Letters

HUTCHERSON VALIDATES DAY OF SILENCE [Editor's note: This letter was sent to the Seattle Times as well as the Seattle Gay News] To the Editor: Heterosexual supremacist and Christian fascist, the Reverend Ken Hutcherson, led his 100 sycophants in a spiritual lynching of Gay and Lesbian high school students outside Mount Si High School on the Day of Silence. He claimed it was an "indoctrination," not education. Being Gay, I wish we had a Day of Silence when I was ASB President at Auburn Sr. High School, 1968-69. But, that was, unfortunately, a very different era than 2008. MSHS junior Landon Wilson, a member of MSHS's Conservative Club, said he and his cohorts were offering "American values," as an alternative to Day of Silence. Just what are those "American values," Mr. Wilson? Murder, rape, assault, suicide, discrimination, or unequal protection under the law? The Day of Silence was an impartation of American values, i.e., freedom from violence and freedom of equal protection under the law. Ironically, the actions and statements of Reverend Hutcherson, Landon Wilson, et al, validates the Day of Silence. Now, that's educational! Sincerely, Steven L. Kendall LETTER FOR HUTCHERSON Hello to the folks at Seattle Gay News, The text printed below is a letter I have written to the Reverend Ken Hutcherson in the wake of his protests of the Day of Silence at Mount Si High School last week. Reverend Hutcherson: I am deeply saddened, but unfortunately not shocked, by your actions this last week in regards to the Day of Silence protest at Mount Si High School. These students were not demanding special rights or using violence to get their way. Rather, they were trying to visually demonstrate the painful silence they must employ to keep themselves safe from people who see them as threats or abominations. It is unfortunate that Antioch Bible Church missed yet another opportunity to showcase the true teachings of Jesus Christ. Instead of promoting division through phrases like "black and white in a grey world," Jesus taught his followers to exercise compassion and love for one another. He would have urged you and your congregation members to look into your hearts, and if you did not find peace and acceptance there at the very least you might have found tolerance. Instead, you chose to demonize a group of young people for personal, selfish reasons, as you admitted to the Seattle Times. It continues to amaze me that, as an African-American, you make no connection between the long-time struggles of the LGBT community and the battles fought by blacks throughout the history of this country. Both groups have had to face horrible violence, name-calling, alienation and second-class citizen status. Where is the righteousness in shunning our own brothers and sisters in an increasingly hard and difficult world? I imagine that in your own mind, you have only God to answer to on Judgment Day instead of hearing the many voices of disgust that surround your bigotry. That may be the case, and if it is so, then I feel very sorry for you. I do not think God will look favorably on the culture of hate and fear that you have created in this community. I would wish for you to find peace in your own heart so that you may better reflect what it truly means to be a Christian. Stephanie Hartford HUGE THANKS FOR BENEFIT A "HUGE THANKS" to everyone that joined in our 1st Annual "Bartender Auction" to benefit Rise n' Shine. A great time was had by everyone, with crazy bidding wars, a little striptease or two, fun raffle drawings, and a chance to get to know your favorite bartenders from The Cuff, Purr, R Place, and Madison Pub. We are pleased to announce that we raised over $12,000!! Nice job to everyone! Barbie CLINTON SUPPORTS MY RIGHTS I want to ask your newspaper a question. Why does Barack Obama refuse to talk to the Gay media? Throughout his campaign he has been ignoring the Gay media, even in important states like Ohio. He has only recently talked to a few Gay media sources, and even then has been reluctant. Hillary Clinton has been talking to the Gay media this whole time, answering their questions and talking openly about her beliefs for Gay rights. She was also the first-ever First Lady to go to a Gay Pride parade, and helped stop the amending of the Constitution from banning Gay marriage as a senator. And while Hillary has been touring with Elton John on her campaign, Barack Obama has been touring on his campaign with Donnie McClurkin, the anti-Gay gospel singer who has called homosexuality a "curse." Another problem is that Obama only believes in civil unions for Gays, but not Gay marriage. He says they are separate but equal, the same argument that racists used to keep black and white children separated in school. Hillary Clinton is the vote for Gay rights. I feel that your publication should support her. Hillary Clinton