Dear Mr Heffer,

I have read your column for the Daily Mail on a number of occasions. It is often that I disagree with you. However, today's discussion on the recent legislation to reduce the age of consent for gay relationships was, in my opinion, indicative of more than just a difference in our points of view.

You claim to be irreverent, irrepressible and irascible, yet your views appear to me to be intolerant, irritating and ignorant. Are you homophobic? If not, then your comments about predatory gay men are giving a contrary impression.

It would be easy for you to dismiss this letter as the rantings of someone with an axe to grind. If I were a member of a gay liberation movement, you could easily put my reaction down to having a particular agenda. However, I am a straight male with no political affiliation. My reaction is based entirely on the fact that I rely on my brain instead of a primitive fear for that which is different.

My opinion on the subject is simple. As far as I am concerned, if we are to treat gay people as we do any other sector of society, then laws governing their behaviour should be the same as the equivalent laws governing heterosexuals. Fear of predatory behaviour in older men should be levelled at all older men, regardless of sexuality. In fact, I would suggest that the majority of sexual encounters, where an older person exploits their experience in comparison to a younger partner, are heterosexual. Moreover, I would guess that the primary cause of concern about predatory behaviour in gay men is due to some misguided belief that a person can be, somehow, converted to homosexuality by a manipulative partner. If you speak to a gay person about their sexuality, you will quickly find out that they have had neither the choice to become gay nor the choice to become straight. Sexuality is not learnt, it is intrinsic; anyone who claims to be able to change a person's sexuality is fooling themselves.

Surely it is time that we, as a society, accept gay people for who they are, and stop believing that they pose some threat. Indeed, if we get everything out into the open, we can probably improve the quality of life for those gay people whose lot it is to face discrimination and oppression.

Do you honestly believe in what you write? or are you just trying to be controversial? I, for one, would certainly like to know.

Yours sincerely,

Ashley Frieze
ex-Daily Mail reader