Dear Jim Wallace

Ah, Jim Wallace of the Australian Christian Lobby, when you say that "I think we're going to owe smokers a big apology when the homosexual community's own statistics for its health - which it presents when it wants more money for health - are that is has higher rates of drug-taking, of suicide, it has the life of a male reduced by up to 20 years....The life of smokers is reduced by something like seven to 10 years and yet we tell all our kids at school they shouldn't smoke", you are comparing homosexuality to smoking, no matter how desperately you try to backpedal by insisting "I was not comparing homosexuality with smoking at all". Also, It doesn't help when, after insisting you're not comparing homosexuality with smoking, you immediately again compare homosexuality with smoking by saying "What I was saying is that on one hand we are vocal on our discouragement of people to smoke and on the other we are suppressing public dialogue about the health risks associated with homosexuality.".

So on the one hand, smoking. On the other hand, homosexuality. But you're not comparing them. Riiight.

In any case, as you say, I would be happy to see more public dialogue about the negative health effects of bigotry against homosexuality. Oh wait, that's not what you said? You said the effects were somehow inherent to the "homosexual lifestyle"? Well, that's a matter of debate, isn't it? It's one the gay community would be happy to have with you I'm sure.

Of course, if you really want to have an open debate, it would be helpful to stop attacking that giant strawman over there - you know, the imaginary gay community that is supposedly suppressing any mention of negative health data that correlates with being gay - and address the actual position of the gay community at large: that we want that data to be publicised, because we see it as evidence of what gay people suffer from due to the existence of anti-gay animus in society - you know, the anti-gay animus that you're currently stirring up with your lies about how we're "suppressing dissent" just because we dare to exercise our own free speech rights to say what we really think of you and your stupid arguments.

Have a nice day.