Dear FRONTLINE,
Reading some of the things that people had to say about gay people
made my cry. I wish everyone could experience the love of a family member who is gay. I think that they would all come to the relization that just because some one is attracted to someone of the same sex does NOT make them any less of a person. I had an uncle who was gay he died of AIDS about 4 years ago. The love he had for his family was all that mattered.
The Bible is the word of God but, doesn't God say love one another as I have loved you? Just a thought. My heart goes out to the Shepard and Gaither families. Also to the rest of the families that are too numerous to name.
Melissa Ellefson
Winnemucca, Nevada
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your program courageously exposed the essential fact for understanding homophobia, a fact which both "politically correct" gay activists and religious conservatives would like to suppress for different reasons: that homophobes are homosexuals too.
The Univ. of Georgia study showing that homophobic males, but not non-homophopic males, are physically aroused by homosexual videos, is in my opinion the most important scientific experiment ever done in the field of human sexuality, but its implications have been universally ignored in the gay press. Among other things, it demonstrates the absurdity of the search for a "gay gene." To be gay is to insist on our right to experience, express, and celebrate our same-gender erotic attractions. It is therefore a POLITICAL position, one which I identify with myself.
But there is no such thing as "being homosexual." If that means being capable, in the right circumstances, of being erotically aroused by someone of the same sex, then all, or almost all, humans are homosexual. Our culture's cherished belief in the fiction of exclusive "sexual orientation" to one sex or the other, genetically determined like eye color, though it is politically convenient for gay activists, is ultimately repressive and anti-gay. It forces "heterosexuals" to regard their natural homosexual desires with fear and loathing, resulting, not mysteriously, in the epidemic of homophobic violence that your program so clearly documented. The true goal of "gay liberation," the real "gay agenda," ought to be a society in which all are free to experience all their erotic desires without shame or labeling, and to act on those desires with consenting partners, if they so choose. In our society, it is the "heterosexuals" who have bought into the either/or "sexual orientation" fiction who suffer the worst erotic repression. Of course, to achieve "gay liberation" in this sense we would also have to end our association of sex roles with dominance and power, to get rid of the primitive superstition that being penetrated is shameful, which is also the key to achieving the liberation of women.
Thank you for a courageous, clear-sighted presentation. I hope it will provoke much thought and discussion.
Mark Engel
Ben Lomond, California
Dear FRONTLINE,
I find your program greatly stimulating and educating. The part that hit me in the back of my head was on the translation of the New Testement. The program tried to correct a translation mistake, but did it without significant supporting documents.
I, for one non-religious person, was not convinced. Was it possible to interview respected linguistics and get their support on the translation mistake?
Shawn Boy
Dear FRONTLINE,
I am a fundamentalist, evangelical Christian who supports and works with people who are struggling to end Gay and Lesbian religious prejudice and intolerance.
Whatever happened to the Christian ministry of unconditional compassion, mercy and forgiveness? To recognize that the Good Samaritan is the neighbor of the one who fell among the thieves should force us Christians to actively love and accept "all" thy neighbors as thyself.
M. P. Hollins, M.Div.
New Haven, CT
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thanks for your piece. I found it very informative and affirming. I concider myself to be a gay man but as a result of anti-gay bias on my job I am forced to live in the closet while I am at work.
Maybe if more people saw your piece this would not be necessary.
Albert Basso
San Francisco, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I appreciated your frank look at hatred towards gays and lesbians in America. I only wish someone had asked Jerry Falwell or the idiots at Matthew Sheppard's funeral with the "Fag in Hell" signs if they ever savored a traditional Easter ham, or enjoyed bacon for breakfast on Sunday morning before church. According to Leviticus, eating pork is unclean, too, but I'm sure these selective fools would define that part of Leviticus as conditional to the culture in which the ancient Jews defined themselves. This is the very same type of argument that they condemn when used by "pro-homosexual" people to examine Leviticus 18:22.
