The article on the homosexual issues at Northern Kentucky University irritated me to the point that I am tired of reading about it in The Northerner. At NKU there is a wide range of different people representing different beliefs, sexualities, religions and races.

Included with all of these are homosexuals. Even though people think this is a controversial situation, with your showing same-sex sexuality on this college campus, it is still going to occur whether we like or not.

I think this issue should be left alone.

When you have a college campus you have to realize there are all kinds of people with different beliefs, cultures, sexualities and religions. No matter what, people are going to do what they want to do because this is an adult setting. Homosexuals should not be portrayed as a different set of people.

Being homosexual does not make you any different or less of a person. I too was raised to believe all people should be treated equally. Therefore, I have the utmost respect for any person, regardless of what the individual is.

In this world you never know whom you need. Growing up in a small town, people in my community were not comfortable with showing their sexuality. So I was never exposed to having a friendship with a homosexual person. Not to say that I oppose or dislike homosexuals. I just never thought that I would actually encounter a person or become friends with an individual who is a member of the homosexual community.

I came to NKU and was exposed to a bigger city with new people, and I came to realize that I do have homosexual friends. They are like any other friend I have. I treat them just as I want to be treated: with respect and dignity.

We, as people of the United States, need to stop harassing and criticizing homosexuals. If you failed to realize it, they are people just like us and they have feelings as well.

Take the time and think about what they have to go through – being criticized everyday as a member of the homosexual community.

By showing that homosexuals are not a downfall, we as the students and faculty of NKU set an example for the rest of the world.

LaDrina Bowles freshman criminal justice