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Letters to the Editor

Published Thursday, 01-Mar-2007 in issue 1001

“Thank you for your clearly stated position on the Gasupan Case.”

Dear Editor:

Thank you for your clearly stated position on the Gasupan Case. That is why I support the majority gay and lesbian community. It is entirely correct to be gay and responsible for your public behavior.

John de Beck

San Diego Board of Education

“So, a teacher has to actually be a nun or a monk?”

Dear Editor:

After reading your condemnation of a teacher who many in the San Diego community respect, I decided to examine the evidence you posted that justified GLT calling for Mr Gapusan’s resignation. Calling for the termination of his calling for words like “horny”, along with half naked men! So, a teacher has to actually be a nun or a monk?

Teachers have a right to privacy. They also have the right to be open about their sexuality and orientation. The moral code they sign on to is very vague and Mr. Gapusan certainly, while allowing some language that is charged, has provided an open forum to see he is a real person, with true emotions, connections, cares, and prayers. None of the examples you provided were a shock.

Most of the songs you mention were downloaded by the very juveniles Mr Gapusan teaches. In fact, I wonder if the GLT editor actually has visited with middle school kids lately.

GLT does a disservice to Mr Gapusan asking for his dismissal and should make a formal apology in the place where it called for his firing.

Eric Brown

“They did not ask for drugs. They did not go into other people’s rooms looking for drugs. They did not look through the trash cans or dumpster looking for evidence of drug use.”

Dear Editor:

Please ask Nicole to limit his column to the truth regardless of his relationship to City Attorney Michael Aguirre. The sad truth of the matter is Aguirre has decided to try and close the gay bathhouses, not because of illegal drug use, there is absolutely no evidence that the 2200 Club or any of the bathhouses condone or tolerate illegal drug use. What straight businesses maintain lists and copies of photo ID cards of suspected drug users and refuse taking their money like the bathhouses do? What other businesses boot people out for just being suspected of being a drug user? Ask Nicole when were things “out of control” at the 2200 Club as she reports in her column. Of course there are people out there who are going to try close the bathhouses. We permanently ban a dozen or so bad people each month and turn away dozens more because they are already banned.

The entire investigation of the 2200 Club by the City Attorney’s office has been about gay sexual activity between consenting adults at private, membership only, bathhouses. Read the transcripts of the undercover officers testimony in court. They did not look for drugs. They did not ask for drugs. They did not go into other people’s rooms looking for drugs. They did not look through the trash cans or dumpster looking for evidence of drug use. And the reason they did not look for drugs is because the San Diego Police Department does not believe that illegal drug use is in any way condoned at the 2200 Club and the sad truth of the matter is Nichole does not believe so either.

The 2200 Club cooperates completely with the San Diego Police Department. I introduced myself to San Diego Police Chief William LansdowneI and Lt. Margaret Schaufelberger, the police department‘s liaison to the LGBT community, at a briefing by the Chief to the LGBT community at David’s Coffeehouse where the Chief stated that he was not going to send undercover police into gay businesses. Later I personally met for over an hour with Lt. Schaufelberger at my office discussing the procedures used at the 2200 Club to keep drug users and undesirables out. We installed mercury vapor lighting on the building’s exterior and video cameras which are monitored and video taped by employees twenty-four hours a day to help with the problem of street crime along University Avenue. There tapes are turned over to police investigating nearby street muggings.

We continue to permanently ban all of the suspected drug abusers and violent and dishonest people that we identify. Our policy is posted on our signs throughout the club, “Rehabs give a you second chance, we don’t! Thank you for keeping our club a fun, drug free place.“ The 2200 Club and gay bathhouses in general remain one of the safest places that gay men can congregate.

Even if you are not a patron of the gay bathhouses support those that fight for our right to have them.

Charlie Sharples

General manager of the 2200 Club

“Now, I learn that the our police are sitting in towels at the Club 2200 bathhouse trying to catch people having consensual sex.”

Dear Editor:

Recently I had the misfortune of having my car stolen. It was parked right in front of my house. I called the police several times but no police officer ever called back or came to investigate.

Now, I learn that the our police are sitting in towels at the Club 2200 bathhouse trying to catch people having consensual sex.

I’ve read that San Diego has one of the highest car theft rates in the nation. Now I know the reason why!

Josh Butterfield

Letters Policy

The Gay & Lesbian Times welcomes comments from all readers. Letters to the editor longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Send e-mail to editor@uptownpub.com; fax (619) 299-3430; or mail to PO Box 34624, San Diego, CA 92163. To be printed, letters must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

All letters containing subject matter that refers to the content of the Gay & Lesbian Times are published unedited. Letters that are unrelated to the content of the publication will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff.