Dear Editor:

John McCusker is dead at he age of 31. A handsome, energetic, generous and compassionate man by all accounts. Dead of heart failure. I wonder.

I always wonder when I hear of yet another young gay man or lesbian dying. Sometimes the cause of death is reported as heart failure or liver failure or respiratory failure or auto accident. And I wonder.

The Gay and Lesbians Times fine editorial memorializing John on 3/10 mentioned briefly that maybe lesbians and gays, as a community, should take a look at our “fast lifestyle” that claims so many so young. That life style includes the use of crystal methamphetamine. Many call it Tina, Crissy or other affectionate terms. But Tina kills. A gay man high on Tina is likely to have unsafe sex. A gay person addicted to Tina or other “party” drugs or alcohol may eventually suffer and die from heart, liver, respiratory failure or car accident.

On Sunday 3/20 the Walk for Recovery was held in Balboa Park. The LGBT community was represented by many people who have been affected in one way or another by addiction to alcohol and drugs. Thousands of dollars were raised for the recovery community to do battle with drugs and alcohol and who’s government funding continues to diminish. The Walk was not covered by the Gay and Lesbian Times and many of our gay and lesbian leaders were not present.

On Sunday 3/27 The White Party took place in Palm Springs. It was covered by The Gay and Lesbian Times. I wonder if Tina was at the White Party? I wonder if yet another young person became addicted or died “partying” or drunk? I wonder when our leaders and community will seriously address our alcohol and drug related issues? I wonder.

Tom Cary

Dear Editor:

Thank you and your arts writer, Jennifer Chung, for the continued support of the arts in our community ( Will Scheffer’s Falling Man and Other Monologues; Issue 900). Small businesses get little respect and support; small theater companies get even less.

After two years of presenting mostly San Diego premieres, Korbett Kompany is regularly ignored by the San Diego Critics Theater Circle. I was informed this week by one critic that the “interesting” companies have moved on so there’s no reason to show up for productions.

As I stated for the article, I feel it is especially important now for the voices of the GLBT to be heard. But, it seems, the mainstream press has other priorities and interests. If gay characters are in an over -the-top “drag” competition or broad comedies, that’s interesting. But if seven men create human personalities, with humor as well as pathos (sounds like real life) dealing with coming out, positive gay identity, illness, dating or more dating, general consumption interest wanes.

It certainly hurts when our audience is limited to the “faithful”. As written in our mission statement, we hope to open communication between the members of our community and reflect it’s diversity.

I hope the Critic’s Circle will open their ears and minds to hear.

Bob Korbett

Dear Editor:

On behalf of San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride, we feel it is our duty to inform you of the misleading relationship that we have witnessed firsthand between The San Diego Reader and LGBT community.

This popular, so-called “alternative” publication, which is distributed widely throughout San Diego County each Thursday, continues to uphold a stern policy of turning down news and advertisements by LGBT organizations seeking to gain visibility for their events and activities. Yet many who turn to The Reader for its arts listings and local stories are unaware of the homophobic attitude that Publisher James E. Holman continues to harbor.

Last summer, in preparation for Pride’s 30th anniversary celebration, we attempted to place a paid advertisement highlighting k.d. lang’s appearance at the Starlight Bowl. We were refused placement because the concert tied into Pride Weekend, which we were told is an event that doesn’t correspond to the religious beliefs of the publisher.

Additionally, our press releases containing news about other guest entertainers and past Pride celebrations have never gained coverage on the editorial pages other than an underplayed calendar listing.

Holman makes no secret about his negative views toward our community when pressed for comment. He has expressed to the media on several occasions his opposition to the “gay lifestyle.” And he has regularly barred advertisements from other LGBT organizations within our community over the years.

We would advise LGBT marketers and publicists within the arts and business communities to take a closer look at The Reader’s unfair publishing practices before supporting it. Clearly, this is a publication that appears progressive and friendly on the surface, but operates with a clear agenda to shield LGBT issues from the public eye.

The Board of Directors

San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride

Dear Editor:

I have read with interest the moral outrage over the denial of funeral rites for Mr. McCusker. I too am outraged, but on several fronts. I am angry and outraged that the burial rites of his church were denied him by this so called leader of the local church. It was and is morally wrong. It is in total denial of the love and hope that the gospel espouses.

