Dear Editor:

Today is an incredible day to be an American and an even better day to be gay. Although we lost our battle with Prop 8 in California, we saw first hand the possibilities of what can happen with perseverance and determination. We saw that the struggle for civil rights in this country is a long road, but yet still a road that leads to incredible rewards. We gay and lesbian people have been fighting this struggle since our Stonewall days in the sixties and have achieved great accomplishments since that time. Like the African American community, we will never give up our fight for equality and fairness in this country. We will never surrender to fear or hatred or homophobia. We will never hide our pride or be silenced again. Never. We continue on today and we continue to teach the world about beauty, about art, about diversity and most of all about love. When the gay rights movement started we were on our own and isolated within our gay neighborhoods. Today that movement has spread across our nation and across the world, into the hearts and minds of our friends and family members everywhere. Love conquers all and will always prevail over hate. And as witnessed today, hope will always prevail over fear. Today might not have been the day for us in California, but rest assured our day will come. We battle on for our younger gay and lesbian sisters, we battle on to defeat hatred in this world, we battle on for our pride. Thank you to everyone who supported us on Prop 8 - especially our straight family members and friends. We love you very much and we know how much you love us back. And no one, not any church or government, can ever take that away.

Jimmy Sullivan

Dear Editor:

I proudly cast my ballot for the now President-elect Obama on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. As a gay man who one day hopes to meet someone I want to marry, I also cast my ballot for No on Proposition 8, a vote my brother and his wife did not share, much to my chagrin.

In reviewing California’s exit polling from that historic night, I saw a disturbing trend. This data shows the expected surge of African American voters flocking to the polls overwhelmingly voted for Sen. Obama. This same data shows they overwhelmingly voted Yes on Prop. 8, and in large enough numbers that would have far exceeded our narrow 4-point defeat. In an ironic twist, while this group of often disenfranchised voters were realizing Dr. King’s “Dream”, and turning the page on centuries of oppression, they were also consciously voting to strip fundamental human rights away from an altogether different minority group, California’s LGBT community.

Clearly this data shows that we must do a better job of honoring the African American struggle for civil rights in our country, as well as respectfully drawing similarities to our own. Just like I have work to do with my own family, changing minds and changing perspectives, the LGBT community has to do more to plead our case of equality to a voter bloc that may have an easy time of understanding and relating.

Our distant ancestors may not have been slaves, but the Stonewall Riots broke as many bodies and lasted for as many days as anything that happened in Selma and Montgomery. The blood of Harvey Milk ran just as red as the blood of Dr. King. Both were taken too soon, and both had the power to change the world. Now, today, institutional blockades to fundamental human rights are just as real for the LGBT community as they ever were for even the most disenfranchised of black voters.

The LGBT community has to better educate ourselves about the issues facing African Americans, just as we have to educate them about ours. The LGBT community taking for granted African American support for the protection of our fundamental civil rights was something we did at our peril. It cost us.

Now it’s obvious we have work to do, fences to mend, relationships to forge. Can we do it? Can we heal the divide that separates us, and realize the LGBT and African American communities have more in common than we have differences? Can these two vastly different communities come together on shared values?

Yes we can. We must.

Roman Jimenez

Dear Editor:

Regarding Prop 8, I was quite surprised at how easy it was to get a simple majority to amend the California constitution and roll back the civil rights of same-sex marriage. With some major fear-mongering bank-rolled by the Mormon Church, they were able to convince half of the voters plus a few (52%) and the measure passed.

Now that Prop 8 has passed, why stop there? Next let’s ban inter-racial marriage. The Mormons already believe that God put the different races on separate continents so they wouldn’t intermarry, so I’m sure they would be willing to finance the campaign.

And while we’re at it, let’s propose an amendment to put all those African-Americans who voted for Prop 8 on the slave auction. The Mormons would promote that as well. Brigham Young preached that blacks are an inferior race. Think of all the good we could accomplish with a large group of people forced to work for free.

All we need to make it happen is a simple majority.

Josh Butterfield

Dear Editor:

We all know by now that most Californians support bigotry. I would therefore like to suggest the Pink Triangle campaign. As you know, the Nazis forced gays and lesbians to wear pink triangles. I propose that all gay and lesbian Californians wear an armband every day with a pink triangle on it. This should be worn to work, to school, to church and everywhere else.

