tol·er·ate: allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.

Chelsea,

I believe you misinterpreted the LGBTQA representative’s goal of speaking to your class. I’ll admit I wasn’t there, but you said yourself the representative wanted to speak to the class about “how to be more welcoming and tolerant of those of all different sexual preferences and orientations”. Assuming that is all the representative talked about, I don’t see how you and your like-minded classmates were pressured into giving up your personal values. Being asked to be welcoming and tolerant towards somebody who goes against your beliefs and values is not asking you to change who you are and it is not asking you to agree with them; it is asking you to be a decent human being towards your fellow decent human beings. Standing up for your beliefs and values when they are being directly attacked is one thing, but being asked to be respectful towards someone who lives a different life than you is not an attack. We’re simply asking you to be tolerant.

From your fellow decent human being,

Rhiannon Bottemer