Hey, how about a little empathy?

I was appalled that the following sentences in this ST forum letter were allowed to see the light of print:
'Homosexuals lead a promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle. What else can you expect when you do not have children to live for or be in a loving and committed relationship?'

As a Singaporean, I do not like reading or hearing Singaporeans condemning other Singaporeans with broad brush strokes like that. Neither do I like reading or hearing Singaporeans condemning foreigners for what goes on in their societies (read the letter for that part). I'm not part of the pro-gay vanguard, and my views on the issue should be pretty easy to guess, but I still don't like it. Even if one were against homosexuality for whatever reason, one could at least try to regard homosexuals with some empathy, right? How about treating homosexuals as living and breathing fellow-Singaporeans and fellow-human beings?

How can we just 'condemn' all homosexuals like that? While there are homosexuals who lead promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyles, there are also many heterosexuals who lead promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyles, what. The question that follows is even more questionable because of its flawed logic that is linked the first sentence with flawed logic. According to this flawed logic, if you do not have children to live for and are not in a loving and committed relationship, you can be expected to be promiscuous and hedonistic. So, singles - heterosexual, never married, divorced, widowed - are also expected to be promiscuous and hedonstic?!

Reactions to this letter: Here, here and here, and probably here and there online too, but I haven't looked.

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