Prop. 8 reactions

Re “Prop. 8 foes shift attention,” Nov. 14

As one of those who has been circulating every Proposition 8 donor list I can find and encouraging boycotts, I take exception to Ron Prentice of ProtectMarriage.com’s statement that we are “unabashedly trampling on the rights of others.” That’s a pretty audacious remark from a man who campaigned so hard to permanently assign second-class citizenship to an entire population.

We have every justification to not contribute to the coffers of businesses that would undermine our basic human rights. If owners of businesses such as Lassen’s choose to make a “private donation” of $28,500 under their company’s name, that’s tantamount to hanging a sign in the window telling gays and lesbians to stay out. And that is exactly what I intend to do.

Michael Jones

Glendale

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As a gay man, I am very uncomfortable with the boycott of El Coyote. Penalizing a small local business for the actions of one of its employees seems a huge misdirection of our collective energy.

The fundamental right that has long driven the gay movement is the right to love. Finding an easy -- and minor -- target and enacting some sort of hate-filled vengeance does nothing to move these rights forward.

I hope we can examine what actions we could have taken that may have changed the outcome of our election loss, and focus on what we can do now that will have a genuine and substantive impact on the battle ahead.

Garth Steever

Long Beach