"This is sad to say, but it's almost refreshing to read about a priest accused of good, old-fashioned heterosexual perviness.

The heteros sure do have an odd relationship with tradition. Apparently, damn near everything is a custom they believe should be reserved for one penis and one vagina, includingdomestic violence and getting felt up in a sequin dress.

Now, Steve Blow, columnist for the Dallas Morning News, claims that sexual assault is “refreshing” when it sticks to a manly man's definition of rape. D Magazine's FrontBurner blog reported that Blow had this to say about a local Priest who has victimized numerous young women:

"This is sad to say, but it's almost refreshing to read about a priest accused of good, old-fashioned heterosexual perviness.

The dreadful stuff between priests and boys has been going on for so long that I almost forgot that some priests have more mainstream sexual hangups.

Again, I say, it's time for a married priesthood."

Let’s ignore for a moment that “refreshing” is a term used to describe a Fresca soda or Sunday morning walk. The fact that he refers, with levity, to one of the most harmful, degrading, deplorable crimes made on a child is classless and insensitive, but his gross misrepresentation of the nature of child abuse is inexcusable. Like many before him, he’s made child molestation an expression of either heterosexual or homosexual lust. He believes different-sex sexual assault to be in the same family as heterosexuality, therefore making it “mainstream” and associates same-sex molestations as a result of us homos and our weird “hangups.” Unfortunately, this widely held but completely misguided premise fuels many in their gay hate.

I wrote here a few months back about the ugly and erroneous association between homosexuality and sexual assaults on children. As I've stated previously, the psychology of child sexual abuse is mysterious; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all explanation for the preferences and motivation for each offender. But a few things are certain: access plays the greatest role in determining who a pedophile targets — not gender. Furthermore, studies show that married men or heterosexual male partners, are 36 times more likely to sexually abuse children then a self-identified gay person. Some psychologists believe that pedophiles and child molesters share commonalities with adult-only rapists — they are simply looking to assert power and usually develop an inexplicable affinity for specific characteristics, gender being one among many.

Unfortunately, Steve Blow’s error will receive a lot of attention, but most of it will ignore the underlying homophobia and heterosexism that fueled his comments. As always, we must continuously work to educate our friends, families and co-workers about the nature of sexual assault, especially on children, who are the first to suffer from ignorance about the causes and offenders of these crimes.

Photo Credit: Lisa Norwood