I would like to thank our entire Highline legislative delegation for their unanimous support of the new domestic partnership law and the new law to ensure medically accurate sexual health education.

A recent letter to the editor by James Fatton provided false and inaccurate information about the new laws.

The new domestic partnership law simply provides a limited number of protections, such as the ability to visit a loved one in the hospital or make funeral arrangements, to same-sex couples or to seniors over age 62 who choose to register with the state as domestic partners. The whole community benefits when we provide stability and security to all families.

Likewise, the new sexual health education law simply says that sex education curriculum must be "scientifically and medically accurate"-to prevent folks with ideological agendas from providing inaccurate information. We ought to let objective medical science guide our curriculum.

I've always appreciated the way our current local legislators fight for our community, and appreciate the leadership they have shown on education, health care and environmental issues. Our legislators also need to know that, unlike Mr. Fatton, most people in our community are fair minded and support equal rights and fair treatment for all people.

As a devout Christian, a United Methodist minister, and father of a gay son and lesbian daughter, I support equal rights for all minority persons-ethnic, sexual or otherwise. I either support or oppose our elected officials on their merits, without prejudice as to whom they happen to love. On this issue they are right.

The Rev. Paul J. Beeman

Des Moines