The Readers' Forum, July 20 letter "LDS policy on gays is wrong," written by Gary and Millie Watts, requires my reply.
Mr. and Mrs. Watts served as grand marshals at the gay pride parade a few weeks ago here in Salt Lake City. In a television interview that evening on a local channel, they indicated their gay advocacy would make a more gay-friendly world for their children. I submit the opposite is true.If I had gay children, I would unceasingly decry homosexual activity. What is called the "gay lifestyle" is in large part a way of life constructed around unconstrained sexuality. In April 1993, three researchers (P. Cameron, W. L. Playfair and S. Wellum from "The Homosexual Lifespan") presented a paper to the Eastern Psychological Association in which they analyzed the age of death for nearly 7,000 homosexuals and heterosexuals by obituary notices in a large number of gay and non-gay newspapers. They found that the gay male life span, even apart from AIDS and with a long-term partner, is significantly shorter than that of married men in general by more than three decades. AIDS further shortens the life span of homosexual men by more than 7 percent. How could anyone promote homosexual participation with the health problems it entails?
It is the goal of the gay lobby and advocates to erode ethics, God's laws and the purpose of marriage in our society until homosexuality is accepted by the majority. The advocates use tolerance as though it overrules everything else. There is a big difference between what one is and what one does. "If the law endorses everything it tolerates, we will eventually tolerate everything and endorses nothing ... except tolerance," Bruce Hafen quote.
Les W. Larsen
Salt Lake City