Bethell on Gay Rights
Bethell apparently cannot conceive of individuals in any other context except a sexual one. He criticizes gay pride parades and political activism as “proselytizing in public about private acts.”
He misses the point completely. The gay rights movement does not seek society’s approval or permission to be homosexual; it asks that gay men and lesbians be guaranteed the same civil liberties and freedom from persecution that this nation has historically extended to its citizens.
Finally, Bethell continues to perpetuate the myth that gay men somehow brought AIDS upon themselves by claiming “It is incontestable that a principal way in which the human immuno-deficiency virus is spread is through homosexual activity.” Wrong. The HIV virus is spread through sexual activity without regard to the individual’s gender or sexual orientation. HIV infection is spreading fastest in Africa, where the vast majority of transmission occurs through heterosexual contact.
No, Tom, we were not happier when we were in the closet. We’re just disappointed that society chose for so long to respond to diversity by denying its existence.
CHRISTOPHER HARTLEY
Los Angeles
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