Lady Gaga is a scourge to humanity.  Besides her offensive and blasphemous concerts, banned by the Indonesian Government, her advocacy of the gay "lifestyle" through her song "Born This Way" (which was also the theme of her recent concerts in Asia) can lead to serious social evils if it encourages homosexual unions.  A recent paper from the Family Research Council in the U.S. entitled "Getting the Facts:  Same-Sex Marriage" contains incontrovertible facts about the negative consequences of same-sex marriages. 

          In the first place, same-sex marriage will make a mockery of the institution of marriage because homosexual unions have been proved to be short lived.  A survey of 8,000 couples revealed that the average number of years together was 9.8 for marriage between a man and woman; 1.7 for cohabiting heterosexuals; 3.5 for the gay couples;  and 2.2 for lesbian couples.  Most gays desire variety in their sex partners, not the monogamy of traditional marriage:  In 1994, the largest national gay magazine reported that only 17% of its sample of 2,500 gays claimed to live together in a monogamous relationship.  At any given time, less than a third of gays and approximately half of lesbians are living with a lover.  Because the relationships are so short, the average homosexual can anticipate many, many "divorces."  It is bad enough that some 50 percent of marriages between a man and woman end up in divorce, with the consequent traumas inflicted on the children of these unions. Allowing same-sex marriage will drive the divorce figures to the sky.

          Second, there is abundant evidence that homosexual union is hazardous to one's health.  The increase in sicknesses and diseases have serious financial consequences on the health care system of a country.  President Obama will have to think twice about his support for gay marriages if he considers how difficult it has been for him to push for a medicare program for the lower-income U.S. households who could suffer from the health consequences of same-sex unions.  "Committed" or "coupled" homosexuals are more apt than "single" gays to engage in highly risky and biologically unsanitary sexual practices.  As a consequence of this activity, they increase their chances of getting AIDS and other sexually transmitted or blood-borne diseases.  The evidence is strong that both gays and lesbians are more apt to take biological risks when having sex with a partner than when having casual sex.  The evidence is also strong that gays disproportionately contract more diseases, especially AIDS and the various forms of hepatitis, from sex with "partners" than they do from sex with strangers.  Medical costs to society will, therefore, increase.

          Third, same sex marriage poses a serious threat to peace and order in a society because homosexual unions have the highest rate of domestic violence.  The average rate of domestic  violence in traditional marriage, established by a nationwide federal government survey of 6,779 married couples in 1988, is apparently less than 5%.  Unmarried, cohabiting heterosexuals report higher rates of violence--a rate of about 20 to 25% annually.  In 1987 in Georgia, 48% of 43 lesbian couples and 39% of 39 gay couples reported domestic violence.  In 1990, nearly half of 90 lesbian couples in Los Angeles reported domestic violence yearly.  The physical threat to homosexuals from same-sex domestic violence is at least twice as great as the physical threat they experience from "gay bashers."

          Fourth, same-sex marriages can lead to more child abuse and mental disturbances among children and adolescents.  Among 4,600 children with non-homosexual parents, only 0.6% reported sex with their parents or stepparents.  But contrast, for children with homosexual parents, 3 of 6 sons reported sex with their father (2 of the 3 said they were homosexual as adults) and 2 of 11 daughters reported sex with a stepmother.  Children of homosexuals scored lowest in math and language skills, were least popular (often socially isolated), most restrained and formal, experienced the lowest levels of parental involvement both at school and at home.  Teachers said that children of homosexuals were "more confused" about their gender.  Some 17% of children of homosexual parents practised homosexuality, compared to only 2% of heterosexuals.  Among adult children of homosexual parents, 56% expressed some concern over the burden of keeping a part of their lives secret, and 44% stated that they had felt that their parent's sexuality had placed special demands or constraints upon their friendships.

          It is clear, therefore, that the objections to Lady Gaga's concerts in several Asian countries, with Indonesia exercising the greatest sense by banning her performance outright, go beyond moral considerations.  They are based on well-founded fears about the very negative social and economic consequences of her advocacy of LGBT "rights."  If some U.S. leaders are not concerned about these social evils resulting from same-sex unions, let them at least have the decency to keep Lady Gaga within their shores and prevent her from inflicting damage on other societies.  For comments, my email address is bernardo.villegas@uap.asia.