Letter: LGBT folks not out to change anybody

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Re Karl R. Walker's Jan. 5 letter to the Public Forum, "LGBT message coming":

Mr. Walker states that legalizing same-sex marriage will "erode Utah's higher moral standards to that of Sodom and Gomorrah." Many respected contemporary biblical scholars note that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was inhospitality.

Ezekiel 16:49 states, "This was the guilt of ... Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy." Given this understanding, it is fair to say that Utah has been living under the standards of Sodom and Gomorrah for many decades when it comes to our treatment of our LGBT neighbors.

Heterosexual Utahns have the pride and "prosperous ease" afforded to us by the right to marry, but have been refusing to share this right and privilege with our LGBT fellow citizens.

Finally, Mr. Walker fears LGBT couples will be showing up on doorsteps trying to convert people to homosexuality. Why would they? The scientific jury is in: Sexual orientation is not a choice. Besides, all the LGBT people I know just want to be left alone to live their lives as they see fit — they're uninterested in the sexual orientation of others.

Bonnie Brown

Park City