Your Opinion: Response to Monks

Dear Editor:

I would like to respond to Marilyn Monks' letter published on July 25. She gave kudos to the Boy Scouts of America for retaining their anti-gay policy. She then went on to indicate that homosexuals and pedophiles are synonymous. "A homosexual/pedophile would be like a kid in a candy store among a group of young boys." She then referenced the children abused by Jerry Sandusky and stated that "children are too often entrusted to the care of someone who seemed to be trustworthy."

The first point I want to address is that a person's sexuality (heterosexual or homosexual) is not correlated with being a pedophile. Studies have statistically proven there is no such relationship. Numerous professional organizations have official position statements saying that homosexuality is not a disorder and a person's sexual orientation cannot be changed. This should be intuitive. Ask yourself if you could change your own sexual orientation.

Monks' reference to Jerry Sandusky would lead a reasonable person to believe that she feels Sandusky is gay, a pedophile and that all homosexuals are not trustworthy because they are all pedophiles. Sandusky is straight and has been married to his wife for decades. Studies have proven that a homosexual is no more likely to be a pedophile than a heterosexual.

Ms. Monks, your letter was one of the most offensive letters I have read in a long time. You owe the gay community an apology! Just try making such a generalization about any other minority group and see what happens. I urge Monks to do her own research and find these studies I referred to. If she is open-minded, she will realize she is in error.

I want to assume innocence and believe that Monks does not have animus towards gay people. I hope she is simply misinformed. If this is not the case, I will remember that Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you.

I will be watching for her apology.

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