State

hackergranny says,
Yes and that type of behavior also resulted in aids. So sad. Freddy Mercury was one of the best vocal voices of all time and it was so sad to see that his lifestyle killed him. I have all Queens video shows and watch them over and over. Freddys death was a waste that need not have happened.
No Harvey Milk day for me.

You are right granny, Freddy Mercury was an amazing talent and his untimely death was a loss to us all. There were so many others that we lost too. Rock Hudson, Liberace, Michael Bennett, to name a few. That promiscuous behavior did end with a virus that struck the gay community with a vengence. No one could have known that this would happen like it did. At first no one had any idea of how it got started in this particular community. When it was finally discovered to be a deadly virus and how it was being transmitted, the community rallied and did all it could to educate itself and find out what they needed to do to stop the spread of what was called "Gay Cancer" at the time. Without much assistance from the government, the community did what it could to help those that were stricken. There was the Gay Men's Health Clinic in NYC, The Gay Center in Los Angeles. APLA, Aids Project Los Angeles, AMFAR, The American Foundation for Aids Research started by Elizabeth Taylor in honor of her good friend Rock Hudson. All those organizations are still doing amazing things to help those that have been stricken. They are continuing to do the research to help combat this terrible, deadly virus. The recent research has led to some good results with people who are HIV positive now being able to live longer and manage the disease with drug regimens just as those with diabetes are able to do. The new research is focusing on a vaccine which will be able to prevent virus from incubating. It will happen, I am convinced.

Personally we have a list of friends and acquaintances that topped out at 60 who have died. At one time we were going to a funeral a week. The early ones were horrible deaths, with those infected looking like cadavers at the end. You have to understand that Harvey missed all of this. He died before it all got started. He may have ended up being one of it's victims but that still does not diminish what he was able to accomplish in a very short time for the rights of gay people. If you choose to look at all of the negatives of his life and not ever look at the positives, of course you will not be able to accept the fact that there is now going to be a day honoring his contributions. Focusing on the negative is your choice and also your right. PG

Letters to the Editor in Support of Harvey Milk Day

Support for Harvey Milk Day

Re “Lame-duck calls,” Editorial, Oct. 13

I was disappointed with your editorial opposing Harvey Milk Day. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should be commended for helping to advance equality.

Milk was a transformative leader at a time when LGBT people's most basic humanity was denied. One of the first openly gay elected officials, he mobilized thousands to defeat discriminatory policies.

Like my grandfather, Cesar E. Chavez, Milk was an advocate for social justice causes that have shaped California. He courageously broke down the closet door for millions and made Californians understand that our LGBT brothers and sisters are just that: our brothers and sisters.

Californians can both learn a great deal from Milk's legacy and draw inspiration from his story of hope.

Christine Chavez
Washington

The Times disagrees with the controversial bill designating a statewide Harvey Milk Day, as it "will only add to the hysteria surrounding gay rights, proving to conservatives that proponents really are eager to teach homosexuality in the schools."

There is, indeed, hysteria over the issue of gay rights, but only within the far right wing of the fundamentalist voters who are being catered to by the Republicans. Caving in to the misunderstandings of this group doesn't seem to me any way to run a country.

What you seem to be saying is "don't stir things up" and let the far right have its way. The trouble is, it is a fallacy they are asserting: Teaching homosexuality in the schools does not make the students decide to be gay.

I've been pleased, however, by some previous gay-rights positions taken by The Times; you've shown courage and common sense. Your feature articles about homes, architecture, food and finances that tell about same-sex couples in a matter-of-fact way is what will eventually bring about tolerance.

Diana Strain
La Mesa, Calif.

PG, if I recall, there were accusations that Michael Jackson was involved with perverted sex with minors, BUT, no one ever came foreword and offered testimony. He then was exonerated from prosecution.

Michael Jackson in his career sold more records than anyone, ever. His music was brilliant in most cases and his legacy goes down in history as unsurpassed.

Shall we have a Michael Jackson day next?

I wish to thank you for bringing something to my attention and you can count on my follow up. From this moment on, I will closely monitor the agenda that our public schools offer in terms of this subject matter. In this quest I shall discover the position our school system takes. The very moment teaching of homosexuality is entered into the curriculum, my children will be withdrawn and home study will begin.

Other than teaching of where and how pro-creation happens, sex and the study of sexuality should never be a part of formal education, neither heterosexual nor homosexual. Teach my kids how to spell, write and do math, not how to decide their sexual preferences.

Beachboy says,
I wish to thank you for bringing something to my attention and you can count on my follow up. From this moment on, I will closely monitor the agenda that our public schools offer in terms of this subject matter. In this quest I shall discover the position our school system takes. The very moment teaching of homosexuality is entered into the curriculum, my children will be withdrawn and home study will begin.

And of course you should be doing this. You should be aware of everything that is being taught in the school where your kids attend. Every parent should be doing this. That's called good parenting. I was a school teacher for 35 years and encouraged my parents to be involved with their kid's education. The more they were involved, the better their kids did academically.

As far as teaching homosexuality in the schools, that does not happen. I barely got through the subject matter required each year. Bringing up the subject of homosexuality was just not a priority in my classes of history and English. It would have been totally inappropriate. I would encourage you to monitor your kids education and make sure they are getting a good one.

