Letters to the editor

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 308 | February 19 – 25, 2004

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Thrill, and Satisfaction, of Victory

February 3, 2004

To the Editor:

We were totally surprised and delighted to see our names in your paper this past week! (“Judge Approves Partner Name Change,” by Arthur S. Leonard, Jan. 29-Feb.4). We had no idea that we were going to be the first gay couple in New York State to receive a court-approved name change. We are very excited to be part of the struggle to gain civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and transsexual people.

Thank you for publishing this story about us. We hope this is one of many steps toward gaining complete civil rights.

Gena and Zosia Zaks

New York City

Sins of the Father

January 30, 2004

To the Editor:

I’m not convinced by Michelangelo Signorile’s argument for bringing the Bush girls into the limelight (“First Family Values,” Jan. 29-Feb. 4). They haven’t stepped forward with any ideas or policies or positions that they need to defend. They haven’t entered the public sphere of thoughts and ideas in any way. Until they do clearly state that they are for or against their father’s policies, the correct thing to do is to leave them alone. If they put themselves in the public sphere, then they’re fair game.

If all children of famous people were open for media critique based on their parents’ actions or words. it would be essentially a guilt-by-association prosecution. These girls have neither associated nor disassociated themselves with their father’s policies. Their actions in private life have no bearing on their father’s beliefs because they haven’t taken a stand on those beliefs.

Mostly though, the idea of using someone’s children to get back at his publicly stated policies looks like desperation. It immediately makes me think the argument must be weak or spurious; otherwise they wouldn’t be resorting to tabloid tactics.

Anthony Johnson

Via E-mail

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