Dan Quayle on the Cultural Elite

Quayle has it backward in his criticism of “cultural elites” (“Quayle Attacks ‘Cultural Elite’ on Moral Values,” June 10). People like Quayle and his religious right-wing colleagues are the true “cultural elites.” They are the ones who want to forcibly impose on society a rigid conformity to an inflexible theological dogma. They are the ones who want to outlaw alternative lifestyle choices. They are the ones who claim a monopoly on understanding and interpreting God’s will.

Those of us whom Quayle accuses of cultural elitism are actually the opposite. We are the ones who do not wish to impose any predetermined set of limited lifestyle options on others. We are the ones who recognize the moral legitimacy of a variety of approaches to sexual and family relationships. We are the true guardians of tolerance.

EDWARD TABASH, Beverly Hills