Editor:
Shame on The Chronicle for publishing Bart Gatrell’s Oct. 14 letter to the editor, “Rainbow Flags are Offensive.” This piece was a glaring example of bigotry.
Gatrell suggests that homosexuals have no right to wave their sexual preference in his face. Heterosexuality is celebrated every day on campus, as well as everywhere else. It’s the accepted norm and it’s easy to see heterosexual couples “flaunting” their heterosexuality. The same cannot be said about gay couples, who risk their safety by being affectionate in public.
Homosexuals are not the only ones displaying their beliefs on campus. One can reasonably surmise that Gatrell is Mormon, and therefore, he is part of the majority and he does impose his rights on everyone else. The LDS Institute of Religion is the only such institute on campus. I am forced to see this building everyday. Moreover, CTR rings are impossible to ignore. They say “I am Mormon.” Mormon beliefs say that you should not be able to enjoy marital rights if you’re homosexual. By its very existence, the Mormon culture is an attack on homosexuals. Gatrell is free to believe whatever he chooses. But turning to bigotry is something that we all must resist. We must never regard any other belief or opinion opposed to or differing from our own as unreasonable or wicked. That is the essence of bigotry, and it was present in Gatrell’s letter.
There are a myriad of opinions on campus. We may disagree with what is being said, but we must defend the right to say it.
James V. Roach
Junior, Political Science