Letter to the Editor

To the Daily:

I am writing in response to Andrew Daar’s letter
(Letter writer defended discriminatory policy, 11/11/2004).
He stated that he hasn’t heard a straight reason as to how
homosexual marriage would hurt marriage. I have a reason that I
think could best be used as a simile. Of course, as a simile it
isn’t exactly the same as gay marriage because that is a very
unique topic, but it is the easiest way for me to explain my
reasoning.

Allowing gays to get married would be like allowing white people
to use the “N” word. The “N” word has
significant meaning to the black community, and I think many people
can see why white people shouldn’t be allowed to use it, even
though they are just people too, and all men are created equal.
That word has historical meaning that would be drastically changed
just because other people want to be included in it, and it would
be unreasonable to ask that of the black community. Marriage could
be looked at in a similar way. Most heterosexual people, myself
included, have strong feelings about that word and for as long as
the word has been around, it has belonged to us. For other people
to be allowed to take that word and use it in a different way would
be disrespecting our community, just like the other case would be
disrespecting the blacks.

With that said, I do believe gays should have civil unions. I
want to give them all of their freedoms as a couple as long as they
don’t call it marriage. I wouldn’t discriminate in
giving gays the rights of a married couple just as white people
have the right to act black as long as they don’t use the
“N” word. The only problem though is that in order for
me to make sure that marriage didn’t change, I had to vote
against homosexuals having their civil unions. I think most of the
people who voted for Proposal 2 felt this way as well, and if the
homosexual community didn’t try to take our word, the
majority would have been happy to give them their freedoms and
unions.

Jordan Genso

LSA sophomore