Gay Today: Letters to the Editor

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Gay Today

Sex Tips for Gay Guys?

I read Jack Nichols' review of Sex Tips For Gay Guys with a powerful sense of having my own opinion about this book confirmed, in spite of the fact that most of my friends think the book is cute and funny and stingingly true.

The author's unintentional depiction of Homoland as an island awash in a sea of alcohol may be all-too-accurate, but there's nothing cute or funny about it. Trust me -- I have been carried (literally) out of bars for nearly twenty years on a regular basis. I've been carried out of sawdust-floored leather dives, I've been carried out of dance clubs, I've been carried out of sedate piano-bars, I have even been carried out of the bar at the posh Ritz-Carlton hotel. I am not aware that anyone witnessing it ever found it cute or amusing even when I was 21.

When I was in my early twenties, the only "sex tips for gay guys" I got as a result of inebriation was that I woke up frequently in bed with a rather despicable and unattractive collection of men who had taken advantage of my drunken state. Often, with absolutely no recollection of where I had been, who the man was, or exactly what had transpired the night before, which is very likely why I have AIDS.

Dan Anderson's breezy repartee' dangerously dismisses and even celebrates the cult of the cocktail among gay men. Don't get me wrong -- I am no recovering-alcoholic thumping the drum of sobriety at any cost. I still drink, but I drink responsibly now, after nearly killing myself last year when I was downing nearly a quart of vodka daily. I have a glass -- or two, at most -- of wine when I go out, I sometimes have a glass of wine with dinner at home, and on extremely festive occasions I may have ONE cocktail. I may be going against the conventional wisdom that heavy drinkers and alcoholics must completely avoid any and all alcohol.

But this idea that the highballs must flow endlessly in order for gay men to cruise and connect successfully -- bad news! I still shudder to think of the things I did -- not to mention the things I don't even REMEMBER doing! -- while plastered to the gills. Anderson's book is just a tad too enamored of alcohol as a social lubricant for my taste, and I've "been there and done that." If you have to get hammered to connect successfully, maybe you're better off staying home with a video or some one-handed magazines!

Sincerely,
Teddy Snyder

Fight Back!
Take the Democrats.com Voter Pledge

Hidden in the massive campaign of misinformation about the recounts in Florida is this kernel of truth: Al Gore received more votes that George W. Bush in Florida, and was chosen by the citizens of this country as our President.

That truth has been silenced by the Republicans and the corporate media, even when the facts scream to make themselves heard. Just this week, the Miami Herald recounted all of the 64,248 undervotes and found that Gore gained as many as 1,323 votes for a victory margin of 393. But that core fact was buried under a distorted headline reading "Review Shows Ballots Say Bush."

The other hidden story inside the Miami Herald story is that the undervotes are dwarfed by the 120,000 overvotes that are still being counted. If early projections hold, this could show a Gore win by as much as 50,000 votes.

In the end, the truth will come out: that Republicans committed the worst crime against democracy in American history.

Of course, when that truth is revealed, the Republicans will say: "Stop whining! Get over it!"

We will NEVER get over the theft of the Presidency and the corruption of our democracy - and we make no apologies for our anger at what has been taken from us.

But what can we do about it?

Unfortunately, as long as the Republicans control all three branches of the federal government, we cannot impeach the Commander-in-Thief or prosecute his henchmen.

Here's what we CAN do: exercise the power that is in our own hands, namely the power to sweep Republicans out of office in the next election.

From your passionate e-mails and other feedback, we know that this is what YOU want to do. So let's all do it together, and show the Republicans exactly how we plan on getting over this.

Here is our plan:

1. Take the Democrats.com Voter Pledge: "In the next election, I pledge to register, persuade, and deliver as many Democratic voters as I possibly can." Forward the pledge to all of your Democratic friends by entering their e-mail addresses in the designated box. Build your own personal list of friends and family who are also outraged at the theft of the Presidency, and we will help you ensure that the people on your list are registered and VOTE. www.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=225

2. Join a local chapter of Democrats.com: We've created chapters to help you connect with fellow activists in your area to organize local protests, media events, and voter mobilization efforts. If you don't see a chapter in your area, e-mail dem-moderators-owner@yahoogroups.com and offer to create one. groups.yahoo.com/group/dem-moderators/links

3. Run for office: Too many Democrats - especially women - hold back from running for office. Many of our most talented activists are sitting on the sidelines. We need you in the arena. No one is going to come and ask you to run, so you have to find the courage - or just plain outrage - to step up to this challenge yourself. If George W. Bush can be President, then all of us are qualified. Express your interest to your local chapter of Democrats.com, and they will give you the support you need to run and win. groups.yahoo.com/group/dem-moderators/links

Related Stories from the GayToday Archive:
Review: Sex Tips for Gay Guys

Streisand Calls George W. Bush's Installation 'Supreme Coup'

Playwrights Protest Theatre's Cancellation of 'Corpus Christi'

Related Sites:
Just Say Yest to Safe Sex

Democrats.com

Florida Atlantic University
GayToday does not endorse related sites.