Of course, now days, it is more likely that your kids will have classmates who have two dads or two moms. In that case, if your kids befriended one of those kids, and was made aware of the fact that this is a family too, just like your family, would you decide to make sure that your kid didn't have anything to do with that kid? If your kid decided to make that kid their best friend and wanted to stay over at their house from time to time, how would you handle that? Would you make it obvious to your kid that they are not to be friends with this kid because of the makeup of their family? Would you do everything in your power to make sure that your kids learned lessons of intolerance and bigotry by pointing out that their friends family is not a real family? I am not talking about the curriculum of the school here. I am talking about the reality of having kids in public schools these days. They are going to be exposed to all kinds of families, single moms and dads, grandparents raising their grand kids, two moms, two dads. Considering your ideas about intolerance and wanting to protect your kids from the homosexual scourge, I would recommend that you start the homeschooling right away and not wait. And also in your daily lessons at home, make sure that your kids are taught to hate homosexuals.

I only hope that you don't have any gay kids. You know that if that happens you have no control over it. You do know that, don't you? They will be gay in spite of what you think about it. If that is who they are. Knowing your intolerant attitude about homosexuality, they probably will not tell you if they are gay. Also if you have taught them to hate the homosexual lifestyle, the likelihood of them committing a hate crime against gay people would be increased.

Other than teaching of where and how pro-creation happens, sex and the study of sexuality should never be a part of formal education, neither heterosexual nor homosexual.

I couldn't agree with you more on that point. That should be left up to the parents. I totally agree.

Teach my kids how to spell, write and do math, not how to decide their sexual preferences.

Their sexual preference or orientation will not be decided in school just as yours wasn't. Was there some class that you took that made you decide to be heterosexual? That salacious argument is a total myth. PG

Beachboy says,
Shall we have a Michael Jackson day next?

If someone wants to push for a Michael Jackson day, I would not object. I don't think it will happen since those honors usually are left for political figures who have made a difference, not pop stars. If they started doing that I think Elvis should be the first since he was the KING. PG

.You always say it so well PG. If I had half your writing skills and had teachers that in my youth that gave as much concern over what we would walk away with as you.(my life would have been much different) My dad was a marine and had a lesbian daughter (me) my partners family disowned her as well as the courts (Orange County) decided it would be best if the kids were brought up in a straight newly wed ex-husbands environment only to see him get divorced yet again and re-married a third time...No Family for us the righteous took that away...But wait I still have my family, one that supports and loves me (my wife). We have watched as all her siblings divorced and fight for that gold ring "if you don't change your lifestyle no inheritance for you, and you will be dead to all your family” WOW as if a large sum of money would change us. My partner and I are 15 years together, two house mortgages out trumps any piece of paper saying we recognize and respect the two of you, We have had lawyers say just break up during the court hearings and I can assure you will get your daughters back...It has been 11 or 12 years since we saw the kids her ex is Mormon(need we say more)A mirage certificate would insure piece of mind and give us a long awaited sence of placement in our society. I recall my family was definitely straight as well as straight red neck rich is hers. To be denighed the right to care for someone that is your whole universe, what does it say about people that are so possessed in their religious beliefs. To not judge and to love as you want to be loved. Again I just don’t get it, guess the self ritious will be taking care of my old but in the nursing home and not let us tend to each others needs when one of us goes. We did not get married in the last round, we have had enough of straights taking away from us and we will not let them negotiate with our commitment we already made to one another. They don’t see that it takes way more than a piece of paper to be happy and to live committed to each other. Nothing could stop our love, we know all the tests and hurdled all that was thrown our way. We will say "I do" when all can have the constitutional right that was granted by men that made a timeless document that endures time, much to my amazement(were men smarter back then?;). Somehow they saw the changes and wanted growth as we grew as a nation. Unlike the Bible it wasn't tampered with to meet the needs of just a few, and to force limited thinking or fear.

tempest says,
You always say it so well PG. If I had half your writing skills and had teachers that in my youth that gave as much concern over what we would walk away with as you.(my life would have been much different)

I want to thank you very much for the compliment. I loved teaching. I do miss it, but at my age it is now impossible for me to continue doing it. I did substitute for awhile after my retirement and did enjoy that, but now I just remember my days in the classroom with much fondness.

I am so sorry that you and your partner have had such problems with family. It always amazes me how folks who espouse family values can reject their own children just because they are gay. We have made much progress in the years since I came out in 1966. We never, ever thought that we would be able to legally marry but we did and it has really brought us closer in a way we could not have anticipated. Having 132 friends and family there for our wedding was an amazing experience. We still have much work to do and this site has given me a voice for justice and equality that I truly appreciate.

Take care and the very best to you both. Remember you have each other and that is the most important thing. Keep posting. We need to continue to support each other in the cause of freedom and justice for ALL Americans, yes even the gay ones. PG

.Thank you, PG I always feel adept in any form of writing and some folks here are really mean spirited. It was hard to share what I wrote yesterday yet it is much harder for me to console my love one that her dad on his death bed said he had not wanted to see his daughter and was told only he died on a brief phone message and you are certainly not welcome at the funeral...Now she is sad mostly at night that the closeness she shared with her mother growing up is denied to her as an adult and I must say she is an amazing woman. (no prejudice here)I am so very lucky to have had teachers and artist along with musicians as my friends in life and I really did not see hate for the gay community or a hate directed at me until I met her family .I was hoping to get a family. Mine are all dead except for a sister and brother that after a nasty division of inheritance went away...Three way split seemed fair to me but some don't see anything...Love your writing and thanks for letting me know it's alright to have a voice here.