From: roy@panix.com (Roy Radow)
Subject: Re: Pedophilia as sexual orientation
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 04:46:33 GMT

LASAGA@corral.uwyo.edu (LASAGA) writes:

(Mark Wasson) writes this:
>>There is a discussion on our company's local net concerning pedophilia as
>>one type of sexual orientation.  Although the thread did start with
>>someone mentioning homosexuals and pedophilia in the same sentence, the
>>two have now been separated in the discussion.

>Well, I hope they weren't equating the two (although many in the religious
>right tend to do so, as well as other misinformed people.)

		   -- This Is A Test --

The Scenario:  Mr. Jones, middle-aged, married, two kids. He comes
home one night pissed, drunk and horny. Mrs. Jones is out spending 
some time alone with her friends. Around midnight Mr. Jones, now
even more pissed, drunk and horny goes into his son's bedroom;
beats him, rapes him; and then proceeds to his daughter's bedroom 
where he does the same to her.

	     --  What are your conclusions? --

A. That Mr. Jones is a HOMOSEXUAL because he had sex with his son.
   Moral: HOMOSEXUALS rape children and should not be allowed to
   have any job having to do with children.

B. That Mr. Jones is a BISEXUAL because he had sex with both his kids.
   Moral: BISEXUALS rape children and should not be allowed to have 
   any job having to do with children.

C. That Mr. Jones is a PEDOPHILE because he had sex with his kids.
   Moral: PEDOPHILES rape children and should not be allowed to have
   any job having to do with children.

D. That Mr. Jones is into S & M because he beats his kids before 
   raping them. Moral: People who are into S & M rape children 
   and should not be allowed to have any job having to do with 
   children.

E. That Mr. Jones is someone who has beaten and raped his children. 
   Moral: People who beat and rape children and should not be allowed
   to have any job having to do with children.
  

Not that many years ago Anita Bryant held a successful campaign 
to deny gays and lesbians their civil rights. She called her cause
"Save Our Children". Her argument was, that since homosexuals were
unable to procreate, the only way to perpetuate their kind was to
recruit children to become gay or lesbian. Ignorant, bigoted and 
prejudice people believed her, and many good people suffered as a
result.

Today Anita Bryant's accusations are considered ridiculous, and 
we find it difficult to conceive how anyone could believe such 
nonsense.

But now the bigots have found a new scapegoat. Their argument is:
if someone sexually abuses a child then they must be a pedophile. 
It's wrong to abuse kids thus it must be wrong to be a pedophile.
It's also wrong to be a homosexual- homosexuals must be pedophiles.
Therefore, it's ok to deny gays, pedophiles and other sexual minorities
employment, housing, and equal protection under the law.

DON'T LET THE BIGOTS CONFUSE OR INTIMIDATE YOU.

THEY ARE APPEALING TO OUR FEARS TO CREATE A HYSTERIA 
TO HIDE THEIR TRUE AGENDA.

It is illegal to sexually abuse children and people who commit illegal 
acts should have to face the consequences of their behavior.

This should not be a justification, however, for denying civil rights 
to others who have committed no such crimes no matter what their sexual 
orientation.

	  [A journal article on sexual abuse: deleted]

>And, of course, even if many gay people _did_ commit pedophilia, it
>would not mean that those who do not should be discriminated against
>(e.g., could not find employment in our schools);  we just need a better
>way to determine whether anyone is a pedophile, gay or straight.


LET"S GET THIS STRAIGHT:

Pedophilia is a sexual orientation.   Sexual abuse is an illegal assault.

1) The people described in the journal article committed sexual abuse, 
   they did not "commit pedophilia".

2) People who do not commit illegal acts should not be discriminated against.
   (We are in agreement there.)

3) We do not need "a better way to determine whether anyone is a pedophile, 
   gay or straight". What we do need is less hysteria, so that people will
   not fear or pre-judge others just because they may be different.


Yours in Liberation,

Roy


-- 
Roy Radow               roy@panix.com         ...rutgers!cmcl2!panix!roy
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