THE EDITOR, Madam:
I MUST commend Ronnie Thwaites! The violent reaction of so many people, even those who call themselves Christian, against homosexuality in our country Jamaica truly disturbs me. I support Ronnie Thwaites for following his conscience and speaking against this judgmental and hateful attitude that many Jamaicans have.
I have counselled and have heard the stories of many people who have painfully dealt with their homosexual orientation. I, along with Mr. Thwaites, publicly say to all people I encounter, be it as a teacher, as a counsellor, as a minister of religion, or simply as a man on the street, that the vast majority of people of homosexual orientation do not choose to be so. Why would they when they live in a society in which one would be killed for such behaviour?
The origin, is perhaps primarily genetic, but psychologists have also discovered that homosexual orientation can come from the environment in which one is raised early in ones' life. The point is that people do not choose to be homosexual in their orientation.
As we look at our history of the world, were we correct to say that women could not live out the reality of their womanhood (something they did not choose) because as a woman they were not deserving of human rights? Were we right when blacks could not live out their identity as black (something they did not choose) because they did not deserve human rights?
I hope we are able to learn from our earlier mistakes and enable all humans to be who they are, especially when they did not choose to be so.
I am etc.,
MARTIN J. SCHADE
E-mail: mjschade@infochan.com
