'Barb' posted September 16, 2011 letter to U.S. National Spiritual Assembly regarding "
homosexual lifestyle"
Dear Baha'i Friends,
In your January 3, 2011 letter to the American Baha'is, you shared the following guidance from the Baha'i Universal House of Justice:
The purpose of the Faith of Baha'u'llah is the realization of the organic unity of the entire human race, and Baha'is are enjoined to eliminate from their lives all forms of prejudice and to manifest respect towards all. Therefore, to regard those with a homosexual orientation with prejudice or disdain would be against the spirit of the Faith.
The term “homosexual lifestyle,” which has been used by both individual Baha'is and Baha'i institutions, exemplifies regarding homosexuals with prejudice and disdain, as it is always used in a negative sense. The term has no inherent meaning and makes no more sense than “heterosexual lifestyle.”
Consider the infinite variety of “lifestyles” of the heterosexual: bar-hopper or tee-totaler, sexually promiscuous or celibate, monogamous or advocate of free love, drug addict or avoider of even an aspirin, organic gardener or fast-food fan, greedy or philanthropic, convicted criminal or saint of church/synagogue/mosque, religious or atheist, hardworking or slothful, morally degenerate or of high moral fiber, etc.
It is apparent that the term “heterosexual lifestyle” has no meaning. The word “heterosexual” refers to one's sexual orientation, the word “lifestyle” to one's habit of living. The term “homosexual lifestyle” is just as meaningless, for the variety of lifestyles of homosexuals is just as great as for heterosexuals – it would make as much sense to refer to a “brunette lifestyle” or “left-handed lifestyle.”
In addition, the term “homosexual lifestyle” has the effect of making gays/lesbians feel as if their sexual identity is supposed to be something trivial which can be discarded at will, as one would a suit of clothes – it trivializes the identity of a significant segment of the world's population. It's like saying to Black or Jewish people that their identity is a trivial thing.
In summary, “heterosexual” and “homosexual” are terms denoting a person's sexual orientation, as the Universal House of Justice acknowledges. To associate one or the other with a particular “lifestyle” is unfair.
You should know that this letter will be posted on the website “Gay/Lesbian Baha'i Story Project” because it deals with a subject of interest to many of our readers, and that any reply will be posted as well, for the same reason.
Respectfully,
The battle to repeal DOMA finally has its first Republican co-sponsor. Via Freedom To Marry: 
"I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier. That soldier is serving our country, I thank him for his service to our country. I’m sure he’s doing an excellent job. I hope he is safe, and I hope he returns safely, and does his mission well. I have to admit, I seriously did not hear those boos. Had I heard them, I certainly would have commented on them. But as you know, when you’re in that sort of environment, you’re focused on the question and formulating your answer. And I just didn’t hear those couple of boos that were out there. But certainly, had I, I would have said that that was — I would have said, don’t do that, this man is serving our country, and we are to thank him for his service." - Rick Santorum, speaking on Fox News.