I am equally outraged that the cause of his death is not openly discussed so that people can learn that crystal methamphetamine can kill even the young and healthy. Where is the moral outrage towards the use of a drug that destroys lives and hope? Where is the anger over the incredible pandemic of this drug in our community? Where is the response to the common term of “ party and play” meaning generally meth and unsafe sex that is causing a new growth of seroconversion in our young?

I remember the loss of a generation due to the onset and early days of AIDS ( initially called GRID). As a gay man working in healthcare I closed the eyes of more young men than I care to remember. I remember the outrage and anger of groups like ACT-UP and the like that mobilized the community and brought about changes in treatment and the response of a government. Where is the outrage and anger now that our community is being devastated and destroyed by a self destructive behaviour?

It is time for us to be honest with ourselves, and face up that until we stop the self destructive patterns we will never achieve the goals of full equality and acceptance. We lost a full generation due to HIV, how many do we need to lose due to crystal meth? How much fodder to we need to give the religious right by the rampant drug use?

Tom Norman

Dear Editor:

John McCusker was denied a Catholic funeral because of the “sinful” businesses he owned. We non-Catholics would like to know: Do pedophile priests get Catholic funerals? If they do, we must infer that child molestation is a lesser sin than is owning businesses that harm nobody.

John J. Sucre

Dear Editor:

I am sure that you have received quite a few of these messages since the Bishop’s decision not to allow mass for John McCusker, so I will do my best to keep it short.

While I did not know John McCusker at all, I can say that I probably knew more about the person Mr. McCusker was than the mighty Bishop Brom. The only thing that I knew was that he was the owner of a club that I infrequently visited upon certain times of the year.

So, why am I writing about someone that I never actually knew any better than a face on TV? Because of what the Catholic Church here in San Diego has done to the friends and family of John McCusker.

This is perfect example of how some of the religious organizations in this country have gone too far and imposed such double standards in our society. In light of the decision of the church not to allow mass for the friends and family of John McCusker, they have shown San Diego and the world that they are hypocrites in their own beliefs.

I thought that we were to be forgiven for all of our sins… Yet here the church states that we cannot hold mass for someone who led such an immoral life, “has a responsibility not to appear to put its blessing on objectively wrong public behavior and thus mislead the public about the moral character of that behavior.” Yet the catholic church holds mass for murderers, rapists, and others who commit such cardinal sins. As the practice of denying mass for someone who leads a less than decent life occurs in the Catholic world every ten years say some religious scholars. John Gotti is an example of this. From their decision it is apparent to me that they pick and choose who is forgiven. I thought that was God’s job!

Further more, a funeral is not for those who pass, it has never been. A funeral is for the living, so that they can pay tribute and honor their loved ones for the people they were. A funeral is a way for the living to put closure on death. A funeral has never been for those who pass because they don’t get anything out of it!

By not allowing the McCusker family to have their mass the way that they wanted to, the catholic church here in San Diego has effectively prolonged and tormented the McCusker family with unnecessary persecution and grief. I thought compassion was a cornerstone of any religion.

I still have mammoth difficulties with the fact that John’s family couldn’t have closure with his son because of decisions made by him and other consenting adults, Yet someone who actively prayed upon the innocent, and stole that quality (John Geoghan)is allowed a full catholic service?!?!

I guess if John had been a sex offender none of this would have happened. But sometimes I think to myself that maybe Bishop Brom is just trying to get the spotlight off of the churches own internal battles with sexual abuse. Something that he himself has been accused of.

What I do know is that this incident has sparked great anger in the gay community because we are tired of being persecuted for our own spiritual beliefs. I along with my other brothers and sisters believe that a person can love a person regardless of their gender, since we are all sprits in the end.

This country was founded on the principal that people wanted to be able to do what they want (as long as it doesn’t hurt others, something John never did!) But this apparently ends as soon as you do something that confuses or disturbs a lesser mind. It is time for us to take this sword of religion and wield it to our advantage so that we can have Mass for our Son’s Daughters and Lovers, Weddings for those of us who wish to show their commitment, and any other celebration that you wish to make out of this life.

If we stand by and do nothing then what is next? Those of you who are gay and have children might deny your children the right to morn when it comes time to celebrate your life, because of what you were in the eyes of a blinded man who represents god.

