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From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (Gordon A. Moffett)
Newsgroups: net.motss,net.politics
Subject: Re: Ronald Reagan's Homophobic Career
Message-ID: <418@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 27-Oct-84 19:37:05 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.418
Posted: Sat Oct 27 19:37:05 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Oct-84 06:47:18 EST
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Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA
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>              Cant you people ever realize that some of us have
> religious feeling about homosexuality that is a valid reason
> to fight against the 'normalization' of homosexuality?

Yes, I do.  But that is not enough.  Some religious groups oppose
dancing, Christmas trees, drinking any alcohol, etc ....  And
I assume it is their Covenant with God to choose not to do these
things, which is their Constitiutionally protected right which I,
too, will defend.  Your relationship with your deity is entirely
your own business.

However, you do not have the right to keep me from dancing, setting
up Christmas trees, or drinking alcohol, because my relationship
to my deity is entirely my business, not yours.  Religious freedom
implies religious tolerance.

> Certainly if a convicted rapist were wandering about trying to get
> special protection, most people would fight against this.  And thats
> the same way with this homosexual rights movement [...]

No, your analogy fails here.  A rapist physically violates the
security of another human being without their consent.  Homosexual
activity is done with the consent of the parties envolved (NB: if
it isn't done with consent that's rape, too, and should be punished
accordingly).

In California, the Legislature has decided that sexual acts between
consenting adults (of unspecified gender) are not illegal.  I suspect
other states have passed similar laws.

>                                         [...]  Everyone has the right
> to their own lifestyle, but they also must face the consequences
> of their decisions.

No argument from me here.  (Homosexuals have plenty to worry about
of which I'm sure they are aware).

>                     I wont discriminate against someone in the
> workplace on this issue, but I sure wiull fight to keep society
> from considering this a normal sort of thing.

I'm glad you will not discriminate in the workplace on this issue.
But you aren't asked to consider this sort of thing as normal.  You
aren't even asked to like it.  The only thing reasonably expected
from you is to live in harmony with others, and to be tolerant of
those who are different from you, that's all.  I'm sure you'd
want the same treatment, no?

>                                                It's about time
> people saw this for what it really is, a disgusting act
> of perversion of nature.

OK, let's say it is.  Let's say that picking my nose is a disgusting
act of perversion of nature.  Whatever.  That's your choice to see it
that way.  You don't have to like that, either.  But at least allow
other people to be different from you.

If you can show me how you feel that homosexuality hurts you personally
I'd like to dicuss that, too.
-- 
~ Oh, friends, no more of these sad tones! ~

Gordon A. Moffett		...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!gam

[ This is just me talking. ]