It is with great sadness to hear Richard Cohen continually misrepresent what we KNOW about sexual orientation–that is, it is a trait we are born with not something we can change or “repair”– and that his blatantly false propaganda is now being used to fuel something as heinous as the “Kill the Gays” bill in Uganda, unbelievable. I am struck by the complete disregard for human life as well as the utter and complete travesty of a piece of legislation that somehow legitimizes prejudice by making it OK to murder a particular group of people because sexual minorities are seen as less than, inferior and unworthy of the simple but critical right to live.

The time is now, for us as professional counselors, to gather in solidarity, standing strong for what we believe to be true: No-one is equal until we are all equal, all humans have the unalienable right to live regardless of gender, ethnicity, orientation, ability, socio-economic status, religion or spirituality.

I ask you and I challenge each of you to take this tragic opportunity to reach out to your parents, children, friends, co-workers, legislators and religious leaders and say a resounding, “NO! No, we will not harm or kill anyone else just because they are different. We will not just tolerate, we will accept. We will not judge, we will learn and heal.”

With pride,

Colleen

Colleen Logan is the Immediate Past President of ACA.