What's in a term?

Reprinted from a letter to the editor at DenverPost.com:

What's in a term?

Re: "Don't encourage gays,' Dec. 18 Open Forum.

Term, term, what's in a term?

Apparently a lot. It seems difficult to find a term that is understandable and agreeable to everyone. Letter-writer Robert W. Steller was incensed that The Post endorsed a gay-straight alliance club at Palmer High School. He wrote that such a thing encourages promiscuity. One would think that by now he would know that homosexuality is about more than just sex. Why does he think homosexual marriage has been a big issue of late? Some have suggested using the term "affectional orientation' instead of "sexual orientation' to make it clearer.

And many people I have talked to don't like the term "homophobia' being thrown around as much as it is. Would "bigotry' be a better term? That's really what it comes down to.

Still others don't like the terms "gay' and "homosexual.' Though these are typically men who have sex with other men, they will not "put a label on it.'

Can we get past the issue of what is the appropriate term to use and just try to understand each other?

DOUG GRAEN
Denver