Dear Editor:

In response to Daddy’s article it brings to mind what I feel is the typical Drama Queen “We are victims shtick”, that many Gay Americans carry with their cross on a daily basis. Essentially Daddy implies that Log Cabin members are essentially Gay Uncle Toms, and unwilling to take it to the mat so to speak.

Conversely, I find it funny that the Democrats who purported to represent the small abused minority victims take the communities money, placate us and then vote against us. Bill Clinton certainly was wishy-washy about DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL and Mr. Kerry who is your front-runner has made it clear he would Veto Gay Marriage should he be elected your President. I find that equally ironic as the Highest Court of his constituency ruled this month legalizing Gay Marriage in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

One would have to go to Washington DC and walk though the Tunnels below the Senate office Buildings to realize the impact Gay men and women have in our Government. I have walked these floors and frankly if it were not for Gay men who work for these legislators as Aids and Secretaries I think the Government would come to a halt. Interestingly enough I have found the more conservative the legislator, the more Gay men on his staff. I have a family member who claims to have tricked with one of Jesse Helms former staff members, and if you go to Pete Knight’s office in Sacramento you would think you were in the personnel office of the Human Rights Campaign.

Gay people have made tremendous in roads and Politics is the American way to negotiate. The Log Cabin Club is our arm of the Gay community in this process to reach the Republicans just like Stonewall is for the Democrats.

I run an alternative Video Company that produces and distributes Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Video erotica. I am active in our Political action Group the Free Speech Coalition and am the only Gay, Jewish, Republican in the bunch. I tell people I hold an annual conference in a phone booth. One problem issue is that I go to meetings and hear people like Larry Flint say, THEY STOLE THE ELECTION, NOW THEY GOT THEIR WAR, AND AFTER THIR WAR THEY ARE COMING TO GET US! I frankly find this a complete over reaction; as a matter of fact the only prosecution of Video under the Bush Administration is a mail order case out of Pittsburgh from a company called Extreme Video, which depicts women being Murdered and Raped. I find Daddy to perpetrate the marginalized myth of us being victims, and Gay Uncle Tom’s as much as my professional colleague, when they claim Fox News is an arm of the Bush Admistration. The fact is Gay people have made more progress under the Bush Administration and just in the evolution of humanity since he took office than in any time in history.

Everyone has a Gay friend, co-worker employee, and even conservative legislators. Most of us have been touched by Aids in the loss of a friend, neighbor, co-worker and family member. The in roads we have made the last 24 months have been remarkable, and it is all because of those closeted role models that do secretarial work for your right wing Christian Legislators, or those condescending placating so called humanitarian liberals who talk out both sides of their mouth.

We all have different perspectives; I grew up in Orange County when we only had two Political Parties, Liberals and Americans. I was an Urban Police Officer who saw how social programs in many cases are the seminal Cancer that marginalizes segments of our population into poverty and illiteracy. Our President has made a mantra about the subtle prejudice of social promotion in our schools as a form of racism itself!

I don’t like everything about the Bush administration, I think Ashcroft is a threat to my way of living, my livelihood and is frankly an embarrassment to my political party. He is a Political appointee, and is used to placate the religious right; just as Norm Minetta the Liberal Democrat is also in the bush admisntration’s Transportation secretary.

Politics is politics, and we have made great strides. The Free Speech Coalition Elected it’s first Republican as its President. Ironically he owns one of the largest and most successful Gay Video Production companies in the world. Although I have significant differences with my party and a small part of it’s agenda, the similarities of my values far out reach what the Dems have to offer me. My sexuality is not my own agenda. If LA gets a nuclear attack, because the Democrats have their head in the sand, then my Sexuality is a mute point!

The Gay community needs all of its out reach groups, they are part of the process and have been essential in the gains we have made at this exciting time to be a Gay and Lesbian American. To quote a “successful Democrat” CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG”?

Respectfully,

Gregory B. Shearer