Furthermore, I find the pseudointellectual arrogance by people who constantly insist that I "chose" to be gay to be a source of constant amusement- sort of like me telling someone that they chose to like mustard over mayonnaise. This also applies to those who say that it's somehow more "moral" to prefer chocolate to vanilla. Excuse me, but I think I know a lot more about myself than some holier-than-thou, self-proclaimed "sexuality experts" of the "Christian" faith who have never lived or grown inside this body, or those of millions of other gay mens and lesbians, and who have never experienced the discovery that I have. I had the courage to face my sexuality; do they?
No matter how they try to argue it, there will never be a logical or moral basis to condemn same-sex attraction or love; they may don many masks but they will never conceal their elemental ignorance and fear.
Tim Welch
Seattle, WA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I thank you for your coverage of this subject. I have long suspected that violent and extremly vocal anti homosexauls personsHomophobics are afraid of their own natures. Thank you for giving me a research to quote, other than Freud.
It is a sad fact that the three quotes in the bible are used to discriminate and condemn individuals. Especially if you read the entire part of Paul's letter, actually he is telling the new christian group that they themselves should try to live exemplary lives and stop their own in fighting and accusations towards each other. It is not surprising that Paul is quoted, however, this was a man who told women that because their hair aroused him, they should cover it.
It is so sad that some in this society continues to be so concerned about what others do in the privacy of their bedrooms. I guess I'm lucky enough to be so busy in my own that I don't have to worry what others do in theirs.
I did appreciate the comparison during the interview, when it was pointed out that a man being approached by another man gets upset, but women are expected to deal with this on a daily basis. Certainly if the female sex can deal with it without murdering someone, it seems males could learn to also.
Thank you also, for pointing out what gay children go though in our school system. If one checks the teen sucide rate for this part of the population it is far higher then the heterosexual population. That is such a waste of human resource.
Alee Jones
Snohomish, Washington
Dear FRONTLINE,
I believe homosexuality to be an unfortunate aberration of healthy, "normal," human sexuality.
Despite this view, I condemn those who would assault physically or otherwise any individual based upon their sexual preference. It frustrates me to see the media in general, inclusive of this evening's broadcast, equating the evils of bigotry, intolerance, and violence with those who espouse a perspective similar to my own.
Contrary to what today's gay activists would have us believe, not all who consider homosexual behavior to be deviant are lying in wait to destroy any who differ with them. I wish your program this evening would have been presented with more objectivity and less of an agenda.
gordon smith
L.A., CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I was quite disappointed with this programís irresponsible reporting. Instead of bringing journalistic integrity and balance to this very difficult and divisive issue, it seems that the program merely allowed sound bites and questionable experts to further stir the waters of wrath. It seems that this was done particularly to degrade the side of those who have concluded that homosexual behavior is a moral choice.
I noticed three or four PhDs indicated that homosexuality is normal and has never been considered deviant throughout history. I saw one religious leader claim that all disagreement with his interpretation of natural homosexuality was hateful and another religious leader attempt to explain the Romans 1 passage concerning homosexual behavior as incorrect translation.
I then saw some very sincere people who genuinely missed those loved ones who had been taken from them by horrible violence speak out against the actions of the perpetrators as well as those who conclude homosexuality is a moral choice.
To balance this, the report included picketers and protestors at a funeral and a church, non-intelligent and non-articulate individuals yelling radical, unqualified, and unintelligent statements, and Jerry Falwell explaining his position. While I recognize that Mr. Falwell is probably a nice and intelligent man, he and the others shown did not and CANNOT articulate the position of many who are of the conclusion that homosexual behavior is a moral choice.
These people are universally considered as non-experts and therefore given no credit. Strawmen were put up for the opposing position who would easily be knocked down. The conclusion by millions of viewers is that anyone who believes that homosexual behavior is a moral choice is just like Falwell and the protestors, unintelligent and standing on shaky Biblical ground. This is irresponsible reporting.
There are many intelligent, articulate, and caring individuals who are of the conclusion that homosexual behavior is a moral choice who would garner much more respect than the people mentioned above.
