Letter: Gays Have Their Own Emancipation Proclamation
Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, June 29, 2003
101 Elliot Avenue W, Seattle, WA 98119
Fax: 206-448-8184 Email: editpage@seattle-pi.com
At age 78, and a gay man since my teens, the Supreme
Court’s Lawrence v. Texas ruling has allowed me to feel that today is my
first day of full citizenship in this great country. We should all
celebrate—those who are gay and those who are straight. To rule that private
sexual behavior between consenting adults behind closed doors is not the
state’s business and cannot be prosecuted is indeed as great a milestone for
the homosexual community as the Emancipation Proclamation was for black
slaves.
In passing, we should note which of the Supremes were
against it—Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas. These are the very justices
President Bush most admires and will try to emulate in future nominees to the
highest court. Thank God this landmark ruling preceded the ascension of any
Bush appointee.
God Bless America!
- James A. Young, Seattle
Letter: Wise to Say No to Blatant Discrimination
I am shocked
and appalled by much of the public denunciation of the Supreme Court’s
ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. While many
Americans clearly do not support equal rights for homosexuals, there is no
excuse to support a law that clearly violates the Constitution’s guarantee
of personal liberty.
The high court acted justly, responsibly and completely
within its mandate by overturning this blatantly discriminatory law. All
arguments to the contrary are on a slippery slope with no basis in fact and
mark their perpetrators as fascist and homophobic.
Those ignorant people who wish to oppress homosexuals and
to “champion” the cause of families should focus on issues more important
to that cause than making judgments against others out of fear and ignorance.
Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas should also be ashamed of themselves.
There is no valid legal rationale for their dissent.
- Peter Cooper, Issaquah
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