Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Although I am not a Temple student, after reading last weeks letter to the editor I could not help but write a response.

I found Mr. Christian’s comparison of consensual sex between two homosexual adults to the act of a murder highly offensive. Who exactly is the gets hurt when two consenting adults have sex? There is no “victim.”

According to Christian, bisexuality and homosexuality are wrong “from both a Biblical and common sense viewpoint.” The last thing I want to turn this matter into a biblical debate, but I think it is safe that the Bible can be interpreted in various ways. Furthermore, we live in a country where we have religious freedom. The Bible is not the core of every religion and there are many people in this world who simply do not believe in the Bible. My religion says that you should not eat meat on Fridays during lent; however, I haven’t made it my personal crusade to stop people from eating meat so they can be saved “from eternal damnation in Hell.” You don’t go to hell for eating meat or having a relationship with someone of the same sex, but murder on the other hand… Mr. Christian may be correct in saying that some religions teach that homosexuality and bisexuality are wrong; however, there is certainly no shortage of examples where past religious teachings have been wrong.

Homosexual and bisexual behavior is nothing new. It is likely that homosexuals and bisexuals have been around since the dawn of man; however, most were forced to hide their sexual orientation for thousands of years because of societal pressures. In fact, homosexuality and bisexuality did not begin with the evolution of humans. Despite the widely accepted belief that animals do not exhibit homosexual behavior, one of the main arguments behind the belief that homosexuality is somehow “unnatural,” scientists have found evidence of homosexuality in over 450 species of animals (Price, 1999). Therefore, if humans evolved from animals (a point I am sure Mr. Christian will debate) that have heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual individuals, common sense should tell us to expect that humans would also exhibit these sexual orientations.

Mr. Christian may not believe we need a Bisexual Awareness Week; however, his comments have convinced me of why this type of event is needed. Love whoever you want…as long as it makes you feel better.

Brett Bertolino
(I am not a Temple student, but I recieved a BS in Biology in 2001.)
215-300-7169
b_bertolino@hotmail.com