Letters to the Editor
manyctnj
Published Letters: 448 Editor's Choice: 31
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Norma Desmond was psycho
[Read the article: The Fix]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well, Norma, I guess I have at least as much right to be offended by straight men who "pretend" to be gay as you have to be amused by the completely unfunny notion of Nathan Lane pretending to lust after women.
Pretending to be straight isn't offensive to anyone, unless of course you're Mark Foley pretending to be straight, in which case it's offensive and dangerous. Pretending to be gay as a joke, on the other hand, IS offensive. The humor isn't just about being something you're not (Clooney's not a zebra either, so why not just paint on some stripes and call it a day?) -- it's about being something that the pretender regards as inherently funny, uncomfortable, weird, etc. How is it different, really, than putting on black-face?
40-something straight men who pretend to be gay, who think it's funny to be gay, suggest that their buddy is gay, who make Brokeback Mountain jokes, who mock gay sex -- and all of the rest of that crap that is completely prevalent in the media -- are only one rung on the development ladder above junior high school kids who call each other gay and fag in the school yard. Or is that OK in your book, too?
It's NOT ok, and I don't particularly care if you think I lack a sense of humor.
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Think twice
[Read the article: My laid-off co-worker is fibbing on his résumé]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not to put too fine a point on it, but what happens if you tell the co-worker that you won't act as a reference unless he corrects the resume, he assures you he will do this but, in fact, doesn't, he sends the fradulent resume around and you are called by prospective employers who never engage you in a conversation about this guy's leadership or management skills?? You've already been put in a difficult position because there's no way to verify what the resume he actually sends out will say. I think the issue is whether you want to give this guy a reference at all, not whether you want to give him another chance.
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Out, out...
[Read the article: The glass closet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The complexity of gay politics stems directly from the fact that gayness is a characteristic which can be hidden to varying degrees. We can't have a fair discussion about gay issues when elected representatives who are charged with discussing the issues aren't publicy honest about their own sexuality. A politician's sexuality IS relevant at this point. Just as we want to know whether a politician who favors tax breaks for the wealthy is wealthy himself, just as we found it relevant (some might say disgraceful) that a man like Clarance Thomas who benefitted from affirmative action could take public positions so opposed to it -- a politician's sexualtiy is relevant to issues that are in the mainstream today.
I'd go one step further. We're getting to the point where living as a closeted gay person -- particularly a closeted gay person in the public eye -- is less and less justifiable as a personal choice and more and more just evidence of a serious character flaw. In my lifetime gay people have made tremendous strides in gaining legal rights and repsect. It isn't all peaches and cream and sometimes there are setbacks, but the overall trend is toward more acceptance, more options for living happily as openly gay. So much so that people have a right to say -- hey, why are you hiding? Stand up and be counted! Many employers, for example, now ask employees who are LGBT to openly identify themselves as such so that the companies can justify gay-firendly policies and publicize their diversity. No less should be expected of politicians.
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I'm thinking of publishing all my posts in a new book...
[Read the article: Since You Asked: The Book]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Your columns about parenting and relationships with parents are among the most interesting, because we may not all have kids but we all have or had parents and most of us have confronted the issue of whether or not to have kids. The 2 most poignant letters and/or responses in my view:
1. "My dad is filled with regret for things in the past". I particularly liked this letter because the LW wasn't writing to complain about her father (as so many writers to you often are), although he was not perfect. She was genuninely concerned about how to make his situation better. It was very touching.
2. "Should I have a kid or not?" -- Loved the letter, and the response from June Brockwell was just beautiful. Your response, on the other hand, indicated you were more concerned about hawking Salon's new book. So we've come full circle.
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Editor on coffeebreak: Hate speach welcome.
[Read the article: The glass closet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thanks Anonymous. That was just brilliant. Salon -- Is there anything you WON'T print? Advocacy of genocide? Disclosure of nuclear secrets? Cary's home phone number?
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Skeptical
[Read the article: The Fix]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm guessing Yohane's biological dad isn't just learning what adoption means, but that he IS just learning about the potential windfall if you pretend not to know what adoption means after your son is adopted by one of the world's richest women.
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Teriffic article
[Read the article: The cherry on top]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Among other things, the author's ability to summon immages of maraschinos and Carl Yastremski in the same paragraph made this a great read. Thanks.