West Hollywood

I am bit unnerved at the whole tone of the West Hollywood marketing campaign (Metro, July 10). As a gay resident of the city, I get the feeling that I am simply in the way of this image that the city is trying to portray.

The current marketing effort appears to be saying, “Come to West Hollywood, enjoy the chi-chi attitude. And don’t mind the gay people, they only represent 25% of the population and we pretty much ignore them.”

Well, I did not march on Washington and Sacramento only to be ignored or apologized for by a slick marketing campaign in my hometown. There’s more to being a gay city than simply having gay bars. If the city’s “leaders” want to instill a sense of community, they should stop stepping on the gays, elderly, homeless and other “eyesores” who live here in their effort to attract more people to expensive restaurants and hotels.

If we wanted to continue to be ignored and dismissed as a flamboyant minority, we could have skipped incorporation and stayed under the control of Los Angeles County. It would be prudent for the City Council to remember that our city, like any city, is for the residents, not the tourists.

ANTHONY DEBENEDETTO

West Hollywood