Court jeopardizes LGBTQ rights
Trump-McConnell U.S. judges approved by the prior Republican controlled U.S. Senate restricted access to abortion and stopped vigorous voting rights enforcement, and that's just two decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court. Those cases harm LGBTQ people and our allies disproportionately, such as by gerrymandering and entrenching more conservative legislatures that pass specific anti-LGBTQ laws. And basing medical access, such as reproductive rights, on ideology (Roe vs. Wade, now overturned) rather than science, also undermines access to appropriate medical care options for transgender people and hinders the movement against "conversion treatment" that harms us all, young LGBTQs especially.
In this Supreme Court term, there is yet another case (wedding websites) attempting to limit anti-LQBTQ discrimination laws based on spurious "religious freedom" arguments. What would we say to a religious argument against interracial marriages, as compared to LGBTQ equal rights for example when attacked on religious grounds? Well Trump-McConnell Republican judges seek to expand and enshrine "religious exemptions" to both.
More about the anti-LGBTQ agenda that Log Cabin Republicans provide a veneer to can be found on LambdaLegal.org and NCLRights.org, among other national organizations protecting us every day. Their need for our tax-deductible financial support now is multiple times more pressing due to this Trump-McConnell Republican federal judiciary.
Charlie Spiegel
San Francisco
Castro being Disneyfied
As a long-time resident of San Francisco, I find it singularly unpleasant to walk though the Castro these days. Hideous lighted gramophones have taken over what was supposed to be a peaceful resting place. Anti-environmental and ambience-negative strings of LED lights now assault our eyes. Giant palms (already unattractive, in and of themselves) are colored by garish red, blue and green lighting.
The Castro has now become a corporate event space. Given the hatchet job done to Golden Gate Park by Another Planet Entertainment, horrors lie ahead for the Castro. Harvey Milk Plaza is set for transmogrification into a theme park. Worst of all, a soulless, corporate "nonprofit" pretending to be a "Community Business District" now serves as an anti-democratic second layer of government.
Will anything be done about this? Given the corrupt high-handedness of our aesthetically challenged elites, I would be amazed. We are just going to sink further into debauched Disneyfication.
The only thing of importance is making a buck at whatever cost to others, including the nighttime environment. Sad, truly sad!
Harry S. Pariser
San Francisco
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