way of life is accepted over another - in this case, heterosexuality over homosexuality. Ott compares homosexuality to other acts condemned by the church such as incest and sex between adults and children. There are obvious concerns in these areas, he points out, such as the dangers of inbreeding for the former and the dangers of "physical and psychological harm" to the child in the latter. Of course, taking the religious belief of Adam and Eve, incest was once an accepted practice; however, now we see the biological effects of inbreeding and it is now condemned. So why are queers condemned by society? People condemn queers because they "weaken" society by straying outside of society's moral rules and exposing the greater population to AIDS and depopulation due to non-procreative sex. The argument is made against legalizing gay marriages because it belittles the present institution of marriage by giving deviants the opportunity to marry each other. These worries are human worries, not divine worries that God has and explicitly states in the Bible. Therefore, Ott's stance is that homosexual condemnation is socially, not biblically, constructed. Creating a condemned group is a social process where society's worst fears are targeted in creation of social stigmas placed on groups who are not easily categorized into the dominant male-female dichotomy.
Straight Answers helps create an understanding of homosexuality for those who do not understand. In helping queers answer the most profound and ignorant questions posed by straight people, Straight Answers, in effect, answers the questions that a straight reader might have. One such misconception about queers, the idea that they can be cured, is discussed. Ott makes reference to the Ex-Gay Ministry whose founders, both male, later repudiated the organization and became lovers. Ott also states that the American Psychiatric Association has not considered homosexuality as a mental illness for over twenty years, and therefore, is not a 'condition' that can be cured through medical treatment. A more political question of why queer people need certain rights is also addressed. The argument against equal protection under the law for homosexuals is the common mistake that anti-discrimination laws only protect people whose characteristics cannot be changed, such as the color of their skin. However, religious freedom is also protected under these laws and Ott argues that religion, like some views of homosexuality, is a choice that is changeable; therefore, homosexuals should be assured the same protection against discrimination that people of different religious faiths do. Homosexuals also need protection from those who think killing a gay person is acceptable behavior. Religion is protected under the U.S. Constitution because of heinous crimes that occurred because of differences in beliefs. Today, the same heinous crimes that produced religious martyrs are happening to homosexuals as well as heterosexuals who fit the homosexual stereotype. By looking historically at what other marginalized groups have suffered, it is easier to create an understanding of what the discrimination and hate towards homosexuals is like, and it creates the realization of the importance of ending such harsh discrimination.
The website offers a Top 10 list of ways to deal with anti-gay conservatives, offering tactics that give a gay-supporter ways of gaining the upper hand in conversations about homosexuality. Ott states that in most cases, there is fairness inside anti-gay conservatives that needs help to be brought out. The starting point Ott suggests, is to have patience when talking to an anti-gay conservative and to remember many are motivated by genuine concern. Finding similarities between yourself and the other person alleviates negative assumptions about you and helps break down the stereotype of homosexuals. Another way to take control of the conversation is to make the other person justify their beliefs - Ott states that not many people can explain why they believe something but can only list what they believe. Also, never let the other person "blame the victim." By informing them that homosexual stereotypes are the result of pervasive anti-gay prejudice, it can be shown that homosexuals do not deserve the unjust treatment they have been receiving. To really be effective, Ott proposes to hold them accountable for the many of the problems gays have due to anti-gay sentiments by society. The website lists other ways to be effective in opening the minds of people who are otherwise anti-gay.
Straight Answers helps the Gay Movement by answering
some of the most common questions about homosexuality, largely attacking
the conservative front. However, in doing so, the site uses essentialist
ideas that sexuality is something inside a person, unchangeable.
Using an analogy of being left-handed and living in a world accommodated
for right-handers is one way the site offers in explaining the harmlessness
of homosexuality. In this analogy, the site alludes that homosexuality,
like being left-handed, is a characteristic that is naturally within a
person. This way of thinking can add more fuel to the anti-gay conservative
fire that can react by labeling homosexuality as a disorder. The
essentialist line of thinking can also be helpful in showing that God created
people who love other people, regardless of their sex, a diverse group
of people who are cannot be categorized into the homosexual-heterosexual
binary. Overall, this site is very effective in helping gays and
straights answer the toughest questions posed by anti-gay conservatives.