Editor, OBSERVER:
Western New York has a history of religious bigotry that they care not to remember. Western New York is where the Mormons began. They were threatened and were forced to leave.
The attitude I have seen here since I first moved here is that the town doesn't want people here who did not grow up here. If I had the money, I would have moved away a long time ago, but as fate would have it, I am stuck here for now. I will leave when it is possible just like the Mormons did.
It goes something like this: We know you're not a fake, but we're going to call you a fake. We know you're not a bad person, but we're going to say you're bad. We know you hate homosexuality as a perversion, but we're going to say you like men. We know not blah, but we will say blah. And I have also been threatened.
To anyone who has ears, I say quite simply, "Find one day in my life where I have been a fake." It can't be done.
I am not a politician, and I do not need votes. Hate the sin, not the sinner. That's about it.
Homosexuality is against my religious beliefs. The cops have that in writing. Since I live in a free country, and since I am "live and let live," I don't care what they do.
I am a straight, conservative, religious Christian-Buddhist, who has looked into many religions and have no prejudice or bigotry to any religion. If only that were true of others.
J.V. PRESOGNA,
Portland
