TO THE EDITOR:
In his Oct. 21 letter to the editor, Tolerance lacking in gay marriage debate, Pearce Godwin makes the argument that “both sides” are equally blameworthy for the general lack of respect in the gay marriage debate.
Arguments like this are a historical and unsociological because they ignore the enormous difference in power between the sides of the debate and the history of struggle for human rights. When white people during the civil rights movement expressed fear and outrage about black people integrating public spaces, was it “intolerant” of black people to call that position out as racist and engage in civil disobedience to oppose segregation?
When men make rape jokes or say that women are not as good at math and science as men, are we really going to tell women that they need to listen and try to understand where the men are coming from? If women say such men are “male chauvinists,” are the women being just as bad as the men? Nonsense. Members of oppressed categories (women, people of color, LGBT people) are not obligated to “tolerate” sexism, racism or homophobia.
Moreover, there is something fundamentally different about the content of each side of the debate. One side is saying, in essense, that same-sex couples do not deserve the same rights and protections as heterosexual couples. The other side is saying, “We are human, too, and deserve the same rights as everyone else.” You cannot equate discrimination with opposition to discrimination. Doing so would be a false parallel.
Corey Frost ’16
UNC School of Law
