From: WillNich@aol.com
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 12:22:31 -0400
Subject: Our August Editorial

From The Letter, Kentucky's gay and lesbian newspaper.


THE LETTERTORIAL

INTOLERANCE IS NOT A GAY VIRTUE

This paper would be the first in line to defend the right of a woman to
choose abortion, and we will continue to resist, in no uncertain terms, any
efforts to restrict that right.

But we would also be the first to defend the right of anyone to speak up
against that stance or anything else we opine on, as well as the right to
work in non-violent ways against us.

After all, this is America, isn't it?, a beacon of freedom that's been
beckoning contentious crowds to our shores for nearly 400 years.  Indeed,
from our very right of free speech and assembly flow all other rights in this
country.  Without it, the United States would be no better than Iran or
Guatemala.

Which is why the forced ejection of PLAGAL, an anti-abortion group, from a
pride festival in Boston--of all places--is such a shameful blot on that
city's gay and lesbian community (see article elsewhere in this paper).  The
festival's organizers willingly allowed them to set up a booth:  why didn't
they defend their right to be there when that right was attacked?

In many ways in the last 26 years, the gay and lesbian community has been the
perfect example of what happens when people are allowed to speak freely and
openly.  In short, we tend to eat our own.  Ever wonder why we don't have one
leader like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?  We've been too critical of the ones
who've tried to lead us.

But that freewheeling atmosphere, ironically, has helped us hone our message.
 By continually questioning our assumptions and refining our philosophy,
we've been able to remove the excess and focus on the core problem:  a lack
of equal protection under the law.  That drive for equal protection isn't
just for A-gays, limousine lesbians--or pro-choice feminists--but to all
rainbow children of whatever stripe and opinion.

We question the wisdom of raising a rainbow flag with the outline of a fetus
on it:  a provocative act that had its intended effect.  But vehement
disagreement is one thing; denial of the right of others to disagree
vehemently is something else.  It's wrong, it's illegal, and it's
uncivilized.

We firmly stand behind the right of PLAGAL to peddle its wares wherever it
sees fit in a free and open marketplace, just as we stand behind the right of
those, like ourselves, to pass them by.  To do otherwise would be to negate
the very foundations of the gay and lesbian movement, and to make a
laughingstock of this newspaper.

--David Williams, Editor