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Letter illustrates bigotry

By Jason Cianciotto
Arizona Daily Wildcat,
February 15, 2000
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To the editor,

By printing Phillip Alderink's letter, the Wildcat provided its readers with a good example of the hatred and bigotry that over 1,000 people marched against on Sunday. Associating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) people with bestiality and porn addiction is a tool frequently used by extremists to take the focus off of the real issue: LGBT people do not choose to be who they are. They are born that way. God made them that way. They deserve the same equal protection under the law granted to any other minority. Anyone who believes otherwise has never experienced anything close to the amount of pain and anguish shared at the rally on the mall.

No one would "choose" that. I challenge Mr. Alderink and others who share his sentiment to take responsibility for what they say and do. They contribute to the climate of homophobia that leads to violence and discrimination and then slyly deny any culpability because they are "just speaking their opinion," or expressing their religious freedom. How many "opinions" and gay jokes does it take for a gay teen to be gay bashed in school? How many gay bashers does it take to equal Aaron Mckinney, the murderer of Mathew Shepard?

Jason Cianciotto

Political science senior


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