Guttmacher Study on Gays

In response to “2.3% of U.S. Men in Survey Report Homosexual Acts,” April 15:

Because there are a lot of people who for political and quasi-religious reasons want to diminish the number of homosexuals that exist in our society, a few cautions are necessary before we accept that the Alan Guttmacher Institute study on sexual behavior differs all that much from Kinsey’s massive research of four decades ago.

Besides the obvious fact that women are not included, neither are the various conceptualizations that preclude homosexual labeling mentioned as possibly distorting the findings. In other words, homosexual acts are often denied or repressed and often not admitted to even in what is supposed to be a confidential questionnaire. Who believes in confidentiality anymore anyway?

As long as the stigmas associated with homosexuality remain, we will never be able to ascertain the number of homosexuals that exist. We can only imagine the personal and societal costs that occur because of that ignorance.

VIRGINIA URIBE

Founder, Project 10

Los Angeles Unified School District