Editor,
I am writing this letter in response to Don Schrader's letter in Tuesday's Daily Lobo concerning men who make gay jokes toward him.
While I would concur that yelling "faggot" at someone is unnecessary and unfortunate, this is the United States of America, where we defend free speech. While I don't particularly want to hear or agree with people who call Schrader a faggot, I fail to see how that is any more disgusting than Schrader's letter printed in the paper, in which he says that those addressing him "have sex with males or want to, but don't have the balls to say so."
While I'm sure Schrader doesn't appreciate being called homophobic epithets, I am equally sure that some of the men he referred to aren't thrilled about his suggestion that they have sex with males.
Whereas some men may, as Schrader suggests, avoid having sex with other men because they are afraid they might like it too much, my best guess is that most men who avoid having sex with other men do so because they don't want to have sex with men.
Later in his letter, Schrader discusses a gay relationship, and then suggests people ask those who make homophobic statements, "Why is this such a big deal to you?" Schrader states that people who bash gays will have some people wondering what they are trying to hide.
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I want to ask Schrader the same question - why does he feel the need to belittle people who don't necessarily agree with his lifestyle? What is he trying to hide? Why is this such a big deal to him?
Clearly, as an American citizen, Schrader has the right and freedom to practice whatever sexual preferences he wants. But he should consider this: The rest of us don't give a damn what sexual practices he engages in - in privacy. We just don't want to see it or read about it in the newspaper.
Schrader writes, "Come out of the shadows of shame, lies and fear into the sunlight of truth and dignity," so I am speaking truth when I ask him to practice some dignity and keep his sexual preferences to himself.
Larry Crum
UNM staff
