From:    924FREEMAN@MERLIN.NLU.EDU
Date:    Sat, 9 Apr 1994 13:22:18 -0500 (CDT)
 
			THE POLITICS OF HOMOSEXUALITY
				By: Ross Miller

Earlier on in this century, homosexuals did not come out of the closet. They 
stayed in because it was not accepted on any level within society. The idea of 
being gay was centered around innuendoes and rumors.

In the 1960's, the scene changed somewhat. Gays began to occupy the public 
landscape, still on a very small scale, with the understanding and acceptance 
that a majority of Americans saw their lifestyle as wrong.

Today, arguably due to the outbreak of the AIDS virus, numerous political 
groups have surfaced in an effort to force the issue of homosexuality to the 
front of our agenda-oriented society. The gay movement has made it a goal to 
force the acceptance, teaching and idea of normalcy on an increasingly 
irritated and put-upon majority.

To avoid any pretense, I'm strongly against the idea of homosexuality. I find 
it immoral and against the very laws of nature. However, in accordance to my 
Christian beliefs, I refrain from judging because I'm far from perfect. I 
"love the sinner, not the sin." This does not keep me from criticizing the 
militant, in-your-face attitude held by the gay activist groups. Their 
policies and motivations do not lay with the enhancement of the lives of 
homosexuals but rather contain an alternative motive.

In rural Mississippi, two lesbians decided to build a haven for other 
homosexuals. They did not buy this land with their own money. They used funds 
donated by poltical activist groups across the country. Now, as the women 
themselves stated, the reasoning behind the farm was to develop a place where 
they could escape the "prejudice and judgmental" individuals they had 
previously come across. They also wanted to develop a haven so that others of 
equal persuasion could meet and feel comfortable. Both of these reasons make 
sense. It's human nature to want to exist in that kind of environment. But 
rural Mississippi? Whose idea was that? It seems obvious as to why these two 
ladies decided on their location, and I find their surprise and dismay over 
criticisms to be incredulous and asinine. This is a move, a decision, based on 
defiance and mockery of traditional America. If it was not as I have stated, 
they would not be in the "Bible Belt".

A second example can be found in New York City, surrounding the St. Patrick's 
Day Parade. The insistence, by gay activists, to march as gay, and not Irish 
(the whole point of the parade), is irritating at best. The organizers of the 
parade have repeatedly stated that they do not wish to be associated with the 
gay element. They have stated that they have no desire to see gays marching in 
THEIR parade. That should have been the end of the controversy. Yet, once 
again, the militant gay groups insisted on being part of the festivities. To 
force their way of life on a group of people who wanted no part of it.

The gay rights failure in Colorado is another example. The majority of the 
voters in Colorado, in a constituionally valid election, determined that they 
did not want gays to have additional or special rights. Upon this decision, 
gay and lesbian activists, along with members of the Hollywood left, took it 
upon themselves to issue a boycott on the "evil, bigoted" Colorado residents.
Not too long ago, Robert Shalhope, professor of history at the University of 
Oklahoma, wrote a book entitled "The Roots Of Democracy". In his book, he 
remarked, "Since all power resided in the people, what they did not 
specifically delegate to Congress, they reserved to themselves. Therefore it 
was not within the national government's power to grant specific rights to the 
people. For the government to do so would have meant that is comprised the 
fountain of all power..." 

These are powerful words that state why the decision by the Colorado citizens 
is so sacred. Gay activists have taken upon themselves to undermine the will 
of the majority, and in effect, undermine the power behind the United States 
government. Fair or not, life is not fair.

As a homosexual, if it is not clear that a majority in this country considers 
their lifestyle wrong, they are living in a dream world, second only to 
Neverland. An individual has the right to be gay. I will personally fight to 
the death to preserve that right. Yet, that right to be homosexual does not 
extend to a right of acceptance. This is much like the fact that a right to  
free speech does not include a right to be heard. No matter how hard they try, 
it will never be proven that homosexuality is normal. Even though gay 
activists have attempted to put this idea in first grade classrooms in New 
York City, passing out books like "Heather Has Two Mommies" and "Daddy has A 
Roommate".

No matter how you look at it, this is an indoctrination against the will of 
the majority of Americans. In the end, it is only hoped that this will not 
lead to the sacrifice of rights held by most men and women of this country.

(Ross Miller is an educational major from Baltimore, MD)
 


Looking For A Way OUT?
 
Rob Robbins
 
I'm writing this letter in repsonse to the article in the March 11 Pow Wow on
the group formed for gay and lesbian students. There needs to be something
said about the continuing degeneration of morals and standards that are set
across the country, especially here at Northeast Louisiana University.
Homosexuality is wrong, and whether one wants to explore his or her own
sexuality is up to themselves, but to support the cause only creates a domino
effect of more degeneration. Being able to respect and love one another is a
hard concept for a lot of people to grasp, but by forming a group to support
these actions is extremely dangerous, and seems to be the easy answer for many
people to use as a cop out.

Less and less people tend to think about their actions and take responsibilty
for their behaviors, and by creating a group supporting these actions can be
an easy way for a lot of vulnerable students to "come out of the closet" and
jusitfy their behaviors. Talk of how diverse our campus is, definitely is a
positive for personal growth and acceptance of others, but how many support
groups can a campus form to take in people who feel like outsiders or
outcasts? What happens to that important line that should be drawn, not to
cross, in order to make this country stronger for future generations to come?
By erasing that line, will it make us look for new and more exciting horizons
to be more creative than the last generation? Accepting and treating a person
as a human being with problems and difficuties just as everyone else is
important, but creating a group saying that what a person does through their
everyday actions because it is against the norm is like pouring lighter fluid
on the fire!!

Because of the many discriminations in today's world causes all of us to need
to belong to a group and to be wanted. If we can eliminate these feelings of
being different and having a group to meet these needs of acceptance, and
instead focus on how we can correct thoughts of impurity, and correct sinful
desires all together. Homosexuality seems to be a way to justify thoughts of
impurity, just as a heteorosexual has his or her own thoughts of sexual
immorality.

Homosexuality also seems to be a gateway to a lifestyle choice of more sin and
immorality. By choosing to support this lifestyle and helping persons to make
this choice of homosexuality without remorse, can be a devasting mistake....