Gay Officers

I would like to thank the Los Angeles Police Commission and City Council for allowing openly gay officers to wear their uniforms in the recruitment of gays for the Police Department. It is a positive step in the right direction. For too many years now the Los Angeles Police Department has been abusive and violent toward the gay and lesbian community (not to mention other minority groups); making its force as diverse as the people it serves can only bring much needed balance.

I read with disgust the letter from John M. Cooney (Aug. 21), full of propaganda and fear over HIV spreading if gay officers were recruited. He has no documentation or facts to support this. Other metropolitan cities in America have openly recruited from the gay community and have had no such problems. Then there is the fact that I know two HIV-positive heterosexual males. Would Cooney be so quick to discriminate against them? Mr. Cooney, go take an AIDS education course and leave your paranoid comments out of the newspaper.

RAVEN A. KNIGHT

Rolling Hills Estates