Seeking Equal Rights for Gays

Re “State High Court Seeks Briefs on Validity of Gay Marriages,” April 15: Being among the 4,000-plus same-sex couples who recently married in San Francisco, my partner and I are apparently part of the “mud that has already hit the concrete” to whom Benjamin Bull, chief counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund, refers.

As such, I’d like to remind Bull and those of like mind: My fellow gays and lesbians are your fellow state residents and citizens. We educate our society’s students, we heal and comfort those with illnesses and we arrange loans, bag groceries, build homes and clean homes. We are your neighbors, your co-workers, your sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, parents, grandparents and grandchildren. We live our lives, we do our jobs, we pay our taxes -- taxes that benefit the entire U.S. population, including those working so hard to keep us second-class citizens with unequal rights.

Kathleen V. Williams

Los Angeles

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Re “Defying Lutheran Doctrine, Churches Appoint Active Gays to the Ministry,” April 15:

How refreshing that Hollywood Lutheran has taken the bold move of hiring a gay pastor, the Rev. Daniel M. Hooper, just as the majority of Christian churches are condemning gays and lesbians and even calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to protect us from “them.” Hooray for Hollywood!

Michael Nelson

Dale Von Seggern

Venice