supports my human rights, Barack Obama considers them a low priority. Tyler Young CONGRATULATIONS, GAY NEWCOMERS As I get older in the local community, I am impressed by many of the young people I've had the opportunity to meet and discuss life as a Gay man in an ever changing world. Years ago being Gay meant being extremely careful and somewhat tiptoeing through life trying to avoid the stigma of being Gay with close friends, family and employers. Thank goodness times have changed. My first Gay friend was so paranoic that it was truly sad. Today is somewhat different for young people coming to terms with their sexuality exploring a world that is surely getting better for us all. We're not alone trying to achieve happiness in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City and internationally. CONGRATULATIONS. We're glad you're with us. Buzz Flowers Callaway LGBT rights disgrace in Cayman Islands My name is Aaron Chandler. I live in Massachusetts. I am on the board of Lambert House, an LBGT youth center in Seattle, a former Mayoral appointee on the Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities and the president of the board of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition, a national LGBT youth advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. As an LGBT activist over several years, I've seen discriminatory laws in action, but none of them have resulted in me nearly getting arrested - until now. I am writing from Grand Cayman Island, where I am vacationing for a week with my boyfriend and his family. Tonight, my boyfriend, his sister and her husband decided to have a night to ourselves away from the rest of the family. We had a wonderful dinner and a great time dancing later on at the bar/club upstairs - until we were nearly about to go. When we were at the club dancing, as usual, I was dancing with, and kissing, my boyfriend. At approximately 11 p.m., an unidentified woman came up to me and asked me to follow her to meet a "friend" and the edge of the club. I went, but reluctantly. When I get there, to the edge of the club (beyond which was a dark beach/parking lot), there was a stout, but well-built and muscular man waiting for me, who asked me to go outside of the club to talk with him. Not knowing him, and having heard numerous accounts of anti-Gay violence on Grand Cayman, I refused. He continued to get me to walk out with him, saying that "I don't want to create a scene here," but each time I refused. Then, he said he was a police officer, I asked to see his badge and he hurriedly showed it to me. After he showed me his badge, I still refused to go with him. He then proceeded to tell me his issue then and there: that I was breaking a law by showing public affection for a person of the same sex. (No matter that this law flies in the face of the laws of Britain, which Grand Cayman is a non-self-governing territory of.) He requested that I put a stop to it. By that time, my boyfriend had come over and had heard what the officer requested of me. After that, we walked away, obviously kissing. This police officer, upon seeing my boyfriend and I kiss, walked up to me, grabbed my arm and told me that I was going to be arrested. My boyfriend, his sister and his brother-in-law pleaded with the officer to let me go since we were on our way home, but the officer refused. He dragged me downstairs, which immediately drew the attention of about 20 to 25 people who were sympathetic to me, who all came downstairs and laid it on pretty thick for the officer. The officer called his superior for backup. When his superior arrived, he picked me up and took me, in the back of his police car, to the police station here in Georgetown. On the way there, he confided in me that he believes that the law is stupid and a waste of time, but that he has to enforce it. At the police station, I was put into a room and was told to wait so I could speak with the inspector. I ended up not speaking to the inspector, but instead was given a talking-to by the original officer from the club. He told me that he doesn't "care what [I] do in private; [I] just can't do that in a public place." He then made me promise never to do it again (which I was coy about and did not do) and released me. Less than four hours later, I remain pissed and angry. How can this happen in a British territory? How can this happen in a place where the Ministry of Tourism promotes the island as LGBT welcoming and friendly? Write letters to the Ministry of Tourism on Grand Cayman. Write letters to them stating that unless they apply political pressure on the police department to change this law, you'll withhold your travel dollars from the island. Let's get this law changed. Aaron Chandler For information, visit www.caymanislands.ky/. Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, chamber@candw.ky, www.caymanchamber.ky).