This is a response to Charles Rice's Oct. 15 column. The Supreme Court's decision regarding Lawrence vs. Texas will hopefully act as a milestone on the path to equality for individuals who are gay and lesbian. While such an event holds promise for further progress in the fight for legalized same-sex marriages, sadly there are still those who take privilege in demeaning and discriminating against individuals who are gay and lesbian.
Charles Rice emphasizes that "heterosexual marriage is generally ordered to the procreation of new persons, to whose education and upbringing the spouses legally and socially commit themselves. Same-sex couples can make no such commitment."
While obviously same-sex couples may not procreate, it is ridiculous to claim that same-sex couples are unable to socially commit themselves to raise and educate a child. A child should be raised in a nurturing and loving environment regardless of whether or not it is fostered by a mother and a father, two mothers, or two fathers. If the reason for marriage is for the purpose of procreation, then my parents should reconsider their reasoning for marriage.
My parents were not able to biologically have a child, and so they decided to adopt me from Korea. Does this make us not a loving family? What about single parents who raise their children with only one mother or one father? Are they not a real family because they lack a parent of the opposite sex? Why would we ever deny a child in need a nurturing and loving home? Instead of allowing a same-sex couple to love and raise a child, we would rather keep the child in an orphanage, foster home or other detrimental circumstance?
Regarding Rice's comment about "homosexual acts [as] a dead end with no future," I am concerned that Rice does not understand the meaning of love and intimacy. To claim that sexual acts between individuals who are gay and lesbian are "intrinsically wrong" and "the inclination to them ... is disordered" just emphasizes Rice's ignorance and prejudiced thoughts.
To claim that homosexual acts are intrinsically wrong is an unwarranted opinion that is incongruent with the idea of love.
If individuals love one another, it is in their every right to express that love and intimacy towards one another. To deny the right of someone to express their affection for another person is not only abominable, but also inconsistent of what we value as love. As for individuals who are gay and lesbian as being disordered? Homosexuality is not a disorder. If you'd like to look it up in the DSM-IV, go right ahead.
Perhaps this homophobia is created by the lack of interaction with individuals who are gay and lesbian. I wonder, has Rice had any relationships or friendships with anyone who is gay or lesbian? Because to judge a group based solely on one aspect of their lives without having interacted in any way with anyone from the group reflects poorly upon the prejudiced person. Why is it that Rice seemingly feels that it is his duty to make sweeping judgments upon a group he obviously has had no experience with? I would hope that Rice would dedicate his time more usefully rather than finding ways to regularly demean other individuals who are different from himself.
Jess Reddinger
senior
Lyons Hall
Oct. 15
