Letters To The Editor
February 17, 2010 - MidWeek
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Del.icio.usIt’s discrimination
It doesn’t matter if there is a homosexual gene or not, as S. Williams indicated in a recent letter. Most people are born right-handed, some are born left. Most people are born straight, but some homosexual. Neither is a learned or chosen behavior. In either case, none of us got to choose which orientation we wanted to be. We are what we are.
It amazes me how and what the intolerant anti-equal rights people will create, twist and distort reality to their prejudiced attitudes. The only issue here is the federal and state constitutional mandates that we all have equal rights and benefits. The word except is not in there.
Gays are not asking for anything more or less than what straight people have. To use the democratic principle of “majority rules” to deny a special segment of people the same rights is an evil abuse of the system.
Not one person opposed to equal rights has offered even one justifiable reason based on logic, facts and reality. They have no case. But once again the politicians have caved in to the conservative religious people and have brought Christian religion into our government. They and judges have violated their oaths to support the Constitution and the policy of separation of church and state. I don’t know how, at this time, any right-minded person can support discrimination. That is un-democratic and un-Christian.
Bert West
Honolulu
Heterosexual gene?
S.J. Williams writes that “science” says there is no homosexual gene, so homosexuality is not hard-wired. Overlooking the fact that psychologists are not medical doctors, I have to ask if these scientists discovered a heterosexual gene? Of course not. So going by your logic, heterosexuality is not hard-wired. This means heterosexuals have a choice? Sorry, but I was not given any choice. My attraction for the opposite sex was not something I debated. It was innate. It was like breathing. It just was. We cannot change how we feel about sexual attraction.
Look at the discrimination, revulsion, hate and violence that homosexuals have to endure. What truly heterosexual male would go through all that as a choice? What truly heterosexual male would turn away from the opposite sex?
For homosexuals, it also is innate. It also is like breathing. It just is.
Peter Chisteckoff
Mililani
Prejudice hurts
It is disgraceful that prejudice against gays continues to be fueled by untruth and misinformation, instead of accurate scientific information (see “No gay gene” letter from S. Williams).
The American Psychological Association and the head of the Human Genome Project did not recently affirm that there is no homosexual gene. Francis Collins, recent director of the National Center for Human Gnome Research, specifically refuted such claims in his name, stating that his words were juxtaposed to suggest a different conclusion than he intended. He clarified that scientific evidence supports that there are hereditary factors in homosexuality, and likely other factors besides DNA, and does not suggest that such other factors are alterable. He further said that a specific gene for hereditary aspects is likely to be found in a few years.
The American Psychological Association says, in effect, the same thing, that research has not yet determined the particular factor or factors involved in causing human sexual orientation, whether heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian, but that most people do not experience a choice in their sexual orientation, straight or gay.
The APA, however, makes clear that bias and prejudice against gays cause serious psychological damage (see Answers to your questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality at www.apa.org).
Jo Chang
Honolulu
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