Double Standard?
By Will MacBride, 427 W. Lawrence – 08/24/08
In response to the letter about the inclusion of the book The Joy of Gay Sex in the Lewis & Clark Library’s book selection, I have only this to ask: would Mr. Cohen be writing a letter to the editor if the book was the Joy of Heterosexual Sex? Would he be up in arms if it depicted sex between a man and a woman, rather than two men? I say, if a book about gay sex is taken out of the library, why not take all books of a sexual topic out of the library, regardless of sexual orientation. If this is really about protecting a child from seeing a book about sex, and not about the fact that it was a gay sex book, than I’m sure he wouldn’t object.
Comments:
al wrote:
Will, folks like Mr. Cohen have tried having books about heterosexual sex removed from Helena library shelves in the past. One woman in particular was notorious for repeatedly checking out books she thought were indecent, thus preventing any one, child or adult, from seeing them. I recall that community reaction to her crusade consisted mostly of suggestions that she get her mind off sex and find a productive hobby.
Such headline-seeking moralists look for targets of opportunity; it might be Gay sex today and straight sex tomorrow — whatever they think will get them the biggest play in the press.
skosena wrote:
Well put. As a parent I think it is my job to protect my kids from thing that are not appropriate for there age or developmental stage. This includes all situations not just what they have access to at the library.
PaulCohen wrote:
I would ask for the removal of such a book. If there is a book with similar graphic depictions of a man and woman in various sexual poses, I make it known that it has no place on a public library bookshelf. There is no double standard, Mr. MacBride.
Does that mean that sex is unclean or something of which to be ashamed? Not at all. ‘Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge’ (Hebrews 13:4 MKJV). Pornography defiles a pure and good gift from God, and it has no place in our public institutions. As for homosexuality, it is a form of fornication that is never honorable, as it is impossible for two men to be married in the sight of God:
"You shall not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is abomination to God" (Leviticus 18:22 MKJV).
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