On Thursday, the week before last, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the Influential self-help author and radio talk show host, criticized gay and lesbian activists at Barnard College. During her tirade, she made the following remarks on her international radio broadcast:

"I'm sorry, hear it one more time perfectly clearly: If you're gay or a lesbian, it's a biological error that inhibits you from relating normally to the opposite sex.... The error is in your inability to relate sexually intimately, in a loving way to a member of the opposite sex - it is a biological error."

To read the entire transcript of her tirade, go to www.drlaura.com. Go to "monologues, letters, and faxes," then go to the link: "Barnard I, II, III, & IV."

The statement by Dr. Laura is untrue and cruel. It is the same old "Sin & Sickness" mess we've all heard before. Newly coming out gay and lesbian people could and have been very hurt by these kinds of comments.

As you know, I personally endured 13 years in the isolation of the closet, including 5 agonizing years in ex-gay ministries because I believed there was something wrong with me."

CALL TO ACTION: Fax or call Dr. Laura. Ask her to disavow her attack on the gay community and issue a public apology for her hurtful remarks. The phone number for her on-air line (if you'd like to be on her show) is: 1-800-DRLAURA.

If you are unable to get through, you may call and leave a message of disapproval at her office number: (818) 461 5403 or send her a fax to: (818) 461-5140.

Those wishing to send postal letters may address them to: Dr. Laura Schlessinger, c/o Premiere Radio Networks, 15260 Ventura Blvd. St 500, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Affirmation Youth Services Director Replies to "Dr." Laura:

As an individual and professional who strives to bring congruency into her professional and Christian-based spiritual life, I respect your "Dr. Laura" goals and intentions. Needless to say I find your recent comments about gay and lesbian persons shocking, irreverent, unprofessional, highly immoral, reckless and downright mean-spirited. Dr. Laura you should be ashamed of yourself; you know better.

As a professional, I find your words highly unproductive, and quite unprofessional. I am a researcher, and a community-based public health evaluation specialist working with adolescents at risk at a children's Medical Center in Hartford, CT. As one professional to another, I do understand that sometimes professional and personal contradictions do exist, especially on the subject of same sex orientation and morality. However, that does not absolve you or anyone else from using discernment in the announcement of your own personal views in an arena that is highly charged, a tinderbox for social unrest, and about which there are many many different viewpoints scientifically and also from a Christian standpoint. We need only to recall the recent murder of Matthew Shephard as a sobering reminder.

I would hope that in the future you would use discernment when advertising your personal comments regarding your views on same sex orientation. As a reasonably intelligent and seemingly compassionate person I would have hoped that you had the wisdom to understand the power of your comments and their abuse. I would hope that you of all people would understand that youth and young adults who struggle with their sexuality are at increased risk for intra-personal and inter-personal violence due to comments like yours. Public views like yours are the "subtle" and in your case, "not so subtle" yet powerful messages that drive young people to harm themselves and others. Shame on you.

I also direct a volunteer outreach program for at risk youth targetting gay/ lesbian/ questioning teenagers who come from a conservative religious background. The stories I could tell you of the home-based violence and neglect brought on these kids by their families, churches, and community residents, "in the name of God" because they are seen as "biological" thus sinful errors. These children are isolated, alone, and carry the weight that God or no one else loves them. This drives them to absolute hopelessness, and we both know the consequences when that happens. The self-destructive behaviors these young people engage in because adults, who are supposed to be nurturing and loving, instead espouse views like yours.

Dr. Laura, this is not the right approach - and you know better. I say again, shame on you. In your position, you should be about bringing people together, encouraging tolerance and understanding, and you should be about healing, Dr. Laura. This is not acceptable behavior on your part as a professional and public figure. And with this I leave you a true story.

At age 12, lets call her Laura, Laura came to the awareness that she was "different" - a biological error as you would characterize it. She agonized, for over a year, having no one to talk to except her diary. Her stepfather found her diary one day, and it revealed to him, her little secret. He waited for her to come home after school. She was in 7th grade by this time. She came upstairs into her room, he waited, holding her diary, and confronted her, calling her a faggot, a "lesbo", sick, evil, and sinful.

So for awhile, he raped her on a regular basis - telling her that "this was for her own good" - to cure her from her sinful ways. Some 4 years later, she is now a runaway, on parole, a dropout, and recovering from 2 suicide attempts. However, she is a survivor; and she has found her way to a support network, who accepts her for who she is - trying to restore the dignity and worth that so long ago was stripped from her "because of her biological error". But there are hundred's and hundred's who have NOT survived.

I will not standly idly by and let professionals like you take potshots "In the name of God" and science. Too much, way too much is at risk. Dr. Laura, I leave this with you. In the name of sense and sensibilities, in the name of a loving God, and especially in the name of a professional code of ethics that you espouse to, be careful of the power of your words, and try to understand the damage that your comments can wrought on an already "silent, yet suffering" group of children. This to me is the mark of a wise person, who acts, not reacts. May God bless you.

Most sincerely,

Allison Bingham, Ph.D.

Research Associate
Connecticut Children's Medical Center & Fulbright Hayes Fellow (1991)

Director of Youth Services
Affirmation: A non-profit service and support organization for gay and lesbian persons who share a Mormon Heritage and their families.
www.affirmation.org