Letters to the Editor

Radio host's incendiary comments

Pete Wilson's incendiary comments had to have been deliberate with the intention of provoking anger within the gay community ["KGO radio attacks Dufty's family," October 12]. It is inconceivable that in the crafting of his statements he did not for one minute realize that his words were about to provoke outrage. To say a child is at a higher risk of becoming a serial killer because s/he is raised by two parents who he implied are not in a loving relationship is astonishing. I am not an advocate of vigilante behavior be it on the street or through pressure on corporate decision makers to fire someone simply because an unpopular opinion is voiced. However, not unlike Mel Gibson's recent arrest fiasco, which caused a great uproar among the Jewish community, Pete Wilson needs to account for his remarks to the gay community in a town hall forum. If you are going to hurl stones, Mr. Wilson, be prepared to repair what you damage.

George Knuepfel

San Francisco

Disappointed in Dufty

I am very disappointed that Supervisor Bevan Dufty has shown such spinelessness in his response to Pete Wilson. When someone attacks your family you defend your family, not the attacker.

Furthermore, Dufty's spineless defense of his family shows his inability to stand up to prejudice. This coupled with his virtual silence on racism in the Castro makes it obvious that he does not have the leadership abilities to be the advocate for the rights of the LGBT community that a supervisor of District 8 requires. The district was the home of Harvey Milk and Dufty disgraces his legacy. I hope the majority of District 8 voters have the courage to remove him from the Board of Supervisors.

Craig Scott

San Francisco

Daly not for Dufty

As most people know, Chris Daly, the straight supervisor in District 6, is running for re-election. The convention at the Board of Supervisors has been that some supervisors endorse other supervisors or candidates for election to the board but never campaign against a colleague. Daly, the always-unconventional supervisor, is not only running his own campaign but has recruited a straight candidate to run against District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who he describes as a "nice fool" for not always agreeing with him. Daly has actively encouraged LGBT groups and individuals to support his favored candidate against Dufty.

Some LGBT activists have overlooked Daly's perfidy toward Dufty and the LGBT community and are supporting Daly claiming that Daly is great on LGBT issues. They have seemingly forgotten Harvey Milk's admonition that only LGBT officeholders can truly look out for LGBT interests. LGBT voters should be aware of Daly's intent to reduce LGBT participation at the Board of Supervisors. Vote against Daly and for Dufty.

 

Jim Haas and Ken Cleaveland

San Francisco

Disagrees with Dufty

While I was sorry to see your endorsement of Bevan Dufty for District 8 supervisor ["Dufty for District 8," Editorial, October 12], I concur with your finding that Dufty is "not the most progressive voice on the board," but this is hardly news. The full story is that Dufty is significantly out-of-step with the values of the district he is supposed to represent.

A recently released empirical study presents an exhaustive analysis of Dufty's voting record that statistically shows him to be out of sync with his district, regularly voting with the most conservative members of the board. (See www.sfpartyparty.com/?page_id=833for details.)

For example, Dufty has consistently worked against the interests of District 8 residents, especially through his relentless efforts to kill or weaken legislation that would protect renters from Ellis Act evictions. District 8 is hardest hit by speculator evictions that are reducing AIDS housing every year, and Dufty has, time and time again, exposed himself as a pawn to downtown developers and the mayor's office. In fact, Dufty was the fourth sustaining vote on all five of the mayor's vetoes of progressive legislation (three against renters, one against car-free space in Golden Gate Park, and one against parking reform). None of these vetoes would have been possible without Dufty siding with the conservatives.

On the Halloween issue, Dufty is in rare form – putting politics above public safety and catering to the NIMBY (not in my back yard) interests. He has deliberately orchestrated a disaster (replacing entertainment with police and bringing in water trucks at 11 p.m.) so that he can say "I told you so" and pick up political points. City leaders should be responsible to keep this event safe. Anyone who loves Pride or Folsom Street Fair should be concerned about Dufty's motives and the precedent he is setting. Dufty consistently quotes incidents that occurred during Pride weekend in SF and other cities as his basis for wanting to cancel Halloween. Dufty is putting all public events at risk with this behavior, not just Halloween.

This shameful lack of leadership will create a precedent that will one day be used by some dot-commer South of Market to kill Pride or Folsom Street Fair. Hopefully, Alix Rosenthal will be in office if that day comes because we know we can never count on Bevan Dufty to stand up to San Francisco suburbanite NIMBYS.

Ted Strawser

Founding Member of San Francisco Party Party

Founding Member of DumpDufty.com

Dufty's doing a great job

I write regarding Gary Virginia and Deana Dawn's October 5 guest opinion entitled "Scary plans for Halloween." In the column, Virginia and Dawn attack Supervisor Bevan Dufty for allegedly trying to kill Halloween in the Castro, for being hostile to nightlife in San Francisco, and for becoming "more conservative" over time. I'm not sure which Bevan Dufty Virginia and Dawn have been observing, but it's certainly not the same one who's been representing District 8 in City Hall. Over the past four years, Bevan has represented his district well, taking into account the needs of all constituencies, not just one. Under his watch, nightlife in the Castro has improved and become more vibrant, with several new bars opening. We continue to have terrific street parties, including the Castro Street Fair, Pink Saturday the night before Pride, and the Saturday before Halloween. But, Bevan has also taken into account the needs of the people who live and work in the Castro. I like Halloween as much as anyone else, but I think we're kidding ourselves not to recognize that it has become a big headache for the neighborhood.   Bevan should be commended for trying to find common sense, community-based solutions to this problem.

