Editor:

This letter is in response to Kris Akre's April 15 letter, "'Unacceptable' incest like homosexuality." Akre is arguing an argument, used for centuries to discredit homosexuals and passed down from Hebrew tradition, that any sex not meant for procreation is perverted, or as Akre so kindly points out, "outrageously disgusting and completely unnatural." Akre points out that no other animals on earth engage in sex between siblings because it is unnatural, and since Akre likens incest to homosexuality, Akre believes homosexuality is also unnatural. Well, to my knowledge, no other animal on earth besides the human animal masturbates or does it doggie-style simply because it feels good, and yet, both of those actions are considered quite acceptable to society (except if you are a staunch Catholic). The question here is not what is natural, but rather what is accepted by society, and although homosexuality and bisexuality are becoming more accepted in today's culture, close-minded people such as (Wildcat columnist John) Keisling and Akre remind us that homosexuals and bisexuals are still in many ways social pariahs.

In a way, it is indeed unnatural for siblings to engage in sexual intercourse with one another, because the genetic consequences can be horrible, and only simply for that reason. However, no such consequences exist in homosexual sex, and it is often actually safer to engage in sex between two women, because no bodily fluids are usually passed, than in heterosexual sex. Akre points out that if siblings are allowed to "legally and morally" reproduce, "our human population will cease and desist." And since homosexual sex does not produce children, Akre would say the same holds true for that. This is an absurd statement considering there are already more children born daily than the world can keep up with. Heterosexuality is not in danger of becoming extinct. However, if people like Akre and Keisling are allowed to reproduce, then our human population will carry with it a legacy of homophobia and close-mindedness that will taint and corrupt generations to come.

Melissa Meister
molecular and cellular biology junior