It is true, as I can confirm from many letters and phone calls from all parts of southern China, that gay men are scared of ''coming out''. Homosexuality is not a crime in China - although the Public Security Bureau will usually find other ways or charges to harass gays.

If one accepts we are born gay, then we need to support and help in as many ways as we can gay people to fulfil their full potential as dignified humans. It also follows we have no say in our sexuality. Many in the gay community question this polarised argument and instead believe we do have a conscious choice that we make to be gay.

Pak goes on to say she tells gays that if homosexuality is not illegal, and they are not hurting anyone, they should feel free. Pak, many countries still discriminate by legislating against us.

Gay people have the same rights as anyone else. Even where the law is against us, we still have the right to be ourselves, and must work to change the law.

In the last paragraph of her article, Pak says ''the situation is going to get worse because of the population boom and imbalance between men and women''. Worse for whom? It seems to imply that being a gay is bad or of less value, in human resource terms.

For Pak's information there are many gay men and women who get married to a person of the opposite sex, who enjoy being married and having children, yet identify themselves as gay.

There are far too many assumptions, from a straight person, for this article to be much good for anything else than raising the topic, thereby giving us a chance to respond.

BARRIE BRANDON Editor Contacts Magazine