Dear Editor:

Again, Ex-Homosexual James Hartline has his fingers in the pot stirring up trouble for our LGBTQI Community. He and his fundie followers have tormented government agencies and officials, police and fire departments, Park and Rec., the director of the venue where Ebony Pride was to have taken place, creating a media circus, until they caved. James Hartline found a loophole and a means to close down the venue for Ebony Pride and now the organizers are having to scramble for a new venue, less then 2 weeks before the event. Loosing their venue has put Ebony Pride in grave financial difficulties. I encourage every member of our LGBTQI Community to send Ebony Pride the $10.00 entrance fee to cover the financial losses created by James Hartline’s destructive interference.

James Hartline is on a one man crusade to destroy any and every LGBTQI organization, event, group and person one by one, piece by piece. When is he going to be stopped. He has already caused havoc with Ebony Pride, the 2005 LGBTQI Pride Events, The LGBTQI film festival at Malcolm X Library, Youth Pride 2004 and 2005. He regularly spends his days sending harassing e-mails and phone calls to city officials, including the City Council and the Mayor, finding fault and condemning the LGBTQI Community and our organizations. He has finally found people who are taking him seriously, listening to him and acting against our community. We can no longer ignore him and pretend that James Hartline and his supporters will just go away.

Wendy Sue

Dear Editor:

I share your frustration with those community members who remained silence at the Town Meeting on August 15. As one of those who chose to remain silent, I was frustrated with the format of the meeting and the inability of the facilitator to focus the discussion on the issues at hand. It was obvious – soon after it began, that the meeting was not going to go well.

We, as a community, have come along way in the years since Stonewall. We have gone from a community of just bars and bath houses, to a community that also has educational, recreational, business and support groups as well as community centers. We have also grown as a community, taking on issues like AIDS awareness, equality in housing and employment, domestic partnerships, civil unions and same-sex marriage to name a few. These are issues far removed from the issues we faced during the Stonewall days – but they are our history and reasons why we celebrate Pride.

In San Diego we also have the Hillcrest Youth Center and Family Matters. As domestic partnerships continue and same-sex marriage becomes a reality, those in our community who adopt or decide to have their own children will increase. Our families and our youth will want to participate in our gatherings and our Pride celebrations – and they must be made safe. At any and all of our celebrations and youth events, there must be a zero tolerance on having pedophiles working or volunteering. The Youth Center and Family Matters are not the only ones responsible for the safety and protection of our youth and our children – it is also the community’s responsibility.

It is unfortunate that Christian activists had to do our work for us. Have we forgotten our outrage when, just a few years ago, the Catholic Church tried to blame “gay priests” for the sex abuse scandal? Priests molesting children was and is not acceptable – but the actions of Bishops who were aware of the molestations and who continued to put children at risk by not addressing the issue drew our greatest anger. The Pride Board has apologized – but they must do more. As custodians of our history and organizers of our yearly celebration, the Pride Board has an obligation to provide safety and protection to all members of our community. Volunteer and employment applications must include a question involving previous arrest and convictions of child molestation. And all volunteers must have a background check. The Board should also provide public notice of their meetings so that those in the community who want to attend can do so.

Thanks to the Gay & Lesbian Times for bringing this issue to the community and to Ray Drew and Nicole M. Ramirez for organizing the Town Meeting. Hopefully the Pride Board is listening to the community and will work hard to win back our confidence in their ability to organize our annual Pride.

Tom Kirkman

Executive Director

The S.A.G.E. Center

Dear Editor:

Last week’s editorial (8.18.05, Issue 921), did not even come close to reflecting the Monday meeting which looked like a coup to take over the Pride board by self-appointed Pride police.

The salient fact of Monday’s meeting was that the Pride Board consulted eight government agencies including the local police and the FBI upon learning of Megan’s list member’s among the volunteers.

The FBI told the Pride Board that these people were not a threat because their jobs did not bring them into direct contact with the public. The FBI’s advice was to do nothing.

The Pride Board’s only fault was not immediately disclosing the advice and the decision to follow it.

It’s obvious the Pride Board was erring on the side of the civil rights of it’s volunteers.

For those who don’t know, Megan’s Law’s disclaimer specifically states that information on the site is not to be used “to harass an offender.”

It’s distressing that one of your columnists would state, without any supporting evidence, “that a great majority of our community, it’s businesses and organizations have lost confidence in [the Pride Board].” Of course, one must remember that Nicole Murray-Ramirez’s column is one of opinion and not of fact.

A more accurate account appeared in the Update: “80 percent of the people in attendance expressed confidence in the ability of the current Board to resolve the present issues before them.” If only some of the gay press felt the same.

Michael Hampson

Dear Editor:

If the DA is unhappy that certain people are participating in Gay Pride, then let the DA find the probable cause to arrest those people and put them away instead of dumping that job on the gay community.

It is outrageous for a gay mayor, gay DA, gay assemblywoman and the police to refuse to participate in the parade because the Pride Committee didn’t do the job that those officials are supposed to be doing.

It is not right for gay politicians—who should remember witch hunts against gay people—to participate in the social ostracism of gay men who have already paid their debts to society for whatever crimes they might have committed.

That our gay political leaders have rushed to tar and feather gay men and reinforce homophobic “save the children” stereotypes dating back to Anita Bryant speaks poorly of their ability to represent the gay community.

So much for the “value” of having gay leaders represent us. Next time, I am voting for a straight politician whose buttons can’t be pushed by the James Hartlines of this world.

Andrew Towne

Dear Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the board members from America’s Finest City Softball League who organized another marvelous Gay World Series over the last week.

It was so nice to see that many new faces in town for the whole week and having a wonderful time. I got the chance to go to Poway and watch a few of the championship games on Saturday and seeing that many people was amazing. As a board you should pat your selves on the back and from a business aspect, I thank you and all of the players who made Flicks their bar of choice, whether it was for one night or all nights last week.

Nigel Mayer and Joe Letzkus

Owners of Flicks