Letters to the Editor

Why Not Slow-Mo on the Cuomo?

April 16, 2005

To The Editor;

I’m in full agreement with Paul Schindler in his” Letter From The Editor: What Did They Know, And When The Heck Did They Know it?” (Apr. 13-19).I think the Cuomos, both senior and junior, do owe an explanation to the gay and gay-friendly voters about their “ Vote For Cuomo-Not The Homo” past dirty political ploy.

I would also like to see it questioned why City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and the other member’s of our politically-elected gay contingent felt it necessary to jump right on the Andrew Cuomo political wagon the minute he announced he was running for state attorney general. When I was a publicly elected official in the Democratic Party years ago in the state of Maine, the first thing I learned was not to commit too early to any one particular candidate, as it’s too difficult to switch over when that candidate loses the primary, and the election goes on. The weak explanations for their immediate endorsements only lead me to wonder just what is personally in it for them!

Perley J. Thibodeau

Manhattan

Men of Many Cloths

April 11, 2006

To the Editor:

In response to “Little Priests: Gay Men and Old Habits,” by Christopher Murray (Mar. 30-Apr. 5), wow—that is truly food for thought! It’s so true on many levels and makes me take a new look at going back to divinity school. After I was ordained as a deacon in 1995 it was clear to me that I did not want to or couldn’t give up the “gay lifestyle,” as I had identified it, which included drinking, party drugs, and anonymous sex. Now with all “those” habits in the past, I find myself contemplating the clergy more and more. I now focus on other elements of the culture that are less self-destructive, such as the arts, our zeal for life, and our development as a vibrant politically active minority.

I hope that I’d be the kind of pastor that would encourage a full and prosperous life that’s exciting and engaging. Liberation theology demands that we be about connecting with other burgeoning communities that are still “growing up” in American society. Not that we be cloistered monastic individuals watching life pass us by.

Chas. B. Brack

Executive producer/director

Sakia Gunn Film Project sakiagunnfilmproject.com

Beautiful, But Too Often Hidden

March 6, 2006

To the Editor:

I read a recent issue with interest to see the review of community leaders in regards to our LGBT communities (“Gay City News Progress Report 2006,”March 2-8). However, the only mention of the trans community was a feature on harassment of my friend Helena Stone at the hands of her employer.

And so it led me to ponder leadership and community and why is there no update on the trans community in New York City or New York State. Certainly, there is no shortage of activist leaders. The newspaper could have spoken with Carrie Davis at the LGBT Community Center, Dean Spade at Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Imani Henry at the Audre Lorde Project, Pauline Park at the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, or Joann Prinzivalli at the New York Transgender Rights Organization. An interview of interest might have been Bianca Leigh, to discuss her perspective of being a trans actress and the experience of being a real trans woman in “Transamerica.” Dr. Jill Weiss from Ramapo College or Dr. Paisley Currah from Brooklyn College might have discussed the point of view of transpeople in education. Alannah Starr could addressed being a trans entrepreneur with her weekly parties.

What about the thousands of trans people who stop being publicly trans and slip away with their hard won identities of men and women? What about the new generation of “genderqueer” youth, who seize their own identity and reject the male-female gender binary?

Trans New York 2006 is both strong and proud, and beautiful and hidden. It is hard to sustain without elders and with a paucity of role models. It is hard to sustain a community where many leaders disappear, and stop being counted. And so, in our battles, we need help. We have civil rights in New York City, but not in New York State.

I am greedy and selfish. I want more. I want to be taken more seriously, and also my friends, and also their friends. I want ordinary success stories, about school, jobs, homes, and families. I do not want to be judged by the sound of my voice or the size of my breasts. I want Gay City News and its readership to stretch and ponder why coverage for all makes for a much stronger New York.

Melissa Sklarz

Manhattan

The Men Behind the Music

March 12, 2006

To the Editor:

In his review of “The Pajama Game,” Christopher Byrne raves about every aspect of the production—the actors and singers, the choreographer and set designer, the costumer and producer, and he names each one. He especially enthuses about the music—“the songs are classics”—but not a word about the composer.

This oversight, all too frequent among critics today, is especially grievous to composers like myself. Music, of course, is the heart of a “musical.”

For the record, the composer and lyricist of “The Pajama Game” are Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.

Ned Rorem

Manhattan

No Rain on that Parade

March 18, 2006

To the Editor:

It’s a crying shame that Peter Vallone Jr. and Sr. marched with bigots like John Dunleavy who is a hate monger, likening lesbian and gays to Nazis! (“Efforts at St. Patrick’s Compromise Fail,” by Paul Schindler, Mar. 16-22) This is really over the top and I for one am sick and tired of this kind of shabby treatment. Gays and lesbians are some of New York’s finest citizens. They deserve equal rights as they are paying the same taxes—probably more—than Mr. Dunleavy. Isn’t it about time my tax dollars stopped supporting this parade of exclusionary hate mongers? What can we do about the funding for this bigots brigade? These are the same bigots who want special rights as an immigrant group while they discriminate against other immigrants getting the same breaks as the Irish. Is this America now? Is this how our Constitution works? Is this how we want it to be? I don’t think most New Yorkers do. They keep telling us the Democrats are “on our side” but with demo-rat friends like the Vallones and others, who needs enemies? Remember this when you vote.

Cassandra Langer

Via e-mail

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