People can then be told if asked about this that gay and lesbian people want to make it easier for Californians to be able to identify them so that they know whom to discriminate against.

Eugene Engelbrecht

Dear Editor:

The first thing I did when I got home from the candle light vigil against proposition 8 was read the United States Constitution. Right there in the First Amendment, the one regarded as the most important, since our founding fathers placed it first, were the words “Congress shall make no law ...abridging the freedom of speech ... or the right of the people to peaceably assemble.” Then I wondered, has the San Diego police department ever been told it applies to them? Their attitude and conduct was totalitarian at best. Ordering peaceably assembled citizens who were exercising their right to freedom of speech in a pubic place on an issue the courts have determined to involve fundamental rights, to move on to “go to bars to go to restaurants” was in clear violation of our First Amendment Rights. Threats of punishment were made. We are guaranteed the right to stand on the streets and discuss politics all night long if we want. This was not halloween, this was not City Fest, this was not Pride this was a political protest.

Very few people were in the streets, and on has to believe, would have enough good since to get out of the way of vehicles. The police were crying we had to disassemble so they could open the street to traffic. First, the flow of traffic is not Constitutionally protected. Second, people lining the street to express their opinions to passing cars is!

There seemed to be a control at all cost mentality. There was no one threatening to burn down stores or turn over cars that might warrant such intimidation.

The police are empowered by the people to protect our rights not violate them.

Chuck Phillips

Dear Editor:

Last week, a friend asked me to make a contribution to the San Diego Voter Education Project that describes itself as a “slate mailer organization” that issues “Voter Guide’s slate cards.” However, despite this innocent-sounding description, I was embarrassed to see what it instead produced was a repugnant hit piece on Stephen Whitburn for City Council.

Although I haven’t contributed to Whitburn’s campaign, I do have considerable respect for him and believe he has made many positive contributions to our community. I believe Whitburn was an exceptional president of the San Diego Democratic Club and I believe he would represent our community well in any role he filled.

I would never approve of any type of attack against Whitburn and disagree with negative campaigning in general. I offer my sincerest apologies to Whitburn, the people mentioned on the mailer and our community in general for my involvement with the San Diego Voter Education Project.

It has always been – and continues to be – my goal to help our community in a positive, constructive manner. I will work hard in the future to ensure that my contributions are never again used in such a malicious way.

Robert Lehman

Dear Editor:

It was pretty obvious that this year, the only Nightmare on Normal Street was the MC, Nicole. I was one of people who paid money to enter the event, paid money to enter the contest, paid damn good money to my seamstress to make an original custom costume, only to have my evening soured by being verbally abused and publicly humiliated on stage by Nicole. I never had a chance. Nightmare is the 4th largest gay Halloween event in the state and should be a chance to show off all things that make this holiday fun and gay. But instead, we have a bitter old queen who will embarrass and humiliate people in and attempt for a joke. It is time for a regime change here at home and get some fresh blood in! Her behavior would never be permitted in SF, LA, or PS. There is no point in us standing for this kind of behavior here! We all deserve better!

Kirk Pfeiffer

Dear Editor:

I just wanted to take this opportunity let you know that I really appreciate the efforts that go into such an event [Nightmare on Normal Street], I live on Normal Street and I watched the volunteers go in and set the thing up then break it down afterwards. It’s a tradition and a Labor of Love...It’s important.

So there you are...alright here comes the kick part of the letter. The muzzle seems to to have fallen off of your bitch. By this, I mean Nicole, the trainwreck, who seems to take sadistic pleasure in droning insults on the folks who came out specifically to support and participate in this event. I understand the importance of mockery, but this went above and beyond. It takes a lot of balls to get up there...which the contestants pay for...and then have that pile of hideom proceed to shame anyone and everyone who wasn’t cut and chicken. Let me just tell you, they’re not coming back. You’re losing business. I don’t know her or whether or not if she was having a bad day...but here’s the thing, I don’t care, what she did was absolutely repugnant. It’s three days ago and I’m still disgusted. You can be funny without making people feel like shit. I’m a comedian...I know.

