X-Message-Number: 16539
Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 18:56:28 -0400
From: <>
Subject: We should be inclusive (see message 16524)

Hi Mike,

Thanks for posting message 16524 on cryonet.

I'm glad that you (and of course others) spoke up and made your
indignation known---there are probably dozens of others who
feel the same way but didn't spend the energy to respond, or
worse, who feel excluded from our struggle for cryonics.

There may already be people who feel uncomfortable with us,
and we all hurt if someone decides not to get involved for
some some completely irrelevant factors such as religion or
(for crying out load) how they have sex.

All cryonicists benefit from the labor of a very diverse
group, both directly in cryonics and in the science and
civilization that support it.

All of us should do what we can to make the atheist, the Jew,
the Christian, the Moslem, the Wiccan, the gay, the lesbian,
the person from a far away land, and all others welcome.

On the positive side, every person in any even vaguely
official position of all of the organizations (CI, Alcor, Kyros, ACS, etc)
that i've ever dealt with are inclusive, helpful, and
welcoming.

dan


| Message #16524
| From: 
| Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 01:12:03 EDT
| Subject: Re: CryoNet #16500 - #16504
| 
| In a message dated 6/12/01 9:12:16 PM, Louis Epstein writes:
| 
| >
| >The PF are for Parents and Friends; the group is dedicated to
| >confusing affection for those with the condition with the condition
| >being in no way deplorable.
| >
| 
| I'd like to state publicly that if anyone ever tries to "cure" or
| "correct" my "condition", ie, homosexuality, even with "affection" for
| me, in any circumstance, be it while living, or during revival or
| reconstruction from suspension, should that ever occur, I would view
| that as murder of my person.
| 
| I am who I am, not whom you would want me to be. I do what I do, not
| what you would want me to do.  Louis Epstein, and likeminded bigoted
| myopic misanthropes, are my worst nightmare.  I spent many years
| learning to be myself, and to like myself, in the face of a society
| that did not accept homosexuality- provided no positive role models,
| nurturing, or condoning of stable relationships.  Bigots can tie me to
| a fence and pistol whip me into a coma, as they did Matthew Shepard,
| but they can never make me other than I am unless they kill me.
| 
| Michael Donahue

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