LETTER: Pride! Alliance has same rights
Editor,
I am using this opportunity to clear up some obvious misconceptions that were pointed out in the recent letters to the editor about Pride! Alliance and its sponsored activities, namely, Pride Day and National Coming Out Day which was held Oct. 11.
I would first like to address Collin Robinson’s letter about the amount of news coverage that Pride! Alliance activities get in The Statesman. Although, I am unable to speak for the editor’s decisions, I reject the idea that Pride! Alliance activities are publicized merely for the fact that homosexuals exist.
At last year’s Pride Day, Pride! Alliance coordinated musical performances, volunteers, hundreds of balloons, dozens of booths representing supporting businesses and organizations, a guest speaker, the ASUSU president, not to mention an entire entourage of drag queens.
Pride! Alliance sponsored an event that was deserving of recognition. I would hate to think the news coverage that wasn’t given to Mr. Robinson would for some reason trivialize the work put into Pride Day.
Also, at the risk of creating controversy, I noticed that nobody complained about the lengthy (although I don’t know the exact dimensions) article that ran on the front page of The Statesman on Monday, Oct. 7, just a week prior to the National Coming Out Day article. The article was on the General Conference of the LDS Church and it did not illustrate an “accurate portrayal of the achievements of Utah State University and its students.” The USU football team also made the front page of that Statesman, but they didn’t win that ball game.
In regard to M. Craig Larson’s letter, equality should be measured in actual rights, not days. When a homosexual person can marry whom he or she pleases, not get fired on the basis of sexual orientation, and live in acceptance and not in fear, there will not be a need for a day anymore.
National Coming Out Day is a day designed for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgender people, and GLBT supporters to come out as such. These people have as much right to say that homosexuality is OK as Mr. Larson has to imply that it is not. It is a national campaign and is supported locally by the Pride! Alliance. If there is a need for a “Not Gay” day, Mr. Larson simply needs to find somebody to sponsor it. I wouldn’t protest a Straight Day. I have a lot of friends who are straight.
Cy Martz