Not feeling the love from Sheen
All I can say after reading the Dallas Voice interview with Martin Sheen, our keynote speaker for the Black Tie Dinner’s “All You Need is Love” (“BTD speaker Sheen blasts Dems, GOP, Bush,” Oct. 26), and then watching the video (“Martin Sheen speaks out loudly,” DVtv online at DallasVoice.com) is that I do feel the love already.
I can’t tell which expression of Martin’s touched my heart the most. Was it, “Republicans are G*d damn bastards,” or perhaps “Democrats are sissies”? Does the Black Tie Dinner speaker selection committee feel warm and fuzzy all over? Are they happy with their speaker thus far?
The last time a public figure made reference to sissy, it made headline news, and the GLBT community was outraged. “Girly men” was the term. Does anyone remember the love shown to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger then?
I wonder if Martin will be offered the same kind of affection from the Dallas Voice and the national media?
In the DVtv video, Sheen was asked a question regarding Log Cabin Republicans’ request he speak more conservatively. I want to make it clear that Log Cabin never asked for anyone to “speak more conservatively.” This was not our desire. Ours was an attempt at inclusion an attempt at toning down overtly and overly partisan rhetoric.
It’s too bad that the reporter misrepresented our desire, because the real question should have been about Martin showing respect for all attending Black Tie Dinner by avoiding his usual rants on Republicans and President Bush. We can all agree to disagree without being disagreeable.
We now know Mr. Sheen, by his own admission, will do and say what he pleases. Perhaps he will continue to show us his brand of love by continuing to describe Democrats as sissies and Republicans as lying bastards when he is at the podium. This way the entire room can feel his warm affection and be gratified that he is being paid handsomely to do so with part of our $300 banquet ticket.
Message to the Black Tie Dinner committee: Let’s aspire next year to pick a speaker that inspires, and not someone who verbally abuses gays, whether they be Republicans or Democrats. Sheen is your client. If he won’t speak to us with respect, then remember the famous words uttered by Donald Trump: “You’re fired.”
It wouldn’t be the first time you replaced a keynoter at the last minute, and you might just send a crystal clear message to future speakers. Plus, just imagine the nationwide publicity you could generate for the dinner. I’m positive our representatives on both sides of the political aisle would be supportive.
Rob Schlein, president
Log Cabin Republicans Dallas
No longer supporting Obama
I can no longer support the candidacy of Barack Obama. The article in the Dallas Voice about his proposed concert tour in October which featured homophobic performing artists (“Anti-gay acts cause crisis for Obama,” Dallas Voice, Oct. 26) demonstrates that Obama is ignorant of the consequences of hate speech.
Donnie McLurkin is quoted as saying “homosexuality is abominable and a danger to children.” Hogwash!
Erica Atkins says, “I don’t agree with the lifestyle.” Does she refer to the gay gardening lifestyle? Or the lesbian music lifestyle? She compares gays to murderers and prostitutes; percentage-wise, there are more heterosexuals in these categories.
Her sister Tina says, “Everyone has things in their life that they need to correct.” Perhaps they are not aware that gays have a same-gender sexual orientation not a lifestyle.
Homosexuality is not an illness or a mistake needing to be corrected. Perhaps the Obama campaign could enlighten them. Otherwise it would be against our interests to support him.
Jeffery Weber
Dallas
Questioning Randy Wicker
I just read the article by Randy Wicker which ran in the Dallas Voice (Gay History Month feature, “A life lived on the front line of the gay rights battle,” Oct. 31).
I knew Craig Rodwell and, in fact, I owned the Oscar Wilde Bookshop for six years, from 1996 to 2003, and I never heard of Wicker and he certainly was never involved in owning Oscar Wilde.
Also, the photo, which I assume he supplied, of he and Barbara Gittings could not have been taken in front of Oscar Wilde as it is a walkup store which places its two small windows well above street level. In fact, it appears to be the front of the Stonewall bar as it is today.
Larry Lingle
Houston
Just say yes on Trinity vote
An important vote is around the corner a vote for greatness or mediocrity for our city.
Dallas does not have mountains or an ocean or a great lake. What we do have, however, is the possibility of creating something great. A high-speed toll road between levees will make it difficult to achieve that vision.
By now, we have all been bombarded by information regarding the Trinity Project. The intent of this letter is not to add to the wealth of data that have been thrown at us. All I ask is that citizens close their eyes and envision what kind of public space they want:
A tranquil park where everyone can gather and have a good time, a place that would be a destination for visitors?
Or a patch of grass with thousands of cars zipping by, with the inevitable exhausts from their tailpipes?
Which do you want? For a change, let’s not do things the “Dallas” way, where business triumphs over the public good.
I have heard some people in Dallas laugh at places like Austin, San Francisco or Portland, but those “tree-hugging” cities attract people because they see the value in preserving green space. Let’s not let the “Pave the Trinity” folks cement our future as a city that only cares about commerce.
We have a choice vote “Yes” on Proposition 1.
Omer H. Goodman Jr.
Dallas
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition November 2, 2007