LETTER: Don’t be homophobic
Editor,
Two letters to the editor in Wednesday’s paper were laced with homophobia. Apparently, Mr. Collin Robinson and Mr. Craig Larson do not understand the purpose of organizations like the Pride! Alliance.
What is the difference between the Polynesian Student Union, the Black Student Union and the Pride! Alliance? All three groups are simply an outlet created to celebrate and educate others about a culture.
Did Collin Robinson end world hunger through his “creative” songwriting? Not being recognized for winning a talent show hardly qualifies as discrimination. I work closely with the students of the Polynesian Student Union and I am the president of the Black Student Union and with the exception of a few community service projects, we do nothing but celebrate our culture in our own ways.
Homosexuality is “OK” because heterosexuality is “OK” – sexual orientation is not the mettle by which you should judge. Mr. Larson’s comment that “Coming Out Day” should be eliminated if homosexuals want to be treated equally is outrageous.
So should I, as an African American woman, stop celebrating Black History Month because I want to be treated as an equal? The suggestion that a homosexual has to complete an extraordinary act to earn a place on the front page is ridiculous. What the hell did Betty Blue do to earn the front page? Missing or not she’s not Mother Teresa. The people who worked so hard against opposition to establish the Pride! Alliance at USU are already heroes. They live bravely and openly against the grain of this homogeneous home called Logan which is ridden with homophobia.
Heterosexuals are the majority; hence we do not need a “Not Gay Day.” Heterosexuals are not mocked or beaten to death simply because they are heterosexual. The disdain expressed for the simple celebration of a culture is the same disdain that has fed hatred for generations. I am a minority here – and those in the homosexual community are minorities as well. Don’t hate them because they refuse to be in the shadows – they possess a pride that those two gentlemen obviously envy.
Safiyyah Ballard