In response to a recent letter to the editor (Mr. Hilmar Rosenast, July 6), saying something is immoral doesn’t make it immoral. Each person has their own set of morals. Morals change over time as we learn from previous mistakes or let go of absurd beliefs.
It is true, however, that saying something is immoral or defies natural law to prevent someone else from having the same rights and privileges as you is a form of discrimination. It was once considered immoral to allow women to own land or Black people to read. Does Mr. Rosenast think those morals should never have changed?
Mr. Rosenast’s argument is that we are “legalizing evil” and gave the example of legalizing marriage for homosexual couples. At the same time he tried to highlight his progressiveness by saying that he hired homosexuals at his job. What a joke. My husband and I are not evil and are just as deserving of the benefits of marriage. Marriage, by the way, is a societal construct and can be defined however we want. Redefining it to allow homosexuals is not a lie, as Mr. Rosenast put it. Furthermore, saying “a legal partnership would have accomplished the same [benefits]” is like, to continue my above example, allowing a Black person to read but restricting them to only children’s books their entire life. Separate but equal is not equal.
It is appalling to see someone in Santa Clarita hold this position, voice it in public, and have it printed in a news outlet. We’ve come a long way in the 20 years since I’ve been out, but we obviously still have a long way to go. Now that the Supreme Court has paved the way for legal discrimination against homosexuals, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see a court case soon challenging gay marriage. We must continue to stand up to this discrimination and call it out for what it is.
J.R. Hills
Stevenson Ranch
