Letters Reveal Gay Men Who Answered Phony Ad

Gay men who answered a phony personal advertisement discovered that their responses were being mailed to neighbors and employers with a hate letter that said: “Avoid this homosexual at all costs.”

A lawyer representing two of the men said the ad may have been placed by the same person or group that sent letters to neighbors and families of 150 people who signed a petition condemning anti-homosexual activities at the University of Chicago.

Postal inspectors are investigating the incident, attorney Robert Dachis said. The University of Chicago said it is also cooperating with a police investigation.

“Whoever typed them is rather clever,” Dachis said Wednesday. “There are no overt threats here, and actually they are worded carefully enough that there is nothing defamatory per se.”

The phony ad--describing a University of Chicago student who wanted to meet other homosexuals--ran about four weeks ago in the Chicago Reader newspaper, a weekly distributed free throughout the city. At least eight men who responded have been the targets of hate mail, Dachis said.

One of the letters sent to a neighbor said, “As proof of this individual’s homosexuality, we are including a photocopy of a letter which he recently wrote to a so-called gay matching advertisement. If you are not convinced, call them up and ask them about it.”

Underlined and capitalized at the bottom of the letter was the statement, “Avoid this homosexual at all costs.”

One of the men who responded works at a Chicago school. Letters saying he was a homosexual were sent to his neighbors, landlord and the principal, assistant principal and teachers at the school.

“I had just moved to Chicago and was trying to meet new people,” the man, who asked not to be identified, told the Chicago Tribune. “I responded and heard nothing. Then last week, my neighbors started coming to me, showing me these letters.”