Good As You

I am 29 yr old single parent raised in the south (The Bible Belt) attending a baptist church all my life with heterosexual parents who were miserable in their marriage. My siblings and I are the ones who suffered the consequences of this "ideal" marriage. I personally do not believe that heterosexual parents (married or unmarried) or single parents are better than gay/lesbian parents. I think your sexual orientation is a personal preference. A same sex couple doesn't harm me in any way such as say the person next to me smoking a cigarette. Isn't this America? What happened to freedom?!

Not to mention, are there really people out there who would prefer children grow up not feeling loved; rather than they grow up with two loving same sex parents? These children who are abandoned, what happens to them? What are the stats on them? How many become abusive, incarcerated, drug dealers, commit suicide, etc? How many could have been saved if they were adopted by same sex couples?

I personally choose to be heterosexual, HOWEVER I do not believe that it is my right to tell my neighbor who he or she should love. I will not force my beliefs on others nor will I persecute them for theirs. My children will be taught the same. I believe that true Christians love all of God's children and accept them for who they are. I believe that Christians and churches should not judge, but embrace & welcome, be an example, and show love for all! What happened to "God Loves All The Little Children of the World red, yellow, black and white they are precious in his' site"...referring to all of His children (young and old).

I would love to see all the energy that is being put in to stopping same sex parent adoptions, marriages, etc. focused on finding these children homes, improving school systems, cleaning up the streets, knock out hunger, curing cancer and so many more positive actions. Look at the bigger picture!

Thank you for your rational thoughts, Stephanie and I do not mean to be disrespectful to someone clearly attempting to address the situation reasonably, however, I must ask if you think that you, Stephanie, actually CHOOSE to be heterosexual. If so, could you CHOOSE to be homosexual?

If not, and I think your honest answer would be no, than you did not choose to be heterosexual any more than I chose to be homosexual.

Still, I wish everyone approached the parenting issue the way you do.

Bill: I chose the wrong word. I should have used 'am' a heterosexual. However, I personally do not like the feeling of 'walking on egg shells' and I wouldn't want to make others feel that way either. Sometimes I think that people get so used to defending themselves that they actually start to read into things that could be taken inappropriately, but were not meant to be. I know I have before, being a single mom who was pregnant out of wedlock in a small southern town. No person, relationship or any thing else for that matter is perfect. EVERYONE, not matter how they act, feels unpopular, left out, ashamed, embarrassed, ignorant, etc. at some point or another in their lives. I wouldn't want you or any one else out their to feel the need to defend themselves against someone that there wasn't even a battle with - as a result of previous encounters with others. I believe there are bigger issues.

To be honest, I didn't make a mistake. Yes, I have chosen to be heterosexual. I haven't shared these thoughts before, but I have questioned whether I am attracted to men or women. Homosexuality wasn't an option or even acknowledged where I grew up (and really it still isn't). You either marry a man and have lots of children or you stay alone and become the crazy lady down the road. I have never lived for me. It has always been for someone else. I think I am too afraid to let go.

Stephanie -- My heart goes out to you because of the difficulties you've had to face. But I think it would be more accurate to say that you chose to live a heterosexual lifestyle. A lifestyle is a choice; an orientation is not. I hope that you find peace in your lifestyle. But it might help you to know that there is much recent research about the high incidence of bisexuality in the female population; your "choices" are not only gay or straight.

I'm glad that Dennis and Tom felt the show depicted them fairly; I don't want them to regret the effort the made or the progress they tried to make.

That said, I was on edge all through the show, wanting to sit Kati down and explain to her that in being gay, her hosts were not trying to irritate God or Joseph Smith. I cringed when she said something along the lines of "If we let gays raise children, it's like saying it's okay to become gay." There were SO MANY TIMES when I felt she should have been presented with information so there might be some hope of getting her to understand what homosexuality is -- and isn't -- so that perhaps she could rub a couple of gray cells together about it. Merely showing her what great parents Tom and Dennis are, and pointing out that the children would be "in the system" if not for this family, barely scratched the surface -- and obviously it had very little impact on Kati's opinions. If this kind of discussion took place but was edited out, then that's one more objection I have to this presentation.

Tom and Dennis may be satisfied. I am not.

Very cool of you to share that, Stephanie. Here's wishing you find happiness, however, wherever.