I’d like to comment on Bob Nolan’s Oct. 22 letter to the Northern Star, in which he says NIU’s “Unity through Diversity Week” was marred by the participation of the NIU Gay/Lesbian Union. He didn’t mention Lambda Christian Fellowship’s forum, entitled “Gay People and Religion.”

Our guest, Father Richard Woods, editor of “Spirituality Today” and author of “Another Kind of Love,” pointed out that love between persons of the same gender is far from immoral, especially when expressed within the context of mutually-monogamous committed relationships. Lifestyles which thrive on hatred, malicious discriminating and bigotry are intrinsically immoral.

Bob confuses activities engaged in by consenting adults with those which involve minors. It’s actually doubly ironic that he should associate homosexuality with child molesting, since 90 percent of all sexual child abuse involves heterosexual males and minor females; 45 percent involves fathers. Other offenders include mothers’ boyfriends, uncles, brothers and cousins. Homosexual persons rarely are involved.

Personally, I’d recommend we not subscribe to Bob’s rationale. Otherwise, society would need to ostracize and penalize all heterosexual males for the actions of a few.

And, if we consistently applied his rationale, things would look even worse for heterosexuals, as well as heterosexually active bisexuals, should we someday decide that abortion is immoral. After all, nearly 100 percent of all abortions begin with an act of vaginal intercourse.

On the other hand, those heterosexuals shunning both abortion and family planning might be held responsible for severe overpopulating and the related problems of starvation, general poverty and permanent ecological damage.

And finally, heterosexual persons might have to take the rap for the syphilis epidemic which wiped out half of Europe during the 1500s and killed as many as 9000 newborn infants alone during each year of the 1930s in the U.S.

I recommend we avoid subscribing to all such illogical generalizations and accusations. After all, most of my relatives and friends are straight. And I’ve found that they’re mostly OK people—just like you and me.

I think we all need to prioritize issues as Jesus did and concern ourselves primarily with confronting social and economic injustices such as bigotry, discrimination and oppression.

“Don’t be deceived.” Love is intrinsically good.

Jim McDermott

graduate student

acting director-L.C.F.