Letter to the editor by Terry Nienhuis

This October 9, 1986 letter to the editor by Terry Nienhuis and titled “Not Freak” is commending the Western Carolinian for the interview published in the September 18 issue in which Editor-in-chief Andrew Dawkins interviews Chris, the founder of Lavender Bridges. Lavender Bridges, an anonymously founded student organization open to all individuals, aimed to promote awareness of lesbian and gay lifestyle, provide lesbian and gay resources, and increase communication with all students and community members. The first organizational meeting took place October 10, 1985 and was officially recognized by the office of Student Development on December 13, 1985. The last mention of the group appeared in the October 10, 1991 issue of the Western Carolinian.Not Freak Dear Editor, I would like to commend you for your recent Lavender Bridges interview. Your questions elicited a thorough and sensitive response that made it clear to any fair- minded reader that this young woman was not a freak of nature but a normal human being. Twenty years ago, my generation had the same kind of attitude toward blacks that this generation has toward homosexuals. Interestingly enough, some of the same language has resurfaced: "they're okay as long as they leave me alone"; "we should ship them off to another place where they can be by themselves and not pollute us"; "we should just kill'em." In another twenty years, a sensible attitude toward sexual preference may become as common as the more enlightened attitude toward skin color that now dominates our society. To those today who are locked into attitudes fueled by emotionalism, fear, ignorance, and prejudice, your interview looked like the visitation of the devil. To those today who cultivate a rational, calm, informed, and fair point of view, your interview was only marred by inadequate proofreading. Sincerely, Terry Nienhui