Dear Editor:

“The only real sports I like are bullfighting and boxing.” So says Nicole Ramirez in her latest piece of garbage appearing in your pages. Sports? On the one hand you have a spectacle wherein a poor dumb animal is tormented and tortured and then finally put out of his misery by a strutting, pseudo-macho matador, and on the other hand you have two men hysterically cheered on by a blood-lusting crowd while they attempt to beat each other senseless.

Perhaps her attraction to these events has to do with the tights of the matador and the near-nakedness of the boxers, but the senseless violence, cruelty and bloodletting would lead me to believe that this reveals another aspect of her pathetic personality.

Like Dennis E. Mayer who raged against Nicole in your last issue. I too feel that the time is way overdue for the GLBT community of San Diego to renounce her as a too highly visible and inappropriate spokesperson and to stop supporting your publication and other establishments such as Bourbon Street (which like Nicole is surviving on its past reputation) that give her a platform to display her vulgarity, self-promotion and ignorance. Give her credit for her past work for the community, but lately she’s been promoting herself more than anything else.

I’ll conclude with a little poem that I wrote for Nicole (and maybe a few other over-the-hill sisters): “Of all the sad things in this world that I’ve seen, the saddest of all is a tired, old queen.”

Bob Sherman

Dear Editor:

Bathhouses have a long history in the gay community. Since the 1800s they have been a safe and affirmative place for gay men to gather. There was the Everard Turkish Baths that operated for over fifty in New York City and the Continental Baths where entertainers performed including Cab Calloway, Melba Moore, John Davidson, Wayland Flowers, Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. As a longtime resident of San Diego I remember when there were five bathhouses in the city; now there are three. They are not considered adult businesses and are required to have bathhouse permits from the county health department and are frequently inspected. Each of the three has the current health permit displayed in public view as required. All three have operated as gay bathhouses at their present locations for over twenty years. Each has a long list of former customers who are no longer welcome because of illegal drugs, dishonesty, violence or other problems. They are a safe place to go and none have ever been raided by the police. Each have gay owners who have received numerous awards for their support of charities. Unlike most bars, hotels and other businesses the three bathhouses hand out free condoms and distribute safe sex literature.

The closest bathhouse to my home is the 2200 Club. It is the only bathhouse with a swimming pool and a large free parking lot. Also, contrary to a recent letter, it is clean, well maintained and the steam room, dry sauna and all of the showers, sinks, urinals and toilets work. Recently at a dinner hosted by the San Diego Democratic Club Bob Smith of the 2200 Club was honored as one of the founding members of the Stonewall Democrats in San Diego in 1975. His generosity for over forty years in the gay community both here and in Palm Springs has been recognized with many awards.

Even if you are not patron of the gay bathhouses support those that fight for our rights to have them. Our three bathhouses attract many tourists to San Diego that also patronize our restaurants, hotels, stores and other businesses.

Fred Macready

Dear Editor:

Last week in “Conversations with Nicole”, it was made mention that Congresswoman Susan Davis awarded a “special commendation” to openly gay World War II veteran Carl Moccafiche. While I have no doubt that Carl, who is a wonderful man, is deserving of this honor, I find it rather peculiar that Rep. Davis be presenting gay veterans with any type of honor.

For years now, despite strong lobbying from the LGBT community, Susan Davis has refused to cosponsor H.R. 1059, a bill that would repeal the hateful and discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the U.S. Military. This act would allow those Rep. Davis claims to honor the ability to serve openly and honestly in our military.

As a key member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Subcommittee on Military Personnel and Military Readiness, Rep. Davis is in a key position to be a leader for the rights of the LGBT community and yet she has repeatedly refused co-sign this important piece of legislation.

I find it rather hypocritical that she gives out special commendations to LGBT veterans, while denying equality to active duty service men and women through her inaction. As I reconsider my support of Rep. Davis, I would ask all those who believe in LGBT equality to do the same.

Ken St. Pierre

Dear Editor:

Before I say anything else, allow me to say that I respect the fact that Nicole Murray-Ramirez has been around for a long time, and as such has done many great things for the gay community.

Nicole, as someone who has grown up in San Diego (lived my entire life until 18 in the same house in Hillcrest, and went to All Saints Episcopal School on 7th and Pennsylvania from preschool to 7th grade), I am constantly offended at your anti-football and anti-Chargers bias. Yes, they have never won a Super Bowl, but they did win the AFL Championship in 1963 when they played at the old Balboa Stadium. This brings me to an interesting question. Do you actually know much about football, as in the history of it, and how you play the game? Obviously not, since you do not like football in the first place. In fact, you “hate” it. Great, we don’t really care which sports you like or don’t like. As for your choice of “real” sports, I can understand your choice of boxing, but BULLFIGHTING? How is that a “real” sport? You enjoy watching a magnificent creature like the bull being slowly killed by someone who looks like a box of sequins puked all over him? Please, if you criticize the most popular sport in the United States, don’t make people laugh by claiming bullfighting is a “real” sport.

Thomas Bollman