Document text
Letters to the Editor, April 23 Sunday Apr 23, 2017 at 2:00 AM Apr 24, 2017 at 6:47 AM Thinly veiled homophobia As a formerly homeless LGBTQ 17-year-old, I was dismayed to hear the news that Hearts With a Mission, the sole youth shelter in our area, has turned down a nearly $3,000 donation from a benefit concert generously hosted by the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. Executive Director Kevin Lamson argued that accepting the donation would be “endorsing” something. LGBTQ kids make up an estimated 40 percent of homeless youth. We face an uphill battle when it comes to finding housing, navigating legal and law enforcement systems and continuing our education. Youth advocacy organizations and shelters are key to helping us access these institutions, so it’s imperative that their culture and practices explicitly affirm the lives of LGBTQ youth. More ironic is HWAM’s nonchalant refusal of this donation just after begging the city of Grants Pass for $26,000 in emergency funds. Considering that almost half of the population Mr. Lamson claims to serve is LGBTQ, maybe “endorsing” us might not be a bad idea. Myself and every other homeless LGBTQ youth in this area can see right through HWAM’s thinly-veiled homophobia. When I was on my own, a friend warned me about HWAM. I guess they were right. Evan Mouledoux Ashland What happened to Easter? When I picked up my Sunday Mail Tribune, I looked at the front page expecting to see some mention of the fact that it was Easter Sunday. Most of the readers, both Christian and non-Christian, as well as businesses recognize that fact, even if they are not celebrating it as a religious holiday. On the front it states: "Sunday Focus ... Wolf Report." I am sure for almost all readers it was not their Sunday focus. The newspaper will recognize Sunday sports events like Super Bowl Sunday, etc. Somehow I feel this was an incredible oversight or a purposeful omission, which leads to questions regarding the Mail Tribune's credibility in reporting unbiased news. Arnold "Mal" Bakke Central Point Trump's hypocrisy I read with interest Mr. Budge's letter concerning the alleged hypocrisy of the left when it comes to Donald Trump, who will never be my president. As of April 16, per Golfing News, Trump has played golf at least 19 times, putting him on track to play at least 650 rounds, if he is allowed to be in office for two terms, which I find unlikely. My question of Mr. Budge would be, does he find it hypocritical of Trump to spend years excoriating President Obama for occasionally playing golf, sometimes once a week, while Trump has spent nearly four days of every week at his Florida resort, at a cost of about $3 million per trip, and charging the taxpayers (that would be me and Mr. Budge) for those trips, not to mention the millions of dollars the spawn of Trump are running up flying around the world with Secret Service protection, in the pursuit of growing the Trump scams and businesses ? Ed Cooper Gold Hill