Dear Editor:

I am appalled by your cover and editorial regarding, Jerry Sanders, your designated Man of the Year.

Jerry’s very presence on your cover and prestaged publicity (proof: the call to you) of his decision not to veto the San Diego City Council action supporting the amicus curiae proves he is the photo op Mayor: all show, no substance.

He is a man about town, scurrying from event to event, hoping for a media snippet here and there, but of little action. The city is paying for action, not photo-ops.

He has not embraced nor enacted change: the city’s financial mess has not been tackled and we have the same neighborhoods burning down, time and time again, with only five staffers in the City performing brush management.

We have coddling and coverups executed for building development (Sunroad) that is dangerous and puts citizens at risk.

He is the enabler of the wealthy developer class who fund the political party of “God, Gays and Guns”, the GOP, who are the real impediments to the LGBT Community.

Frankly, Gay and Lesbian Times, you should know better.

John A. Gordon

Dear Editor:

It is indeed good that Mayor Jerry Sanders signed the SD City Council’s amicus brief resolution on same-sex marriage. I thanked him. It is always a nice thing when a father supports his daughter’s rights.

But as our community gives this mayor all these kudos, praise and monies, I would like to suggest that there are others that deserve the same kind of show of gratitude .

Our State Senator Denise Ducheny voted a tie breaking YES on Mark Leno’s marriage bill sending it to the Schwarzeneggers’s desk. There had also been “rumblings” that she would vote no, but Denise , who represents an area where many people because of religious reasons disapprove of same sex marriage, did vote in favor.

And, how about some kudos and praise for Congressmember Susan Davis. Just a few weeks ago Susan stepped forward and spoke out on the floor of Congress in favor of adding Transgender rights to ENDA, the employment non-discrimination act. She did this despite that many in her Democratic Party disagreed with including the “T”.

And our community should be giving some huge kudos and praise to City Councimember Donna Frye. She has advocated for us and been there for us since she was first elected in 2001, and Donna continues to be our friend. Perhaps,we should recognize consistency

So, while many LGBT folks laud Mr. Sanders, I suggest that there are others who also should be Persons of the Year.

Gloria Johnson

Dear Editor:

Everyone enjoyed seeing the photos of the 20 Heroes on the recent cover of the GLT selected by Lambda Archives of San Diego. I know many of them and know they are deserving of this recognition.

Equally deserving would be the 20 Zeros that have consistently stood in the way of LGBT rights. Put their photos on a future cover a future cover so they too can the recognition that they deserve. The first photo could be that of Nicole Murray-Ramirez who has consistently supported bigots and homophobes with his self serving endorsements. Second would be a photo of Mike “Nifong” Aguirre who pretends to support LGBT issues while he is seeking campaign donations then, after getting elected, he sends in undercover police into our private clubs looking for consensual adult sex. Then Police Chief William Landsdowne’s photo who announced in a presentation to the GLBT community at the coffee house in Hillcrest that he was not going to send undercover police into our businesses, that the police would be better used keeping young people out of gangs. Soon he was sending undercover cops, two at a time, into our businesses while ignoring violent street crime. Then would come the photos of the politicians that supported homophobia and bigotry starting with former Mayor Pete Wilson. I am sure that the list of Zeros would be just as entertaining as the list of Heroes.

Maybe the GLT could do it in their April Fool’s issue. These people have certainly made fools out of us.

Pat Thornton

“Thank you, Lambda Archives, for doing the right thing and highlighting the true leaders of our community, not just those with money or certain connections.”

Dear Editor,

Kudos to the Lambda Archives for selecting a great line-up of ‘Heroes’ for their 20 Years/20 Heroes. And kudos to the GLT for devoting last week’s cover and center section to highlighting these great people. There are numerous awards given out within our community, but time after time, it seems like it is the same people that we always hear about recycling awards amongst each other. People like Vertez Burke, Ben Cartwright, Jim Ziegler, Bonnie Zimmerman, and others on the list are true heroes in our community that work hard day after day and rarely receive any recognition. Thank you, Lambda Archives, for doing the right thing and highlighting the true leaders of our community, not just those with money or certain connections.

Jared Johnson

“The local GOP Party handled Hartline better than Nicole Murray-Ramirez …”

Dear Editor:

I am not a Republican or a supporter of their issues but I have to agree with the San Diego GOP leaders when they refused to interview James Hartline, an announced candidate for the San Diego City Council, at the San Diego County Republican Party’s November 2007 Endorsement Meeting. All of the GOP candidates for public office were recognized during the meeting by having their names announced to those in attendance except Hartline. Hartline’s campaign manager was later told that any candidate who had been previously convicted of a felony was excluded from being interviewed. Hartline is a self proclaimed repaired gay who spent much of his life in prison due to multiple felony convictions. (The James Hartline Report 12/05/07)

The local GOP Party handled Hartline better than Nicole Murray-Ramirez, who after seeing Hartline at the Hillcrest Candidates Forum held October 9, 2007, praised him in Nicole’s GLT column by saying “James Hartline: Hartline was the big surprise of the evening as he was articulate, knowledgeable of the issues and I found myself agreeing with him on many of the problems our neighborhoods are facing.” (GLT 10/11/07)

Republicans dismiss Hartline but Nicole praises him. What is wrong with this picture? Is it not time for the GLBT community to ask Nicole to retire? His ridiculous comments are an embarrassment to us all.

Tyrone Jones