LETTER: Homosexuals need rights too
Editor,
For future reference, using a trite disclaimer like “I have nothing against gayness” before going on a hate-filled diatribe against gay people does not fool anybody, and it adds ignorance to prejudice.
To my knowledge, a dictionary has never been a governing document that has the power to grant rights and privileges that the majority enjoys and takes for granted. To characterize the recognition of the attempts made by homosexuals to see their relationships and unions have the same legal protections as their heterosexual counterparts as “appends aimed at political correctness” is trivializing and frankly, offensive.
Mr. Bill Wilson, in his letter published Sept. 10, points out that gay unions have no “biological children”. If we follow this rough argument to it’s logical conclusion, married heterosexual couples that have failed to procreate during the course of their legal union should have their nuptials revoked. I do not concur with this line of thought and reject the idea that a marriage between two people should be reduced to the sole purpose of breeding.
There are more than 1,000 legal rights, privileges, protections and safeguards granted to heterosexual couples when they enter a marriage. The “formal recorded legal agreement” Mr. Wilson has prescribed for gay couples can only ensure a fraction of these, can be easily overturned, and are very expensive to have drawn up.
Mr. Wilson also seemed quite conflicted about the stereotype that homosexuals are promiscuous as well as those who are infected with sexually transmitted diseases, arguing that these human beings who require health care might cause a rise in his insurance premiums. Hopefully, this isn’t a reflection of the compassion that the majority of heterosexuals feel toward their fellow man. It seems the people that complain about the stereotype of the promiscuous homosexual are the same people vehemently against gay marriage. It may be time to consider this very important choice: Unless and until the legal and social constructs which provide heterosexual relationships with a degree of stability are available to the gay population; promiscuity will continue to exist. You can’t have it both ways.
Cy Martz