Dear Editor:

Your Megan’s law article did not mention the fact that in California, Penal Code 288 makes consensual Gay sex with a minor a registerable sex offense for life. Straight sex is not. Megan’s Law targets gays unfairly. This discriminatory law was recently reaffirmed in the 4th district court of appeals in the case of State of California vs. Westbarth and is vigorously prosecuted by our own so called ‘gay friendly’ District Attorney.

Edward Mayer

Dear Editor:

I’m mad as hell (no pun intended) about the new “sexy gay thriller” Hellbent! Should the gay community put up with such gratuitous violent crap?! Is it sexy to see hot hunks chopping heads off each other? Is it sexy to know that young gay Iranians get their necks broken by hanging? Since when should we as the GLBT community endorse this? Wake up!

I know it’s Halloween month, and a little spooky fun is OK, but this?! Even the ad shows a guy with a sharp blade about the cut his eye out! I hope that this junk fails BIG time at the box office!

Bjorn Palenius

Dear Editor:

Ms. Murray-Ramirez and Mr. O’Brien:

When writing about a place I would hope you would get your facts straight. There are three million people living in Iowa, not two and there is only one state fair. Iowa was a blue state for the last two presidential elections and narrowly missed being a blue state in 2004 by a mere 5,000 votes. If you recall, Iowa was one of the states that had a recount and didn’t announce the winner for several days after the election, so your comment about Iowa definitely being a red state seems extremely exaggerated. San Diego is more red than Iowa ever will be. Also, I spent nine years teaching ELL (that’s English Language Learners) in the Des Moines School District. Our population was extremely diversified including Sudanese, Nigerian, Somali, Vietnamese, and a booming Hispanic population. The population in Iowa is very diverse. And as for Iowa’s ‘infamous’ caucuses, who better to choose a president than hard-working, middle Americans with a reputation for being honest and straight forward?

S. Chet Sewell

Dear Editor:

It’s happening again. Just when we thought it was safe and those in power in our community had learned that it’s a mistake to take preying on children lightly, along comes another bunch - - this time the Gay Center - - who are opting to bail out and choosing to turn their backs on society’s most vulnerable in our midst: female minors. Yes, hard as it is to believe, those on the Center’s board don’t want the parents of an unmarried and pregnant minor daughter notified that their child is pregnant and seeking an abortion. This is their official position and so they are telling gays to vote No on Proposition 73 on Nov. 8th. Even though 30 States already have such laws and it has significantly reduced pregnancies and abortions! Yet No to this is their official position.

But wait...it gets worse. Despite the fact that the median age of the males impregnating these minor school-age girls is 22...vote No still is their official position! Even if these girls refuse to talk to their parents, under 73 the court can appoint her a legal guardian. Even though statutory rape is a crime...their official position is she should have a secret abortion (and so her rapist may prey on her some more). A woman’s right to choose, they say, needs protecting. As if 13 and 14-year-old girls are “women?” Despite the fact a Democrats-controlled legislature passed this same law back in the 1980’s, its opponents would scare us into believing it’s part of a “team” effort out to get us. Get real. It’s obvious that more than one gay board in this town needs cleaning up.

To think this is the same Center that began a screening process for volunteers two years ago! Now who screens the screeners? Just who are these kooks who equate parental notification with wearing the scarlet letter? I think we need a Community Notification law to let us know who they are. Maybe the entire Center board should have their names and addresses published in the Gay Times so that divisive and harmful “official positions” like this will get the treatment they deserve.

John Primavera