4. Call and write the media -- both nationally and in your area -- to demand that they give in-depth coverage to the Stolen Election. Demand the same relentless coverage for this unprecedented Republican scandal as was given to Whitewater, Impeachment, and Pardongate. Express your outrage! Use our Contact the Media page: capwiz.com/dem/dbq/media/

5. Help us build Democrats.com into the most powerful organization of Democratic activists. With your help, Democrats.com has emerged as the leader of the grassroots Democratic opposition to George W. Bush. We are the aggressive progressives who are willing to lead when our party leaders hesitate. Financially, we put everything we had into the post-election campaign in Florida and the fight against the Ashcroft nomination. We urgently need your financial support so we can reach more of the 51 million Americans who voted for Al Gore, the true President of the United States. 207.228.234.134/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=democrats

This is a tremendous opportunity to rebuild America's progressive coalition. Democratic leadership brought tremendous progress in civil rights, voting rights, the environment, women's rights, gay and lesbian rights, education, health care, economic progress, and a host of other urgent issues. Join us today as we renew our commitment to bring to power a new generation of progressive Democratic leadership.

Bob Fertik and David Lytel

Action Alert:
South Florida & Corpus Christi

A scene from a product of Corpus Christi

As a member who has been active in the South Florida lesbian/gay community since 1986 and as a professor at Florida Atlantic University where I teach media studies and lesbian/gay studies, I am writing this to ask you for your help.

As you probably heard by now Florida Atlantic University has been subject to attacks by the Catholic League for Religious Civil Rights, an ultra- conservative New York Catholic group, for its staging of the Terrance McNally play Corpus Christi in which Christ is depicted as being gay. When this play opened in New York this group threatened violence and has now sent Florida legislators a news release that was circulated in the halls of the Capitol on Thursday.

In response to the group's action, a number of powerful Florida legislators have threatened to cut FAU's budget, a threat which has serious implications in this year of tight state finances. I have learned today while I at FAU that these threats are being taken very seriously by FAU administrators.

Moreover it seems that other universities in the state system are reluctant to unite behind FAU in supporting the theatre's department's academic freedom in performing this play either because they are afraid of offending state legislators and/or they are looking to pick up some of the money that may be cut from FAU's budget.

Particularly troublesome have been the public comments by Broward and Dade county legislators who seem to agree with the Catholic's groups contention that being gay and being Christian are mutually exclusive and are willing to cut the university's funding because of the play.( "For anyone who's a Christian, it's very offensive," said state Sen. Debby Sanderson, R-Fort Lauderdale, whose district includes FAU. "It's in terrible taste and poor judgment." )

Moreover the legislators seem to assume that all of Florida's taxpayers are Christian heterosexuals. ("A lot of people just don't believe that tax dollars should be spent showing a religious leader in a way that is very offensive to a religion." said Sen. Skip Campbell, D-Tamarac. Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Miami, said, "Taxpayers would be offended if they knew their hard-earned tax dollars were used in such a way.")

I am asking you for your support in helping us responding to these attacks both on FAU and on the gay and lesbian community.

Please write and/or email the various state legislators letting them know that

1) You are offended that people think that being gay and being Christian are mutually exclusive

2) You are a Florida taxpayer too and are happy to see your tax dollars being spent on a play that promotes tolerance and understanding

3) Academic freedom is a cherished value in American life and needs to be protected against group on either extreme, particularly groups that have a history of threatening violence.

Below are the -mail address of the various state legislators mentioned in the news articles. Please e-mail them and let them know what you think.

Thanks so much.
Fred Fejes

Broward
Sen. Mandy Dawson: dawson.mandy.web@leg.state.fl.us
Sen. Ron. Klein: klein.ron.web@leg.state.fl.us
Sen. Steven Geller: geller.steven.web@leg.state.fl.us
Sen Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: schultz.debbie.web@leg.state.fl.us
Sen. Skip Campbell: campbell.walter.web@leg.state.fl.
Sen. Debby Sanderson: sanderson.debby.web@leg.state.fl.us

Dade Sen Rudy Garcia: garcia.rudy.web@leg.state.fl.us Sen. Ronald Silver: silver.ronald.web@leg.state.fl.us