"I can't see how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender can be used in the same sentence as 'ordinary citizens.'" This is a quote from Stan Smith's letter to the editor (Nov. 16, "It's hardly about ordinary citizens"). I can see how the reactive mind could write a sentence like that. After all, human beings often form opinions of people they don't know based on stereotypes and assumptions. Please allow me to dispel those assumptions and those stereotypes.

I am a Bismarck native, a lesbian and I am very much an ordinary citizen. My family consists of my partner Lisa, our 4-year-old daughter and me. We work, pay our taxes and go to church just like any other family. Lisa works full-time, I go to school full-time and stay home with our daughter. We think it's important that she have a stable home life. Three days a week our daughter goes to a preschool that is funded by a mainstream religious denomination. It's interesting that they can accept us as "ordinary," but Smith, who has never met us, cannot.

There is a reason that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people "seek audiences" in high schools. Statistically speaking, 10 percent of teenage people are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Those young people feel so isolated and alone that they are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts. We seek an audience in our high schools, not to "convince them of our ordinariness" but to save them. They are already gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. We just want them to know that they are not alone, they are ordinary, and suicide is not an option. What has Smith's politically incorrect bunch done for these kids lately?

Wanting to get out one night a month, socialize with friends and watch an entertaining show does not make people out of the ordinary. If it does, then someone should do something about all those folks going to the movies or to a lodge meeting - like get to know them before judging them.

   XXX

"I had a female friend from FindBilover.com who was lesbian and she pointed out that everyone focuses on the sexual aspects of homosexuality in a different way than they focus on it in a heterosexual relationship. I have always remembered that. I think it is the prurient obsessions of some people. "