Published: May 08, 2008 11:51 am            

Regarding ‘Strange indeed’

In the 1960s, some young whites called “Freedom Riders” traveled to crisis points in the American South to support black people in the struggle for civil rights. Today, in a different civil rights struggle, there are Freedom Writers: heterosexuals willing to stand up and speak out as allies of beleaguered gay men and lesbians.

This is why many high schools have a Gay-Straight Alliance: so teenagers who are themselves not gay, but realize the importance of fairness and equality for all people, can join forces with their gay friends. Adults, both homosexuals and heterosexual allies, can join forces in organizations such as OkEq. There even are organizations that specifically center on heterosexual allies, such as PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).

Sometimes heterosexual allies, when mistaken for gay by those unacquainted with them, are reticent about correcting that sort of factual inaccuracy, lest they appear to be complicit in society’s stigmatization of homosexuality. Nonetheless, the public needs to be aware there are heterosexuals expressing solidarity, comparable to 1960s interracial solidarity, with gay men and lesbians.

Because I know Matt Lovern and his wife, I can point out the inaccuracy of a recent letter in which he was described as a “gay activist” who had “chosen” the gay “lifestyle.” In fact, all Lovern chose was to be an activist for gay rights. Cupid determined his inclinations and the gender of his spouse — that same capricious Cupid who gave me a husband but gave other individuals same-sex inclinations and same-sex partners.

        

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