In short. Put the the bitch to pasture and let her continue to graze...oh wait...too late...just find a new MC. The one you got is mean spirited and rude and she’s hurting your cause.

John Padgett

Dear Editor:

I saw a very diverse crowd at last night’s Nightmare on Normal Street. What a great sight to see gay, straight, bi, etc. get together for a fun night of celebrating Halloween. The show featured lots of great costumes that I am sure took work to put together! Many people got their chance to walk down the runway showing off their costume, whether the costume looked good or not.

However, I was disturbed to see the host, Nicole Murray-Ramirez, bad mouth so many of the guests. Poking some fun is fine and some guests “deserved” it, but Nicole saw fit to say mean things to dozens of participants just trying to have fun. Does the gay community have to put the same old bitchy drag queen forward as our representative?

Alfred Hilderbrand

Editor’s note: This letter was received before Proposition 8 passed on Election Day.

Dear Editor:

The Mormon Church is bankrolling the Prop 8 campaign! The Mormon prophet in Salt Lake City has commanded members of the church to give their time and money to pass the proposition.

According to reports, Mormons have distributed over 1,000,000 “Yes on 8” yard signs and are organizing entire congregations to man phone banks. And although Mormons make up only 2% of the California population, they have contributed 47% of the $21 million donated to Prop 8.

I think it’s important that we expose the involvement of special interests that are funding the initiative. Spread the word. The Mormons are trying to turn California into another Utah!

Carson McIntyre

Dear Editor:

I support the right of the GLT or any other organization or private citizen to publicly endorse whatever candidates and propositions they choose. In recent issues both the GLT and the SDDC have run voter guides of their endorsements. I may not agree with all of their choices, but I value knowing the source and knowing they are transparent in their support, which helps me become better informed about my choices.

So I was at first confused and then angered by the strange “LGBT San Diego VOTE 2008 Endorsements” that made up page 43 of the current issue – the last issue before Election Day. Absolutely no attribution is made to any organization or private citizen for these endorsements. At first glance one could be excused for confusing this advertisement as further representing the GLT’s official endorsements (as presented on page 11 of this issue). But only when one compares the two is it revealed that their positions on six of the twelve statewide initiatives are opposed. And in the District 7 race, one of the “Three council candidates to be proud of” (GLT 10/16/08), Marti Emerald, was ignored in favor of her opponent, April Boling.

Well, I don’t live in District 7. But I can honestly state that my choices on the twelve statewide initiatives differed from both sources significantly. If the election weren’t over by the time this letter could be printed, my reasons could be weighed and debated as the opinion of one person identified as such trying to influence how other readers could vote. The source masquerading behind the “LGBT San Diego VOTE 2008 Endorsements” advertisement clearly has no such respect for your readers. Although it will be too late for any voter misguided by the perpetrator(s), the GLT owes all of us an apology and full disclosure.

Mat Wahlstrom

Dear Editor:

By the time you publish this letter (if you publish this letter), Prop 8 will have been decided, we will have a new President-elect, and hopefully, Michael Aguirre will be retaining his seat as the San Diego City Attorney.

Your editorial about Aguirre was exceptional. It not only shed light on what a city attorney is expected to do, but that Aguirre has performed that role, and has done so with integrity, accountability, and in service of San Diegans. You also portrayed how Aguirre has (at least somewhat) repaired America’s Finest City’s reputation across the country.

I am ashamed that some people in the GLBT community are actually citing the only complaint we (and I use “we” loosely) can find against Aguirre – that he played a part in closing the 2200 Club. I am not going to pretend to be old fashioned. I’m no saint by any stretch of the imagination. But I am not clear what we are fighting for when we are fighting for bathhouses. Are we fighting for more crystal meth addiction? Higher rates of HIV infection? More time spent watching porn than volunteering for marriage equality? What does having one more bathhouse (or ANY bathhouse, for that matter) actually accomplish? Is the world really a better place because of bathhouses?

Frankly, I am glad that Aguirre did his job. And I would encourage everyone in our community to take a hard look at what it is he/she is fighting for. Every once in a while, perhaps our leadership does know what is best for us.

Arlon Jay Staggs