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Letters to the Editor

Published Thursday, 06-Apr-2006 in issue 954

“All I see are phantom faces as I glance about the bar, recalling this man or that, now long gone.”

Dear Editor:

In Issue #953 this week, George Christy wrote a column that really resonates with me: I’m one of those ‘consummate partiers,’ much older than he is, who likes to go out to the bars for drinks. I’m motivated more by what Jack Fritscher’s book Some Dance to Remember describes; you could say I’m hooked on my memories from the 70s. All I see are phantom faces as I glance about the bar, recalling this man or that, now long gone.

However, the other reason I go to the bars (while my fellow seniors are all tucked in with the blankeys and water bottles), beside the fact that I like to imbibe, is the goal I have set for myself to be a positive senior role model for the young 20 and 30 year olds to see and interact with; they seek me out and I enjoy their energy.

I’m active in 2 social groups for gay seniors, (VP in one); both are fun, but all we do is reminisce or discuss the latest challenges to Medicare or SS. That also gets painful and requires a lot of energy as we try to recall details of an era now long gone.

I think my bar habit is waning; the bar scene is too full of people staring into their black berries or trying to read the papers in the bar light. There’s no longer any eye contact or any sexual energy for that matter. The Internet has made in-roads as well so the art of cruising has disappeared; just no need to do it.

So, one by one the older bars are closing or going straight: Wolfs’/Rebars’ space is open again and full of customers; no fanfare, no sign and no gay men (likely none wanted)!

It’s part of the price we pay for assimilation into the main stream, in my opinion.

Tom Giles

“It is enough to make the Gay Democrats lose their swagger.”

Dear Editor:

What goes around always comes around.

The Gay Democrats always amuse themselves with a sense of superiority by ridiculing the Log Cabin Republicans as a hopeless, self-loathing lot fighting an unwinnable up-hill battle in a bigoted political party for gay equality.

Meanwhile the Gay Democrats portray themselves as triumphant pioneers in the gay movement who have been openly welcomed by all in the Democrat Party. Such was the illusion until the Democratic Gay Caucus was recently terminated and evicted by national party chief, Howard Dean.

Now the Gay Democrats are getting some of their own as Jeff Soref resigns as the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) now defunct Gay Caucus Chairman; angrily declaring, “Democrats Are Against Gay Marriage.

As DNC Chief Howard Dean eliminates the GLBT Outreach Office at national party headquarters, we now see how the Stonewall and Gay Democrats have overstated their cozy relationship with the DNC to raise millions of gay dollars in campaign financing.

Democrats are being told by campaign strategists to avoid gay marriage in 2006. What are they saying, “Gay Democrats need to spend more time in the closet?” And Democratic pollsters say large majorities of Hispanics, Blacks, and union households voted against gay marriage in 2004.

It is enough to make the Gay Democrats lose their swagger.

Matthew Veritas Tsien

“George Bush’s actions are guided by his religion, a religion that intends to be as horrifically oppressive as the exposure of his believes is beginning to show us.”

Dear Editor:

I would like to explain to everyone how I know, without a doubt, that G Bush is taking our country in the wrong direction.

George Bush has sided with the Fundamentalist Born Again type of religion. Yet, it is a fact, slowly circling the entire world of religions, that Fundamentalism is not of God.

And I will explain what we know now about this dilemma confronting the United States, and if Fundamentalists have their own way (jihadists, Muslim extremists as well...) our entire world of governments is in danger of falling to the extremists because of their dishonest ways of coming into power.

Here is the truth about Fundamentalists, Right Wingers and All other people controlling governmental influence seeking, domineering religious wings, including the oppressive anti-homosexual wings of their causes:

Fundamentalists, jihadists, far right wing, and all oppressive anti-homosexual wings of the major 3 religions - confuse God with Earthly Nature.

And so, by that confusion - they worship the banishment from Eden and not the God that sent all people who seek knowledge about good and evil away.

Note: and yet the God did so without killing, maiming or taking away gay and straight democratic culture and human rights, which the extremists are guilty of also not obeying.

George Bush’s actions are guided by his religion, a religion that intends to be as horrifically oppressive as the exposure of his believes is beginning to show us.

Eric Ekstrom

Letters Policy

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