LETTER: Heterosexuality is not morality

To the editor:

I remember as a teenager sitting in a Mormon church during training to become a Boy Scout counselor.  One particular day, we watched a video to teach us about the dangers of gays. One section showed a man who said he could “convert” any boy he wanted to being gay in the matter of a week. As a gay teenager, this turned my judgment against myself; I knew I was gay, but I wasn’t doing the horrible things shown on that video.

Recently, Richard Winters wrote an article about declining morals. One particular attack he made was against “homosexuals,” a scientific term that removes much of the emotion behind gays.  In this culture, we tend to use scientific terms when talking about things that make us uncomfortable; it makes everything sterile, safe.  

As Winters claims, embracing homosexuality means eliminating the human population in one generation. Fortunately, he’s wrong; learning to love our African American brothers has not caused Caucasians to die out. We gays are not here to convert; we’re here to live and find happiness. 

I know Winters wants to hold onto morals, but these morals are not just privileges for a straight white male.  I am a gay man with a single partner for almost two years, and I have morals.  Beliefs like these were created for self-betterment, and Winters must be trying to be the best he can be.  However, we should perfect ourselves and allow others to find perfection in their own spheres.

Brian Lee Cook