Interview Summary
In this interview, I have talked to my friend Lisa about some of her opinions regarding sexual minorities. I have known Lisa since we were both children and she is one of my closest friends. Nevertheless, I have noticed certain tendencies she demonstrates when our conversations somehow turn to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. For example, when I told her that some of her favorite actors were gay, she got upset and even seemed to show aversion. It was difficult for me to understand these attitudes and I decided to interview her and learn more about them.
Interview Transcript
- Interviewer: I have noticed you got upset when I told you that the actor who played Gandalf is gay, same with Sheldon Cooper. Can you tell me if that fact really disappoints you?
- Lisa: Of course it does. I just cannot imagine Gandalf being gay. Knowing about this ruined his character for me, and all the good things I associated with him when I watched the Lord of the Rings as a child.
- Interviewer: But what difference does it make? They are still good people and actors, aren’t they?
- Lisa: I guess so. I just can’t understand why they do it. Are they so easily convinced by all those Hollywood trends and fashions?
- Interviewer: Do you think that being gay is a trend?
- Lisa: Yes, I think it is. I also think it is largely caused by political correctness gone wrong. One person says they are gay; others try to be so polite and considerate about it, that it becomes absurd and they just decide that they are also attracted to the same sex.
- Interviewer: Is it unimaginable that they might be naturally attracted to the same sex?
- Lisa: I think there is absolutely nothing natural in that. You see, the main reason I believe it is a strange concept created by people is because it is unnatural. Human beings are designed a certain way, and we should not go against it, for the purpose of reproduction. You will not see these behaviors in other animals.
- Interviewer: This is where I would like to disagree with you. Scientists have discovered many examples of homosexual activities in the animal kingdom. Penguins, various types of primates, wild birds… Many animals exhibit similar behaviors.
- Lisa: I have heard about it and think that all those cases only happened in extreme conditions, and these animals engage in homosexual activities when there are no members of the opposite sex in their proximity. It is similar to prison sexuality, I think; male inmates do not see any females, but they need to satisfy their needs, so to speak.
- Interviewer: You seem to be strongly convinced about the categories of life that are “natural”, but how can we even be so sure about it, when we do not know so many things about the planet and the human species? Why can’t homosexuality be just a part of the “natural” world that you talk about?
- Lisa: Well, first of all, I think we know quite enough about human anatomy to state that we are not supposed to engage in sexual activities with the members of the same sex. Second, as I have already said, it is all based on one of the main human instincts: reproduction. Same-sex relationships cannot naturally lead to reproduction; therefore, they are unnatural.
- Interviewer: What if not all the members of human species have to have this instinct? Or what if it has changed as we evolved?
- Lisa: I am not sure if the instincts can just disappear in some categories of species and remain in others. If it is so, and it just happened in the course of evolution, then again, homosexuality is some kind of mutation, which means that it is not normal, it is unnatural.
- Interviewer: However, it might have always been a part of human nature. There are numerous examples in history. For as long as we know, there have been people who were attracted to the same sex; poets and writers, kings and queens, even dictators and inventors. Evidence exists that Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, and Julius Caesar were either gay or bisexual.
- Lisa: Well, maybe so. Still, I think there can be some explanation given in all the cases you have mentioned. Kings, queens, and dictators were probably so bored and pampered that it was just one of their queer activities to try something new and strange. Poets and writers might have been looking for some inspiration to write their masterpieces.
- Interviewer: So, in your opinion, sexual intentions can either be caused by the instinct of reproduction or by one of those? Boredom or search for inspiration and excitement?
- Lisa: I guess so.
- Interviewer: And same-sex relationships can only be caused by the second category of factors?
- Lisa: Well, that is still a mystery to me. Could be that, could be what I said earlier: being easily persuaded by trends.
- Interviewer: Well, let’s just hope that someday you will know for sure.
Interview Reflection
Why I chose this person to interview
I have chosen this person for my interview because I have been interested in her position on this question for a long time. She has an open and sociable personality but we never managed to talk about this issue. That is why I decided that interviewing her is a good opportunity for me to learn more about the reasons why she has such views.
What I hoped to achieve during this interview
When preparing to the interview, I hoped to see if my interviewee can clearly explain her strong opinions. I also wanted to understand if she has reasonable arguments that are well-structured and can be used to defend such a categorical position. I did achieve some of these goals; I can now see that she has been thinking about this question and tried to look at it from different perspectives: biological, social, and historical. However, I do not think her reasoning is structured enough; some of her statements may be based on her conservative upbringing, as they seemed quite old-fashioned and traditionalist to me. During the interview, I have learned more about the arguments used by the opponents of same-sex relationships. I think the interviewee did manage to learn from me, as I have noticed her become less confident in her statements by the end of the discussion. Next time, I would try to read more about the possible arguments that my opponent can use prior to the interview.
Works Cited
Gonzales, Rick. “One Of Sean Penn’s Most Acclaimed Movies Is Newly On Netflix.” GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT, 2021.