From: brahms@delaware.tdd.sj.nec.com (George Skillman  x2921)
Subject: Re: Levis Drops Boy Scouts...
Organization: NEC-AM TDD, San Jose, California
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 20:17:54 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.173624.10218@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger) writes:

>You claim it's "discrimination"; I claim you are misusing that
>word so badly that you mask the legitimate problems and issues of
>minority groups.  God gave us all brains so that we can control our
>behavior and override our animal instincts; there are people who
>because of their place of birth or ancestry are discriminated against
>because of factors, such as skin color, that they can't override with
>their brains.  Your lifestyle outside the societal norm is your CHOICE,
>and society doesn't have to change for you in the same way that it
>didn't have to change for hippie communes with their promiscuity and
>illegal drug use.  The situation involving real minority groups, with
>legitimate issues of discrimination, is totally different from your
>pathetic attempts to jump on their bandwagon.
>
> ...
>
>Stan Krieger                     All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
>AT&T UNIX System Laboratories    if related to my employment, are my own.
>Summit, NJ
>smk@usl.com

NONSENSE!  Our society attempts to protect people who CHOOSE their lifestyle
all the time.  The obvious case is religion.  But of course you wouldn't
remember that, being part of a wicked organization that ostracizes an atheist
for denying the existence of an evil god who committed the most grievous
crimes against humanity throughout the Old Testament.

The spirit of anti-discrimination laws is simply that society shouldn't
make life miserable for people for no good reason.  And certainly society makes
life difficult for gay people, although it is a hell of a lot better today than
it has been in the past.  I've personally been subject to threats of physical
attack on the streets of both San Fransisco and Washington DC from teenagers
out looking to bash a fag.  I've had people make derogatory comments directly
to my face and have heard of other comments made behind my back.  My relatives
in North Carolina treat me with veiled contempt as they staunchly
defend their hero, Jesse Helms, the hypocrite who points his finger at
gays for spreading AIDS while he threatens to restrict trade priveleges to
third world countries who want to reduce their importation of cigarettes.

I've gotten off lucky.  Both my cousin and my old boyfriend were kicked out
of the house by their fathers when they came out of the closet.  You can
find reports in gay newspapers almost every week reporting violence against
gays that sometimes end in death.  And of course the federal government
continues to insult us by claiming we are unfit for military service.

You haven't given a good reason why gays should be regarded with such contempt,
other than a few prudish stereotypes.  Even when stereotypes are true for a
disproportionate part of a group of people, the existence of even one counter
example refutes any claim that such stereotypes are inherent.  Despite your
insinuations to the contrary, there are gay people who don't carry HIV and are
in monogamous relationships.

Jesus never said anything regarding homosexuality and people in the New
Testament that were guilty of sexual imprudence got off lightly.  Instead,
Jesus blew his top with people who were truly wicked: the Pharisees who
selfishly sought to preserve their priveleged position in a crumbling world
at the expense of others who needed the world to change to accomodate them.
It's ironic that Jesus would regard many of today's Christians as his
modern-day pharisaical enemies.  Woe to them on the day of wrath when the
angels of a true god (not Jehovah) pin them to a rock and take the cup
of wrath to their lips!
--
=============================================================
George Skillman (408) 433-2921
brahms@tdd.sj.nec.com
NEC America
Xref: sparky alt.politics.homosexuality:5439 rec.scouting:2422