Same-sex "lifestyle choice"

Letter to the West, as it was published. Two sentences removed.

Yet again The West Australian (Care needed with gay reforms, 16/11) shows its inability to understand the subject matter. Being attracted to the same sex is no more a lifestyle or preference than being male or female.

As for the concern about a lower age of consent giving rise to predation of teenage boys, where is your concern about the currently legal act of predation of teenage girls by older men and women? Reducing the age of consent for homosexual boys to 18 is not equality unless you raise the bar for everyone to 18.

Human rights should never be left to the popular vote. The tyranny of the majority has, in the past, condoned slavery, genocide and discrimination against women.

Today we are a more humane society. Tomorrow we will take another step in that long road of inclusion and respect. I hope that The West Australian will soon follow that lead.

Same-sex "lifestyle choice"

Letter to the Editor (The West Australian), as it was written:

Yet again The West (Editorial, November 16, 2001) shows its inability to understand the subject matter. Being same-sex attracted is no more a lifestyle or preference than being male or female.

As for the concern about lowering the age of consent giving rise to predation of teenage boys, where is your concern about the currently legal act of predation of teenage girls by older men and women? Such an omission continues the vile promotion of women as sexual objects and of older men revered for their virility!

Reducing the age of consent for homosexual boys to 18 is not equality unless you raise the bar for everyone else to 18. While this is something that a large proportion of the conservative community may agree with it is regressive and inevitably unworkable.

Although I would like to see parliamentarians have the freedom to vote according to their conscience on all legislation, it is important to remember that human rights should never be left to the popular vote. The tyranny of the majority has, in the past, condoned slavery, genocide and discrimination against women.

Today we are a more human society. Tomorrow we will take another step in that long road of inclusion and respect. I hope that the West will soon follow that lead.