In this letter, the author describes a threat to the local area harmony by providing special treatment to a special interest group. Does the harm outweigh the benefit?
By Jan Lukas
The controversy overshadowing our communities regarding the BBH Pride organization is unfortunate.
My message to their leadership and followers is a request to please live among us without exploiting sexuality and gender identity as a badge of courage and prerequisite for personal association. We each deserve the same treatment and diversity of opinion without censorship, shaming and being labelled.
Just as some of us believe that “Kids are gay and trans and there’s nothing you can do to change that” there are some who have the equally valid deeply held belief that “childhood innocence needs preservation and protection from adult agendas.”
Neither group can be forced to affirm or celebrate beliefs of the other. It’s distasteful and unbecoming of a civil ordered society for groups to make demands for special recognition. Our community accepts all people on the basis of merit, free association by choice and expertise-not diversity of appearance or political affiliations and personal agendas.
May we choose to forgive past offenses and insults, and live together without imposing ideologies, personal opinions and making demands for special treatment on each other, or on our school and community governing bodies.