Letters to the Editor

Documenting Our History

June 23, 2006

To the Editor:

Thanks to Gay City News for the wonderful piece on recognizing and preserving gay history in New York City (“Preserving West Village Gay History,” by James Withers, Jun. 22- 28), and for all your great work covering gay life in New York.

It should be noted that almost all of the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s reports documenting the Village’s gay history cited in the article were authored by Jay Shockley, a long-time LPC staffer and Village resident who has worked tirelessly to ensure that New York’s LGBT history gets its due in these official city records. Jay also contributed to the groundbreaking “Guide to Lesbian and Gay New York Historical Landmarks,” one of the first of its kind efforts to document, honor, and spread the word about New York’s queer history. When our lives are recognized and made part of the official record like this, it makes it harder for our enemies to marginalize us and easier for young people to accept themselves and others as legitimate members of society. We all owe those who broke down these barriers before us and made our finding our rightful place at the table a little easier a great debt of gratitude.

Andrew Berman

Executive director Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation

gvshp.org

Snide and Delicious

June 25, 2006

To the Editor:

I haven’t a clue as to who Susie Day is, but her piece on Hillary as cockroach is beyond delicious (“Bugging Hillary,” Jun. 22-28). Please convey to Ms. Day how very much my wife and I appreciated it—funny as all hell, and equally sad! Strange, really, when you examine Hillary’s overall voting record, especially as regards the middle class. But then there’s the flag-burning nonsense and of course above all her Iraq position, as Ms. Day has so surgically confronted. Obviously Hillary more as prostitute than mere bug continues her attempts to ingratiate herself with the political Neanderthals of this country. Almost daily does Barbara Boxer become more attractive to us… Again our congratulations to Susie Day for her fine writing. J. Swift would be envious!

Norman Weinstein

New York City

Bigots downstate too

To the Editor:

I applaud State Senator Liz Krueger’s determined focus on the issues truly important to New Yorkers (“Pride Through Politics In ’06,” Jun. 22-28). Unfortunately, many of Senator Krueger’s colleagues do not share her commitment to equality. Contrary to popular perception, the state legislators leading the fight against equality are not all upstate conservatives. The chief sponsors of the state Defense of Marriage Act are from New York City: Senator Serphin Maltese (R-Queens) and Assemblyperson Anthony Seminerio (D-Queens). Ignobly joining them are Senators Ruben Diaz, Sr. (D-Bronx), Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn), John Marchi (R-Staten Island), Frank Padavan (R-Queens), and Caesar Trunzo (R-Suffolk) and Assemblypersons Diane Gordon (D-Brooklyn) and David McDonough (R-Nassau).

Moreover, the overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly has still not passed gender-neutral clarifications of marriage in the Domestic Relations Law. Yet another legislative session has ended in disappointment for New York couples who desire and deserve the full responsibilities, protections, and benefits of marriage. The solution, like the problem, is bipartisan. All voters must educate their legislators and encourage their support, not only for marriage equality but for the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and the Dignity for All Students Act. Hostile or unresponsive politicians will receive pink slips on Election Day.

Sebastian Maguire

Elmhurst, Queens

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