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    "ocrText": "Myth: Homosexuality is a mental problem or a condition like alcoholism.\nFact: The American Psychological Association says homosexuality is a normal part of human\npsychological makeup just as is heterosexuality. \"Much objective research over the past 35 years\nhas shown that homosexual orientation, in and of itself, is not associated with emotional or\nsocial problems.\"\nMyth: Gays are a tiny percent of the population.\nFact: No one disputes that millions of Americans are lesbian and gay. Estimates of the gay and\nlesbian population have ranged from 3 percent to 10 percent of the general U.S. population.\nNo one knows for sure, because discrimination prevents many gay and lesbian Americans from\nidentifying themselves as such. Still, the debate over percentages does not matter. How many\ngay people there are should not affect how fairly they are treated -- everyone deserves the same\nbasic rights.\nMyth: Gays want people to accept their \"lifestyle.\"\nFact: There is no one gay \"lifestyle,\" just like there is no one straight lifestyle. It is not a question\nof accepting lifestyles, it is about ending discrimination. You can't force anyone to accept\nanother person, but you can ask that everyone be treated fairly under the law. No one should\nhave to face discrimination.\nMyth: Religious people are being forced to condone homosexuality.\nFact: No one is being forced change their beliefs. Religious beliefs are protected by federal law,\nbut no one should discriminate. Most people of faith oppose discrimination against lesbian and\ngay people. They understand that -- just like other religious differences -- sincere religious\ndisagreements about orientation are not grounds for discrimination. People of faith can disagree\nover whether or not homosexuality is right and still agree that discrimination is wrong.\nMyth: Gays are trying to hijack the African-American civil rights movement.\nFact: Coretta Scott King, Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela, the Congressional Black Caucus, and\nthe Leadership Conference on Civil Rights strongly support equal rights for gays and lesbians.\nGay and lesbian Americans come from every race and ethnic background.\nMyth:Some of those gays claim to be harmless -- but look at what (so-and-so) said/did. Is that\nwhat we want forced down our throats?\nFact: There is as much diversity among lesbian and gay Americans as there is among\nheterosexuals. It is the true mark of bias to assume that any one individual who happens to be\ngay is representative of lesbian and gay people on the whole -- in the same way that it would be\nunfair to judge all heterosexuals or all Christians by the actions of a few.\nMyth: Gays want to flaunt their lifestyle. Isn't that what all-this \"coming out\" stuff is about?\nFact:Telling the truth about oneself to family and friends -- as heterosexuals do as a matter of\ncourse isn't about flaunting any so-called lifestyle. Coming out is about being open and\nhonest about one's orientation -- arriving at a place of self-acceptance and being able to be\ntruthful with friends, family or co-workers, instead of having to lie and hide. Coming out also\nhelps dispel myths and end discrimination. People who are aware of the gay people they already\nknow and respect are much more supportive of equal rights for gay people, and much less likely\nto be misled by false stereotypes.\nThe Myths' - Page 2"
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