Kevin Wilhelmy

Dear Editor:

John McCusker was denied a Catholic funeral because of the “sinful” businesses he owned. We non-Catholics would like to know: Do pedophile priests get Catholic funerals? If they do, we must infer that child molestation is a lesser sin than is owning businesses that harm nobody.

John J. Sucre

Dear Editor:

I am sure that you have received quite a few of these messages since the Bishop’s decision not to allow mass for John McCusker, so I will do my best to keep it short.

While I did not know John McCusker at all, I can say that I probably knew more about the person Mr. McCusker was than the mighty Bishop Brom. The only thing that I knew was that he was the owner of a club that I infrequently visited upon certain times of the year.

So, why am I writing about someone that I never actually knew any better than a face on TV? Because of what the Catholic Church here in San Diego has done to the friends and family of John McCusker.

This is perfect example of how some of the religious organizations in this country have gone too far and imposed such double standards in our society. In light of the decision of the church not to allow mass for the friends and family of John McCusker, they have shown San Diego and the world that they are hypocrites in their own beliefs.

I thought that we were to be forgiven for all of our sins… Yet here the church states that we cannot hold mass for someone who led such an immoral life, “has a responsibility not to appear to put its blessing on objectively wrong public behavior and thus mislead the public about the moral character of that behavior.” Yet the catholic church holds mass for murderers, rapists, and others who commit such cardinal sins. As the practice of denying mass for someone who leads a less than decent life occurs in the Catholic world every ten years say some religious scholars. John Gotti is an example of this. From their decision it is apparent to me that they pick and choose who is forgiven. I thought that was God’s job!

Further more, a funeral is not for those who pass, it has never been. A funeral is for the living, so that they can pay tribute and honor their loved ones for the people they were. A funeral is a way for the living to put closure on death. A funeral has never been for those who pass because they don’t get anything out of it!

By not allowing the McCusker family to have their mass the way that they wanted to, the catholic church here in San Diego has effectively prolonged and tormented the McCusker family with unnecessary persecution and grief. I thought compassion was a cornerstone of any religion.

I still have mammoth difficulties with the fact that John’s family couldn’t have closure with his son because of decisions made by him and other consenting adults, Yet someone who actively prayed upon the innocent, and stole that quality (John Geoghan)is allowed a full catholic service?!?!

I guess if John had been a sex offender none of this would have happened. But sometimes I think to myself that maybe Bishop Brom is just trying to get the spotlight off of the churches own internal battles with sexual abuse. Something that he himself has been accused of.

What I do know is that this incident has sparked great anger in the gay community because we are tired of being persecuted for our own spiritual beliefs. I along with my other brothers and sisters believe that a person can love a person regardless of their gender, since we are all sprits in the end.

This country was founded on the principal that people wanted to be able to do what they want (as long as it doesn’t hurt others, something John never did!) But this apparently ends as soon as you do something that confuses or disturbs a lesser mind. It is time for us to take this sword of religion and wield it to our advantage so that we can have Mass for our Son’s Daughters and Lovers, Weddings for those of us who wish to show their commitment, and any other celebration that you wish to make out of this life.

If we stand by and do nothing then what is next? Those of you who are gay and have children might deny your children the right to morn when it comes time to celebrate your life, because of what you were in the eyes of a blinded man who represents god.

Kevin Wilhelmy

Dear Editor:

Bishop Brom, of San Diego refuses to hold funeral services for the ownere of a Gay Nightclub in San Diego.

How heartening and reassuring it was to awake to the morning newspaper and television reports. I am so relieved that the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, in specific, that Bishop Brom is protecting our morals by refusing to hold the funeral services of one of its own because “the church has deemed his business “inconsistent with the Catholic moral teaching.” Such compassion and forgiveness is so overwhelming. It is a shame that so many convicted murders, rapists, wife and child abusers, mafia hit men, pedophile priests, drug king pins, burglars, gang thugs, and other predators of humanity apparently have either slipped through the cracks of this moral code or that their business is deemed consistent with the moral teachings of the Catholic church. Bishop Brom, John McCusker may not have been the model Catholic you believe he should have been, but in his life he gave of himself to those less fortunate that he and showed considerable compassion to others. Bishop Brom, your sense of compassion and forgiveness offer me and others insight that is most enlightening.

William E. Kelly