I also take issue with the description of Bevan as becoming "more conservative." In the last year alone, Bevan voted to limit condo conversions resulting from Ellis Act evictions, endorsed Prop H on November's ballot (which increases relocation payments to tenants who are evicted without having done anything wrong), provided key support for Supervisor Ammiano's universal health care plan, and supported the commission appointments of progressives Robert Haaland (Board of Appeals) and David Campos (Police Commission). To assert that Bevan Dufty is "more conservative" is simply not in line with the facts.

Bevan Dufty has done a great job for District 8, and he deserves credit for his work.

Scott Wiener

San Francisco

Strong school board candidates

I am shocked and saddened that any local LGBT organization could support Dan Kelly for the Board of Education ["15 candidates vie for 3 school board seats," October 5].

Kelly is a friend of former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. He is definitely not a friend of teachers or of high standards in education. Kelly called a (possibly illegal) meeting of the Board of Education for the sole purpose of giving a sweetheart deal to Ackerman. Not only was she given a huge pay raise and housing allowance, she was handed a $250,000 bonus if she decided to leave. This measure was passed by a 4-3 vote, so there is no doubt that it was Kelly who gave her our badly needed money. (The meeting was hurriedly called in order to get the vote of a defeated board member.)

Last spring, when the board that was paying the Enron-type bonus to Ackerman, it could find no money to give the teachers. It did, however, find money to begin hiring scabs at a vastly increased pay rate. Once again, Kelly was the moving force and the fourth vote for passage of this anti-union measure.

The United Educators of San Francisco has endorsed the strong candidates who support workers and the LGBT community. Please consider Kim-Shree Maufas, Hydra Mendoza, and Bob Twomey for the SF school board.

 

Kenneth Wright

San Francisco

Kernighan in Oakland

I write to express my disappointment in the B.A.R. 's change of endorsement in the Oakland District 2 city council race. I'm curious why the midstream change, even after the former third contender, Shirley Gee, threw her support to Pat Kernighan? Or was it my imagination that B.A.R. joined the East Bay LGBT Democratic Club in supporting Pat Kernighan over Aimee Allison in the June primary election?  Help me understand this decision, because it doesn't make sense to me.

While the B.A.R. and Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club are "stoked" over Aimee's candidacy, I have become more concerned that in the all-out drive to win the office, Aimee's campaign rhetoric has become more hyperbolic and that district voters who are taken in with pie-in-the-sky promises, will be sorely disappointed when they realize the limitations of the office.

I am concerned about her credentials on local LGBTIQ politics. After all, Aimee is still learning about us. To characterize Danny Wan's informal advisory roundtable as a "formal process" for LGBTIQ issues betrays a lack of familiarity with its work and overstates the role of that group. In your article published October 12, Aimee casts herself as leading on LGBT seniors' issues, having just "consulted" for the first time with the Lavender Seniors' about their own program being implemented. Pat was working as Danny's chief of staff when his office funded the very first LGBT seniors' conference, which has become an annualized event.

Comparisons to the contrary, Oakland is not San Francisco. Aimee's call to deploy "activist politicians" here in Oakland, based on a "matured" San Francisco model is myopic. Whether as a result or side effect of this model, one thing I see that has matured in SF is the number of folks leaving that city to move to Oakland. It demonstrates to me Aimee's presumed tactical approach against gentrification is not working there.

I hope Oakland voters will join the East Bay LGBT Democratic Club and vote for Pat Kernighan for Oakland City Council District 2!

Jonathan Winters

Oakland, California

[Editor's note: The B.A.R. endorsed no candidate in the District 2 race in the June primary.]

Tamper tantrum

The LGBT community has a lot to lose if the Republicans steal the vote again like they did in 2000 and 2004. It is well documented that in 2004, some voters who used electronic machines, for example, and voted for John Kerry saw George Bush come up on their screen. Many films and books have come out over the last several years documenting much of it.   For this mid-term election, 90 percent of the voting in this country will be done electronically. This means the potential for electronic tampering is much larger than in previous elections.

With impeachment on the horizon, Bush will try anything to keep his Republican majority in Congress. In these last days before the election, Bush and his gang are going to initiate a stealth campaign. Besides vote tampering, they might even invade Iran or launch some other kind of "October surprise" to rally the country. Gays everywhere should take the initiative to report any voting irregularities on November 7. We have the right to report any illegal or fraudulent activity to a local elections official or to the secretary of state's office. In California, the Voter Protection Hotline is 1-800-345-VOTE (8683).

