Oct 29, 2004   | COMMENTS     

No cold shoulder for Carol Schwartz
To the Editors:
In the Oct. 15 ”Best of Gay D.C.” issue, the Washington Blade apparently couldn’t resist taking a dig at D.C. Councilmember Carol Schwartz, even in reporting her selection by readers as the region’s “Best Straight Ally.”

Evidently unhappy with the readers’ choice, the editors wrote: “Councilmember Carol Schwartz remains to some a gay ally — despite her opposition to same-sex marriage.”

Gays in D.C. care about a whole range of gay issues. For us, Carol Schwartz has no explaining to do. She has fought our battles on a number of fronts for a long time.

I’m willing to give Carol Schwartz the same space and time I’m giving John Kerry to think through gay marriage, which until a year ago barely registered as an issue.

I’m voting for both of them, and I’m disappointed with the Blade for continually turning a cold shoulder on one of our most enduring allies.
ALAN J. ROTH
Washington

Editors’ note: The letter writer is an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Adams Morgan.

HIV registry for Md. won’t trace virus
To the Editors:
I was deeply troubled to read that Maryland Comptroller William Donald Schaefer is proposing a statewide registry for people with HIV (news, Oct. 15).
The AIDS virus can take between four to six months to show up in tests. By then, reckless HIV-positive people could have dozens of sexual experiences, and if they don’t disclose or don’t know their status or lie about it, the virus is impossible to trace.

Does Schaefer want something stamped in the faces of HIV-positive people like the Jews in the time of the Nazis?

What’s worse, Mr. Schaefer said he isn’t being critical of people with HIV. “I feel sorry for them,” he said, “they are going to die.” I’m stunned and hurt by this man’s carelessness.

His approach is not to tackle the spread of HIV but rather to spread an ideology of hatred.
ENRIQUE SANCHEZ
Washington

Kerry demonized Cheneys and gay people generally
To the Editors:
The exploitation of Mary Cheney by the Kerry-Edwards campaign is just wrong. Gay people are way too brainwashed by the marketing ploys of the Democratic Party.

Many of us are disgusted with George Bush because of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which he obviously knew would be defeated. Yet John Kerry’s actions make me wonder how sincere and committed he is to ensuring equality and dignity for gay people.

I consider the sleazy gay baiting recently from the Kerry campaign to be far more dangerous than W’s politically motivated support for the failed FMA.

Bush was endorsing a conservative ideology for political gain, but John Kerry and John Edwards drew attention to Mary Cheney’s “lesbianism” to demonize the Cheneys. In doing so, they were demonizing gay people. Bush has never done this.
AARON MALOY
Boston

Mary’s mom mum on ‘hedonist’ slur
To the Editors:
Re: “Debate remark fuels Cheney fire” (news, Oct. 22)
So Lynne Cheney is shrieking that John Kerry did something wrong by acknowledging that her daughter, Mary Cheney, is a lesbian?

We didn’t hear a peep from Lynne Cheney back in August when Republican Alan Keyes said Mary was a “selfish hedonist.”

Lynne Cheney is a concerned mom only when it is convenient to GOP smear campaigns. She is truly a disgrace to mothers around the world.
CAROLINE TIMBERS
Washington

Stonelog Republicrats are disgrace to GOP
To the Editors:
Re “Putting rights before party” (editorial by Chris Crain, Oct. 15):
The Log Cabin Republicans have successfully morphed into just another whining, sniveling, elitist gay organization. They should be ashamed to even use the term Republican in their title.

I urge gay conservatives, and yes there are plenty of us around, to vote your conscience this election year. I also call upon LCR to change its name. I’m thinking Stonelog Republicrats.
ANTHONY CHILDRESS
Jonesboro, Ark.

Fighting for change within both parties
To the Editors:
Bravo on Chris Crain’s excellent editorial in the Oct. 22 issue about the Log Cabin Republicans and Stonewall Democrats.

The fight is “from within” the organization and abandoning is fleeing in the face of opposition, something we have almost written the manual on.

Sometimes I say to myself, “A pox on both their houses!” But until the Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans both fight (in coordination?) realistically within their parties, it will never happen.
GREGORY KURDIAN
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.