#1 Re: Anti-Civil Unions website www.civil-unions.org.nz Dear Sir/Madam Reading over your web site is interesting to say the least. The stories on the site, in particular about there being no gay gene, “Research suggests that social and psychological factors are strongly influential. Examples include problems in early family relationships, sexual seduction, and sense of inadequacy with same-sex peers, with resulting disturbance in gender identity. Society can also influence a sexually questioning youth when it encourages gay self-labelling." This is a load of gabble that you feed out to your poor youth and ram down their throats a message of hatred toward gays and what we do. I grew up with my parents and take huge offence to what you dribble out of your mouth, I was raised in a happy family setting with people that loved me and still do, they wouldn't care if I was purple and had green hair and wore my shoes on my hands. Love and being human is about being who you are and accepting others too, I accept all religions and others regardless of colour, race, gender for who they are and what they do, I think that everyone that needs something or someone to believe in and if church and worship is what they need, I would be the last person to try and stop them, so go hard and go for gold. I have never meet your God in person, but when the day comes for me to depart this earth and meet whomever, I hope that she/he has a good ear and big shoulders, because I would like to sit down and have a chat to them about the hardships that they placed on the human race and why? If she/he were a divine creator and the perfect “God” why would they do what they have done to the human race? Throughout your random articles you talk about being judged and judging others, you as an equal have no right to judge me or my fellow Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, transgender (GLBT) family no more then I have the right to judge you for what you say, you have your right to your say and you have freedom to walk in daylight without receiving abuse for walking maybe a bit different, or looking a bit different, try spending a week in the shoes of GLBT person and find out what it is like to receive the abuse that we sometime do. Being a openly Gay man and a father as well I take I pride in who I am and what I do in this life, and if anyone is going to judge me then bring it on, but until then, smile and just get on with your life. Damien Auckland #2 Re: The anti-Civil Unions letter signed by Dick Hubbard and associates I wish to express my outrage and disappointment with the homophobic comments made by Dick Hubbard Mayor of Auckland. It was hard enough to get rid of a fascists like Mr Banks, but to now have to deal with a homophobic bigot like Mr Hubbard is most annoying. At least he has now declared himself and we as a community can use this opportunity to further educate the public that tolerance, understanding and acceptance of diversity is the most loving, compassionate and honorable way to live. Lets us declare February 2005 a month of Out