Cincinnati Enquirer

Editorial Page

Feb. 9, 1999

Don’t confuse race issues with sexual orientation

Nothing infuriates me more than when someone tries to compare inequalities related to race to inequalities related to sexuality ["Issue 3 decision serves to divide Cincinnati" Jan 25]. While I agree with letter writer Scott Stevens when he says that the United States lacks many human rights when it comes to basic areas in life, I do not agree with the question he poses regarding African-Americans. I’ll answer Mr. Stevens question of how rights can be granted to African-Americans and not gays and lesbians. The term African-American is a title used to describe race not sexuality. In most instances, someone’s race cannot be disguised, but someone’s sexuality can be, or for that matter, not even brought up. If we as a nation decided to establish

rights on the basis of sexuality or sexual preference, that would open up a whole new can of worms. Who will ask for rights based on sexuality or sexual preference next, child molesters? I am a heterosexual African-American female and I encounter discrimination at its best daily, but I encourage Mr. Stevens to hold on to what he believes in and was taught. He should continue to persevere in his struggle for equality in gay and lesbian rights.

BY: Stephanie Davis, Evanston
Cincinnati Enquirer
Feb. 9, 1999

(Todd's note: Equal rights are based on a persons ability to hide? Logically since you can hide your religion, protections against religious prejudice are also not necessary.

I see the "Equal rights for gay people equals equal rights for child molesters" meme all the time in Cincinnati. Apparently people are not able to distinguish between "consenting adults" and situations where differences in age and power and experience prevent consent.

Note: The term "religious prejudice" used above means when someone is discriminated against by others because of their religion [ie. I hate you because you are Jewish], rather than when someone discriminates against others because of their religion [ie. I hate gay people because I'm a christian fundamentalist.])