To
the
Editors:
In
response
to
the
opinion
piece
(“Bye!
Bye!
Bye!
to
Lance’s
award,”
op-ed
by
Randy
Foster,
Sept.
8):
The
Human
Rights
Campaign
is
presenting
Lance
Bass
with
an
appropriate
award
this
year
for
visibility — not
for
activism
as
the
commentary
states.
When
Lance
Bass
was
featured
on
the
cover
of
People
magazine
and
spoke
out
publicly
about
being
a
gay
man
who
is
happy
with
himself
and
in
a
relationship
with
Reichen
Lehmkuhl,
he
sparked
water-cooler
and
dinner-table
conversations
everywhere
about
gay
lives.
He
also
did
not
fade
away,
but
continues
to
be
out
publicly
with
his
partner,
displaying
everywhere
they
go
that
they
are
in
a
loving
relationship
and
are
not
afraid
to
show
it.
Reichen
Lehmkuhl
is
known
as
the
winner
of
the
reality
show,
“The
Amazing
Race,”
where
he
and
his
then-partner
won
the
grand
prize,
while
raising
awareness
of
gay
couples
for
millions
of
Americans
who
watched
the
Emmy
Award-winning
show
and
rooted
for
them
to
win.
Tens
of
millions
of
young
people
know
who
Lance
Bass
is,
and
when
he
came
out,
many
straight,
nationally
prominent
figures
supported
him,
which
then
further
expanded
a
message
of
acceptance
to
other
Americans.
Bass
is
the
biggest
music
star
since
Melissa
Etheridge
to
come
out,
and
maybe
some
people
think
HRC
should
just
ignore
these
moments
of
cultural
significance,
but
his
declaration
did
initiate
a
positive,
national
conversation
that
continues
today.
HRC
understands
that
there
are
many
different
ways
to
help
fight
ignorance
and
bigotry.
That
is
why,
at
our
National
Dinner
on
Oct.
7,
the
Human
Rights
Campaign
will
be
honoring
two
true
legends
in
the
GLBT
community — Billie
Jean
King
and
Frank
Kameny — with
HRC’s
prestigious
Equality
Awards,
to
recognize
their
ceaseless
advocacy
for
our
community.
The
years
of
activism
and
visibility
by
King
and
Kameny
have
helped
to
make
the
world
a
better
place
for
Lance,
Reichen
and
all
of
us;
they
are
true
heroes.
Lance
and
Reichen
are
just
starting
to
speak
out.
We
hope
that
they
will
do
much
more
in
the
years
ahead,
using
their
unique
status
to
raise
awareness
and
open
hearts
and
minds — particularly
among
unexpected
and
often
apolitical
groups
of
people.
And,
in
a
community
that
celebrates
and
welcomes
them,
they
just
may.
MARY
SNIDER
Washington
Editors’
note:
The
letter
writer
is
a
member
of
the
executive
committee
of
HRC’s
board.
Coming
out
isn’t
a
one-time
thing
To
the
Editors:
In
the
press
tour
leading
up
to
her
debut
in
the
CBS
anchor
chair,
Katie
Couric
has
said
repeatedly
that
she
wants
to
put
more
humanity
into
the
evening
news
because
that
is
what
people
connect
with.
Maybe
you
love
Katie;
or
maybe
you’re
over
her.
Either
way,
she
makes
a
strong
point.
Human
stories,
connection
to
real
people’s
faces,
feelings
and
experiences
are
powerful
and
poignant.
The
piece
that
ran
in
last
week’s
Blade
(“Getting
over
coming
out,”
op-ed
by
Julie
Enszner),
seems
to
have
forgotten
that
lesson.
To
say
that
National
Coming
Out
Day
is
only
relevant
to
people
just
coming
out
is
tantamount
to
saying
that
birthdays
are
only
for
babies
turning
1.
While
the
first
coming
out,
and
the
first
birthday,
are
important
and
set
the
tone
for
what’s
to
come,
they
are
only
the
beginning
of
a
lifelong
process.
Research
has
shown
that
while
most
GLBT
people
would
like
to
have
more
dialogue
with
their
straight
friends
and
family
about
what
their
lives
are
like,
they
hold
back
because
they’re
afraid
of
sounding
shrill
or
seeming
like
“activists.”
At
the
same
time,
many
straight
friends
and
family
of
GLBT
people
have
reported
that
they
would
like
to
ask
more
questions
and
learn
more
about
the
daily
experience
of
their
GLBT
loved
ones,
but
they
refrain
from
asking
because
they
are
afraid
of
invading
privacy
and
having
things
“get
weird.”
Coming
out
is
a
first
step.
Learning
to
talk
openly
and
naturally
about
your
life,
what
it’s
like
to
be
GLBT
or
straight
supportive
and
to
bring
those
conversations
to
the
family
dinner
table,
to
the
doctor’s
office,
to
the
office,
your
place
of
worship
or
anywhere
else
you
may
find
yourself — is
something
else
entirely.
MARK
SHIELDS
Washington
Editors’
note:
The
letter
writer
is
director
of
HRC’s
Coming
Out
Project.
Blade
doesn’t
challenge
HRC,
D.C.
status
quo
To
the
Editors:
Re
“Judge
me
by
my
enemies”
(editorial
by
Chris
Crain,
Sept.
8):
I’m
tired
of
Chris
Crain’s
white,
privileged
approached
to
newswriting.
Frankly,
the
Blade
is
not
a
gay
community
newspaper.
The
Blade
does
not
ask
tough
questions
about
the
Human
Rights
Campaign’s
assimilation
propaganda
and
rarely
challenges
the
D.C.
status
quo,
especially
when
it
comes
to
“gay-ifcation”:
the
rainbow
version
of
gentrifacation.
Next
time
Crain
toots
his
horn,
he
ought
to
actually
do
something
first.
DANNY
SCHEER
Washington
