La Amistad

* Re “Foes Find Common Cause Against Gay Rights,” Aug. 17: The Rev. Martin Garcia, executive director of the anti-gay La Amistad, is just more of the same: hate-based religious leaders couching their agenda behind mistranslated and confusing Bible passages.

Weren’t gay rights activists in the forefront in opposing Prop. 187? This is how certain Latino leaders issue payback? As far as La Opinion printing ads that homosexuals would somehow corrupt children, I think the corruption is perpetuated by holier-than-thou religious agitators.

ALAN NEFF

Los Angeles

* La Amistad should focus itself and its energy on how to stop Latino gangs from killing each other. Forget the issue of one’s sexuality. Being a Latino gay man, I would have never in a million years chosen a gay lifestyle. I look into the family tree and see indeed it’s inherent. I see that La Amistad disagrees and says we have chosen this wonderful way of being accepted. I strongly agree with Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa. We have enough hate and animosity. Leave one’s sexuality alone. Again, focus all that energy on cleaning up our Latino neighborhoods and streets. Make Los Angeles a safe place to live.

Let God do his judging and let Latino preachers teach love of one another, harmony and acceptance of oneself.

PHILIP ANDRADE

San Marino

* The Rev. Jose Luis Soto believes that he and those who think like him should be allowed to fire gays because they go against his/their beliefs. I assume he also believes that those of us who are offended by the beliefs of his ilk should be allowed to fire any evangelical or fundamendalist employees we may discover working for us.

TODD ENGLE

Los Angeles

* I canceled my subscription many years ago because of what I perceived to be a strong left-wing bias in The Times. You can imagine my surprise when, on the first day of renewing my subscription, I read an informed and balanced article that presented those who in good conscience oppose homosexuality and gay rights without even once resorting to the use of inflammatory words such as “homophobe,” “ultra-right-wing extremists” or “narrow-minded bigots.” Keep up the good work.

DON CLELAND

Long Beach

* La Amistad should have its name changed to “Vivan Y Dejen Vivir” Translation: “Live and Let Live.” As a Mexican American Catholic woman, I am appalled at these Latino religious leaders promoting to their church members opposition to gay and lesbian rights.

The Latino community has suffered too much racism and discrimination for us to be against gays and lesbians. I am all for promoting family values, but not at the expense of any group, regardless of their race, religious beliefs, or sexual preference.

IRIS ENRIQUEZ

Lynwood

* Apparently discrimination is acceptable when targeting the gay community. La Amistad has once again proven that intolerance and prejudice are present in all ethnic and religious groups.

DEIRDRE TERRY

Los Angeles