Dear everyone afraid of gay people

Posted on February 25, 2004
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Gay rights in the States are yet-again becoming a hot-bed issue. While some states taking the initiative to liberalize attitudes and respect rights a President attempts to entrench discrimination in the Constitution. It’s easy to forget that people are involved, in this case a lot of people. A heartfelt, fantastic letter from Sharon Underwood, the mother of a gay son, “A Letter to the Editor”:

As the mother of a gay son, I’ve seen firsthand how cruel and misguided people can be. Many letters have been sent to the Valley News concerning the homosexual menace in Vermont. I am the mother of a gay son and I’ve taken enough from you good people.

I’m tired of your foolish rhetoric about the “homosexual agenda” and your allegations that accepting homosexuality is the same thing as advocating sex with children. You are cruel and ignorant. You have been robbing me of the joys of motherhood ever since my children were tiny.

…

You have the audacity to talk about protecting families and children from the homosexual menace, while you yourselves tear apart families and drive children to despair. I don’t know why my son is gay, but I do know that God didn’t put him, and millions like him, on this Earth to give you someone to abuse. God gave you brains so that you could think, and it’s about time you started doing that.

What I don’t understand is the rational behind the deep-seated fear that seems to drive the anti-gay movement. I can’t rectify it with just a simple collision of religious belief because it seems too extreme, even for religious extremists. And the strong desire to actually do harm to gay people, to physically and emotionally attacked them outright… that seems more like the product of the fight-or-flight response than a concious decision.

Seriously, “gay menace”? What are you so afraid of?*

(I’m not attacking Ms. Underwood’s use of this term. Search Google for ‘gay menace’ and you’ll see who I’m aiming at.)

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