Robert Meslinsky

San Francisco

Meth study info

Thank you for your excellent article regarding our methamphetamine treatment studies ["DPH launches meth treatment studies," October 12]. We'd like people to know that if they are interested in enrolling in one of the studies described, they should call the main study number at (415) 554-9013 or visit www.sfbump.com.

Grant Colfax, MD, Principal Investigator

Deirdre Santos, FNP, Study Coordinator

San Francisco Department of Public Health

Reggae star's excuses

As one who helped organize a Chicago protest against "kill gays" singer Buju Banton, and who has supported efforts to get him canceled throughout his tour, I noted in the B.A.R. article the lame excuses still being made for Banton's anti-gay sentiments ["Banton plays in Berkeley," October 5 and "Mezzanine cancels reggae show," September 28] . These are the ideas that led him to write "Boom, Bye Bye" in the early 1990s and that he still holds today. And presumably why he still performs the song and why he refuses to apologize for it, much less repudiate the homo-hatred that led to the song being written.

It is said that homosexuality is against Banton's religious beliefs, so that makes his refusal to apologize for his hate today and in 1992 okay. Do folks who think of themselves as respectable today excuse religious hatred toward Jews or African Americans? Don't Americans condemn Muslim extremists who preach hatred toward whole groups of people?

Opposition to Banton's hatred for gays is condemned as being insensitive to "Caribbean culture." Oh, I get it. If gays are the target, then "cultural" hatred and even violence against us is okay. Racists once defended anti-black bigotry as "Southern culture."

In Banton's Billboard interview, he said of gays, "Fuck them." The expletive ought not be deleted, since it conveys Banton's true sentiments toward gay people.

Often overlooked in U.S. protests are the deadly consequences for Jamaican LGBT people generated or abetted by "murder musicians" like Buju Banton. According to Jamaican gay leader Gareth "Williams" (a pseudonym to protect his identity), celebrating crowds danced at the brutal killing of his predecessor, gay leader Brian Williamson, in 2004. They laughed and sang the words to Buju Banton's song, "Boom, Bye Bye":

"Boom bye bye / In a queer's head / Rude boys don't promote no queer men / They have to die / Send for the automatic and / The Uzi instead / Shoot them, don't come if we shot them / If a man comes near me / Then his skin must peel / Burn him up badly, like you would burn an old tire wheel" (standard English version).

Bob Schwartz

Gay Liberation Network

Chicago, Illinois

Halloween's a headache

Halloween in the Castro has been a headache for more than 25 years. Rather than a party, it has become a queer freak show for tourists and West of Twin Peaks types.

After 25 years, a few conclusions can be made. First, violence and homophobic violence is very real just a few blocks away from Castro and 18th streets. Second, every year homes and their surrounding properties are vandalized. For most, the event is simply a big bore. In fact, if truth be known, most would just like to see the whole thing go away.

This year, Halloween might just be a little different than in previous years. Organizers seem determined to lower expectations and dull everything down. Those who cry "lame" and seek more exciting territory fulfill the ultimate wish of event planners.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty is working to implement these substantial changes to how Halloween is celebrated in the Castro. Understanding the complex planning, how unfortunate Gary Virginia and Deana Dawn use their "Scary plans for Halloween" opinion piece [Guest Opinion, October 5] to shift the focus from the Castro and Halloween to an attack on Supervisor Bevan Dufty.

Virginia and Dawn say, "We think there is more to this than safety." I agree. Pure and simple, it is a political hit piece. To presume Dufty's newborn kid has anything to do with Castro Street on Halloween is quite a stretch. Give me a break!

Their charge that Dufty is "Baiting the community with fear of hate crimes or violence" is misleading. Don't let anyone state otherwise, Halloween in the Castro and the surrounding neighborhood can be quite dangerous. 

"Maybe queers should stay in the closet and we should cancel Pride and the Folsom, Hairrison, and Castro street fairs as well," they propose. This kind of broad brush thinking both disgusts and repels those who understand preserving community character and spirit is hard work.

 

Allen White

San Francisco

Sponsorships for Halloween

Well, I just don't get it � all these letters and backstabbing re: Halloween [Mailstrom, October 12] . People will come to celebrate Halloween in the Castro no matter what you do to stop it.

I say hire local promoters like Bill Graham Presents, Gus Presents, Audrey Joseph Presents and/or whomever.

Have the city sponsor Halloween with big bucks from sponsors like Pepsi, Bud, or Nike. Make it like Mardi Gras in New Orleans and hire sufficient cops to protect the surrounding neighborhoods. Also, use our city owned public schools, government, and city parking lots, which are empty at night, as places to park for a fee.

Five or more stages with big-time, name entertainment and a huge nighttime parade from Castro to the Embarcadero would make it a "must come to San Francisco" event. We will pack the hotels with tourists and they will bring our city millions in revenue, including covering costs for the event. And we can all have a fun time. It could be a one night event to start with or grow to be a full week of fun in the future.

Just an idea.

 

John Hedges

San Francisco

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