LETTER: More to Love

I was quite disturbed upon reading some statements in the "Homosexuals in History" article in the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Awareness Days supplement that seemed to restrict love to only those relationships which involve sexual attraction. For instance, in the biography on John Maynard Keynes, the author implied that because Keynes was bisexual, "he was lucky enough to be able to love both men and women." In a similar manner, the author interprets the biblical text where David proclaims his love for Jonathan in a way that negates the possibility of a love between two men unaccompanied by sexual attraction. Confining the concept of love to only those affections that are coupled with sexual interest ignores a great portion of the spectrum of love. In the Greek language for example, there are at least four different terms for love, each emphasizing a different aspect or relationship; only one of these carries a sexual connotation. Paul the Apostle provides an extended description of one of these deep loves apart from sexual interest in I Corinthians 13. It is through this broader view of love that I am able to love my roommate, and I am able to tell him so. The character of this love is very different from a sexual love, but this says nothing about its intensity. If we are willing to allow love to flourish unhampered by the requirement of sexual interest, then everyone can be "lucky enough to be able to love people, regardless of their sex." JASON FABOZZI College/Wharton '92