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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

OSU professor recognized equality hypocrisy decades ago

1942 Letter signed by Oregon State University Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture W. Dorr Legg stored in the personnel files stored in the OSU archives, Corvallis, Oregon

PHOTO: Letter signed by Oregon State University Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture W. Dorr Legg from the original paper OSU personnel files that are now stored on microfiche in the OSU Archives, Corvallis, Oregon. The letter, dated 1942, was requesting a sabbatical leave to allow Dorr to spread his "Christian Science" religious beliefs to soldiers at Camp Adair north of Corvallis, Oregon during World War II. Legg was a cofounder of the 1950s homophile political movement for homosexuals and the present-day Loc Cabin Republicans. (See Thomas Kraemer, "Corvallis, Oregon State University gay activism 1969-2004," OutHistory.org posted June 2010 and my previous posts:

Below is my letter to the editor in response to a still too common gay bashing letter by Kevin Taylor, "Letter: Why no fight for the rights of the 'polyamorous'?" Gazette-Times Posted: Tuesday, May 29, 2012:

Kevin Taylor's May 20 letter insinuated that marriage equality supporters are being hypocritically silent about laws against "polyamorous" relationships, such as the plural marriages supported by a small minority in presidential candidate Mitt Romney's LDS Mormon church. (Editor's note: The LDS church long has outlawed such marriages).

Marriage equality supporters are silent about polygamy, (and the issue of men marrying dogs, as raised by former presidential candidate and senator, Rick Santorum), because they are only asking for equal treatment under the law as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Marriage equality supporters only want civil marriage laws applied equally to any two citizens of legal age. They are not asking for acceptance or a new "special right" to polygamy or bestiality.

It is hypocritical of intelligent Republicans to defend the U.S. Constitution while opposing marriage equality. This hypocrisy was recognized decades ago by Professor W. Dorr Legg, a religious conservative who started teaching at Oregon State University in the 1930s. (Source: OSU Archives).

In response, Legg founded the present-day gay Log Cabin Republicans organization to defend equality.

(Quoted from Thomas Kraemer, "Letter: Same-sex marriage support isn't support of polygamy, bestiality," Gazete-Times, posted Monday, June 4, 2012)

For an authoritative and explanation of the recent marriage equality legal battles, see:

Some related editorials and letters: