Responses to homobigot's letter about San Diego Pride

Allyson Smith's diatribe over the imagined perversions that she saw at San Diego Pride was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune. In her letter to the editor, she said this:

For days, we have been hearing from the Union-Tribune and other local news outlets about a purported “hate crime” committed by punks who assaulted homosexual men during the recent Gay Pride Festival. But there was another hate crime committed that weekend that was not reported: The hateful moral assault committed by the homosexual community against San Diegans of all ages through its degrading and indecent “pride” celebration...While the physical assaults are deplorable and rightly to be condemned, it should not serve as a distraction from these hateful moral assaults.

It generated quite a response

Blender Kevin Kaatz sent in a letter to the editor that was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Here's his, along with another good response to Smith's bigotry:

The festival that I attended as a volunteer was the harmonious coming together of a very diverse cross-section of San Diego. Allyson Smith even criticized the Union-Tribune's strong stance against the attacks on six gay men in Balboa Park "as a distraction from these hateful moral assaults" inherent in the pride festival. Unfortunately, she appears to be the one who has been distracted – distracted from Christian teachings I learned as a child: to love other people and to respect their differences. Such love and respect is on display at the pride festival for all who go there with an open heart and open mind.

The letter, excoriating the entire "homosexual community" for its "hatred," ironically drips with virulent homophobic hatred. In truth, there is probably no community in San Diego that is more loving, tolerant and supportive than the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Sadly, these features do not appear to be prominent in Smith's "Christian" perspective.

Another Christian teaching that I learned as a child is that people have the capacity to change. I sincerely hope that the letter writer will be able to cast off her disabling homophobia, and learn to love us all, despite our differences.

CHARLIE PRATT
University City

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With the response of Allyson Smith, it comes as little surprise that there are hate crimes committed against gays and lesbians. She misunderstands the word "hate," which is something she obviously feels toward the gay and lesbian community.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are an amazing group of men who selflessly give of their time to do fundraising for all levels of the community. They have nothing to do with hate, and it is the height of ignorance to suggest such.

KEVIN KAATZ
San Francisco