With respect to the letter of W. West, published in The Gleaner of December 17, kindly forgive me for presuming that the term 'non-heterosexual' was self-explanatory. Its use is based on a hetero-normative, binary definition of sexuality that I thought was a common belief.

The support and protection of sexual and other minorities, and those others especially vulnerable to harm, is indicative of the compassion that connotes civilisation. I cannot define 'all-sexual' for you, nor can I explain its limitations, as I did not use the term in my previous letter and I personally find it to be a clumsy means of expressing the fluidity of human sexuality, especially since it usually leads to unfortunate interpretations such as the one you have presented.

Typical position

I am not at all surprised by your use of the typical extremist juxtaposition of homosexuality and bestiality. In fact, I have come to expect it as the means of diversion most often used by those who refuse to engage objectively with this particular issue and would rather hide behind a nonsensical smoke screen. Consensual sex between adult human beings can in no way be related to the sexual abuse of livestock.

The bottom line is that until your goat can stand up in court before a judge and declare that she (or he) did or did not consent to having sexual relations, then zoophiliacs will continue to be prosecuted (and rightly so).

Exclusive support

The support of exclusive heterosexuality to the exclusion of alternative sexual identities, and the transformation of this support into a political agenda meant to further marginalise already vulnerable people, is myopic and selfish, at best, and unconstitutional and immoral, at worst, as it presently manifests.

This issue, along with abortion and the notion that life begins at conception, is one that requires vigorous public debate with all sides equally represented long before legislation or constitutional amendments can even be considered. What we have seen is the silencing of voices of dissent and the trumpeting of fundamentalist rot.

I am, etc.,

BRIAN-PAUL WELSH

brianpaul.welsh@gmail.com