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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