Dear Editor:

In school, we were called upon to write essays on subjects like “Does the end justify the means?” Robert DeKoven’s comments about “Brokeback Mountain” are right out of sophomore class.

When a writer liberally sprinkles the words “often”, “most”, “not much”, “many”, and “some” in his factual assertions, you know that he’s blowing smoke out of his ass. Don’t bend over, Mr. DeKoven, because you’ll look like Mt. Vesuvius.

The movie is not a documentary of our lives, unless we’re all high school dropout ranch hands in Wyoming. As a tale of stifled love, the story might apply more to children of the 50’s, like the author and me, than children of the 80’s and beyond.

So much has changed since 1963; where to begin? How about the existence of the movie or family benefits for domestic partners? Lambda’s website notes: “Domestic partner benefits, as they are widely known, are becoming an established part of the fabric of the American work place.” Our Supreme Court has now said: “Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct.” Check out Spain, Canada, and Massachusetts legalizing gay marriage. Check out gay marriage’s passage by the California legislature, albeit with a veto by the governator. Check out Romer v. Evans, where Equal Protection was found to prohibit a state constitutional amendment that discriminated against homosexuals, and where Californian Justice Kennedy equated homosexuality and race in the protection offered by Equal Protection.

It’s just not correct to say that men in rural areas have no choice and must live in complete secrecy or face violent deaths. Casper, Wyoming had a gay mayor during 2005.

Has Mr. DeKoven been reading “Before Night Falls”? Reinaldo Arenas wrote: “I have always considered it despicable to grovel for your life as if life were a favor.” Who are the despicable people discriminating against the children of gays and lesbians?

Where’s a case where, lacking federal intervention, a gay man’s murder was deemed “accidental” by local authorities? Let’s not panic about the so-called homosexual panic defense (HPD), allegedly “accepted” by prosecutors and police officers and juries. It will soon by an anachronism

The San Francisco Police Department is one of the most gay-friendly forces in the country. It’s a leap to conclude it depicts “gays and others in negative ways” because its officers made a video with a man in drag mugging it for the camera, unless Dame Edna is anti-gay, too. It’s absurd to then assert that SFPD would condone heterosexual lewd behavior while arresting gays for the same behavior because many cops come from the gay-hating military. There’s Mt. Vesuvius going off again!

The closet is still a fixture of American life, but the slow and steady move from the medieval and metaphysical belief against being, acting and living gay towards full acceptance makes me look forward a jump ahead of another 42 year, when being gay will be as ho-hum an issue as tie color preference.

Jim Raymond

Dear Editor:

Congressman Murtha....shame on you.

To make a statement at a time of war that you would not join the military is shameful and outrageous.

As a member of the GLBT community, I served in the military for 22 years, including Korea and nearly every major campaign in Vietnam. Given the chance to serve again I would proudly do it and head straight to Iraq.

During a time when our troops need support from every citizen of the United States, especially our representatives in the national legislature, your outrageous statements demoralizes our troops.

I remember Vietnam and how public support abandoned our troops and apparently you want another Vietnam. I am ashamed to call you a brother in arms.

I am in continuous communications with our heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The majority of them are proud of their military service. I do not know what counter-universe you come from, but your statement is irresponsible and I am ashamed of you.

Because of your tenure many service members looked up you as an individual who would represent them in the national legislature. How sad.

I believe you have failed your military constituents.

We do not need another John Kerry in the national legislature, because what he did was unforgivable and probably cost him the Presidency.

You owe our military personnel – many of them gay men and women – an apology.

M R LaPaglia