The least that Frontline could do would be to find people of equal qualifications as those promoting natural homosexuality in order to sponsor and mediate a balanced debate full of integrity.
Falwell and inconsiderate, rude, and hateful protestors do not a balanced debate make. This lack of action is irresponsible journalism. Please work to correct this in future reporting.
Blake Killingsworth
Dear FRONTLINE,
I am a teenage boy who is about to face the real world so to speak. I walk into this world, with the fear that I might be killed for simply being who I am. It puzzles me that there are people out there who could hate me and not even know me. Those that hate homosexuals, or condenm us to hell, are those that have probably never had a gay son or daughter, and who have certainly never had their son or daughter killed simply for being gay. It is so easy for people like that to hide behind iggorance, a protest, or the bible because they have never dared to think what it would be like on the other side. Suppose the tables were turned, and it was them being attacked or killed, would they still have as much hate in their hearts. I noticed the post from the Canadian, and I am shocked that as free and tolerant as America claims to be, that we still force those in the minority into the closet, and deny them rights that most of us hold so dear. Perhaps in my lifetime, this will change but until then, I must still live in fear
Justin Williams
Dear FRONTLINE,
So sad to see results of the unholy alliance in the US of the well financed religious right and the politicians who seek out votes from their constituencients. Defense of Marriage Act, the Knight proposition coming up in CA, candidate Bush's anti-gay position on gays and lesbians in the miltary are evidence of this hate mongering from your leaders. The land of the free?..the pursuit of happiness? To foreigners it all looks rather pathetic. In Canada last week our government passed a bill that will alter 68 federal statutes allowing same-sex couples to enjoy all the rights and priviledges of married straight couples because discrimination of gay couples was deemed by the Supreme Court of Canada to be in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It makes me proud that our policy of diversity and multi-culturalism in Canada fosters tolerance and fairness for all its citizens.
Jim McKenna
Toronto, ON
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your program was good, however it was catering to the white gay population. Every time a white gay person is killed in America, it then becomes a serious hate crime. I don't see any of the organizations like Queer Nation or Act rally for any person of colour who has been killed or beaten. Also, I am very tired of white gays riding the back of Black people by declaring the Blacks were hated just like gays. Please, there is no comparison. What do you say about those who are Black and Gay? FYI, the man who organized the 60's march on Washington was black and gay.
A Ash
Dear FRONTLINE,
I am a Christian female and according to the Word of God homosexuality is a sin and is wrong. Sin is sin and homosexuality is no different than pre-marital sex, murder, hatred, lying, stealing, ect. When I see people whether gay or straight, I look at them as Christ looked at them. You can love a person but not love the state of sin they are in. God's Word is His Word and it is His Word that judges and condemns, and saves. I pray that just as Jesus loved the sinner enough to give us salvation that we too love the sinners whether gay or staight that we may lead them to repentance also.
Angela Eaton
El Paso, Texas
Dear FRONTLINE,
I am ashamed that the media and PBS are so pro homosexual. Why don't you guys now do equal air time and cover stories like Joshua Mccave Brown who confessed to sneaking up behind a 13 year old boy Jesse Dirkhising and repeatedly sodomizing him while Brown's homosexual lover masterbated and watched as Brown strangled the boy to death with his own underwear.
I dare you to do stories about the violent and socially un-acceptable activities of the Homosexual comunity. You wont even share this letter on your broadcast I bet.
Michael Ross
Fort worth, Tx
Dear FRONTLINE,
The term "homophobic" appears to me to be political speech created by those who are in favor of the legitimization of homosexual behavior. It's possible for a heterosexual to believe in fact, to "know" that a homosexual act is morally wrong and personally distasteful, while not otherwise displaying any prejudice towards a homosexual individual in any other respect. The homosexual lobby does not respect this position. What it demands is acceptance and approval of homosexual behavior. It isn't trying to establish a "right" to exist in society. It wants a priviledged, protected status.
Too bad truth has apparently been lost in this biased presentation.
George Vaughn 
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