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- Newsgroups: soc.motss,soc.bi
- Path: sparky!uunet!think.com!sdd.hp.com!hp-col!smithw
- From: smithw@col.hp.com (Walter Smith)
- Subject: Re: Oprah 11/19
- Sender: news@col.hp.com (Usenet News)
- Message-ID: <1992Nov20.040700.26375@col.hp.com>
- Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 04:07:00 GMT
- References: <1992Nov19.191528.2610@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu>
- Organization: Colorado Springs IT Center
- Lines: 50
-
- (This is from my wife, using my account...it's her first time using
- USENET, so cut her some slack...)
-
- I, too, watched Oprah today and continue to be amazed at how intolerant
- people can be of others just because of their sexual orientation. As a
- mother of four, I don't understand how any parent could turn their back
- on their child just because of who their child is. I confess that I am
- ignorant when it comes to understanding what makes some people a "four-
- leaf clover, when most are three." (Oprah's analogy for gay vs. straight
- orientation.) Therefore, I would like to ask a couple of probably really
- dumb questions, but please believe me that I am sincere and only ask
- because I do care about other people and have a desire to understand. So,
- 1) I believe that whether a person is gay or straight depends on genetics.
- Therefore, when a person is born, it has already been determined...being
- gay is not "learned behavior that one can change" as the religious fanatics
- would have us believe. Is this belief correct? 2) During the Oprah episode,
- several "straight" individuals accused a couple of lesbians on the show of
- really wanting to be men since they chose to dress or "act" like most people
- think men should behave. My question then is: Like a heterosexual relation-
- ship, do homosexual relationships generally have male and female roles...the
- more dominant individual portraying a male role?
-
- Before I get crucified, I would like to explain that I was brought up in a
- religious cult-type environment where I was taught that being homosexual was
- evil and that God hated this behavior. Luckily, I broke away from this
- situation about five years ago, when I was thirty. I have never really
- felt that God would hate someone who is different. In fact, Jesus said we
- should love everyone and professed Christians should learn from Jesus'
- example that it is wrong to hate...we are all brothers (and sisters). I
- continue to defend anyone who is looked down upon for being different than
- society dictates. What I am getting at is that I really want to understand.
- I know that being gay is far more than a sexual preference....heterosexuals
- will say the same thing. It is who they are; it is their life. I really
- don't have any gay friends (or maybe I do, but just aren't aware).
-
- If anyone would like to respond to my questions, I would appreciate it.
- Again, my questions (though probably ignorant) are sincere. By the way,
- my family and I have lived in Colorado Springs for just a few months. I
- can't believe how intolerant people are here of others. We are from the
- East coast where people seem to be more open-minded. The religious
- influence here (with all the "Christians" groups who seem to be rather
- self-righteous) is a little hard to take. Since being involved with that
- cult I mentioned above, I still haven't found any group that I wish to be
- part of. I do believe in God -- a God who loves everyone for the person
- he/she is...what they believe in their hearts and how they treat others.
- If you know of a group who subscribes to this belief, please do let me know.
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