To the editor:
I am writing in response to the letter written by Ms Laura Burshnic that appeared in last week’s paper ("’Bigot’ label unfair for Boy Scouts").
In her letter, Ms Burshnic applauds the recent decision in the case of James Dale v. The Boy Scouts of America. Ms Burshnic then expresses her distaste for the use of the word "bigot" as applied to the Boy Scouts, an organization that refuses to allow homosexual people to become members.
I would like to dispel some myths.
The Supreme Court decision seems to have affirmed the private organization’s right to discriminate. Do not fool yourselves! This is discrimination!
The BSA have a prejudice against gay people, and exceptional young men like James Dale, after a lifetime of dedication to the organization, are paying the price.
Does discrimination not make one a bigot? According to my understanding of the word, it does.
Ms Burshnic and the many who unfortunately adhere to a similar school of thought defend their prejudice with "health facts."
They have bought into the absurd myth that sex shared between two people of the same gender is harmful and spreads disease.
Sex between two people of the same gender does not inherently cause disease! Sexually transmitted diseases are spread by intimate contact between two people, regardless of gender.
Browsing through the Web site of the American Social Health Association, www.ashastd.org, one can find information on numerous STDs, all transmitted through heterosexual sex as well.
Some diseases, such as herpes simplex virus, can be transmitted through kissing alone.
Do not be fooled into thinking that one’s sexual orientation makes one invincible to disease. Chlamydia, CMV and HIV don’t know the difference.
Homosexuality is not a "behavior." It is simply a characteristic of one-tenth of the world’s population, in the same way that heterosexuality is a characteristic of the remainder. Homosexuality is not a "choice."
And homosexuality is certainly not a "disorder with psychological, spiritual and emotional causes." This kind of ignorant, hate-filled thought, motivated by a fear of the unfamiliar, is the essence of bigotry.
The Supreme Court decision is unfortunate, and is a blatant affront to the civil liberties of all Americans.
Jamie Bunce
Belle Mead
