Editor:

David Richardson’s letter on Oct. 30, titled “Segment of gay community ignored,” is both overzealous and naive. He makes the mistake of confusing individuals who identify as gay with those who want to change their sexuality who frequently identify only as having “same-sex attraction,” or SSA. In this confusion, not only does he claim that the LGBT Resource Center should be providing resources to a population that is clearly not identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, but the request equates to demanding that the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs provide information on how to be Caucasian.

Richardson requests sponsored events at which an individual with SSA would feel comfortable, but fails to recommend what such an event would be.

Due to the closeted nature of SSA, this seems a stretch. If these individuals have anxiety over being labeled gay, what kind of event could the LGBT Resource Center sponsor that would eliminate this possibility?

There are also problems with Richardson insisting that the LGBT Resource Center carries scientific materials such as the work of Spitzer. Any individual who has taken a research methodology course could see Spitzer’s very obvious methodological errors, particularly in his sampling practices. Ignoring this, Richardson rallies his cause in the name of suicidal SSA individuals who are distraught with their sexuality. Yet he ignores the LGBT youth that I work with each day, who are suicidal because society still believes that they should change.

All else aside, Chronicle readers should be aware that the LGBT Resource Center provides a wide range of events and information. Two fine examples are last year’s debate on reparative therapy and the qualitative work of Lee Beckstead on individuals who have undergone reparative therapy.

Jed R. Brubaker

Senior, Psychology