Editor:

I can see all the conservative alarmists up in arms over lesbians and gays finally getting some equal rights in Massachusetts.

They truly fear it’s the downfall of Western civilization or, through some convoluted reasoning, our getting married to the person we love is somehow going to ruin their marriage.

To these fearful folks, there’s a little history lesson here. Twenty-five to 30 years ago, some of you and your parents continually preached to us gay men that if we only would settle down and become less promiscuous and more mainstream, we would earn the respect we deserve.

Well, millions of us are now in monogamous loving relationships, exactly like some of your marriages, and I’m going to hold you to your Christian word.

And if you still oppose either civil gay marriages or allowing us all the special privileges of marriage that have been bequeathed unto you, then I never ever want to hear you utter those words, ³I’m for equal rights, not special rights!²

If so, you will have proven yourselves to be disrespecting, ignorant, lying, hypocrites and/or bigots.

– Paul Harris

UCSD staff