Letters to the Editor	Letters Archive

May Cover Fan

Major kudos to your photo editor on the May, 2007 cover! Three hot dudes in jeans, white undershirts-- what more could I ask for?

Nice to see some facial hair, too. This summer, I'm going to New York to check out the Eastern Bloc!

Mark
Toronto, Ontario

Sports Replace Sex

I enjoyed reading online at Guidemag.com "Stripper Bars 101" [from April 2001].

As of spring 2007, all of the nude male dance bars in DC are closed. The bars listed in this article were all in the Southeast area of the city, and that area has been bulldozed for a new stadium. As of now, no new nude dance bars have opened.

View our poll archive

Randyinvirginia
via Guidemag.com

Stop Entrapment

I read April 2007's letter [condemning those arrested in Knoxville's Tyson Park for "abusing the privilege of equality"; see "Tennessee Sting," February 2007, for the story].

Well, I am assuming this letter was written by a lesbian, judging from her statements. You know she must not have read the whole article, especially about the "parking" areas and sex that happens there between straight couples, which is not harassed at all. I know about straight couples who go back into the forest for sex and they are never bothered.

Or did she get the sarcasm noting that families and kids are not in the park that late at night? Or the fact that guys don't do their thing right out in the open.

I was a victim of entrapment myself, so I know this process well. These undercover cops go out of their way to search out guys back in the bushes to "be offended" by, so they can make an easy arrest (a lot easier than say a crackhead user, dealer, or gun-wielding gang member).

The deceitfulness of the whole entrapment procedure itself should be outlawed. I can tell you cases where the cop actually made the first move and exposed himself first, but in court they will always believe [the cop] regardless.

And another truth is that the majority of these park cruisers are not "trolls" but good-looking younger guys. That is definitely the case where I live. Let's not be so prudish as to condemn youthful urges and a love of outdoor sex in gay guys (in which the partners try to be discreet), and not forget the straight couples who willingly do the same thing.

This country is in general less tolerant of public sex than any place in Europe, in which a few countries have actual designated cruise parks where guys can be themselves outdoors. Would that be such a bad idea here? Designate certain parks as "cruise" parks and declare the others off limits to sexual activity? But it might put a lot of vice cops out of a job. Oh well.

Austintexboy
via e-mail

Thanks for the feedback. We know nothing of the letter-writer's sexuality nor gender; though the sentiments were definitely "ladylike," we remind you that there are plenty of prissy (male) cocksuckers out there, too. And we trust that you don't mean to suggest that only "good-looking younger guys" have a right not to be harassed or that "trolls" deserve what befalls them when cruising.

Any sensible judge would, of course, toss out these sort of entrapment cases, but as you note, police are given enormous deference in court, no matter how outrageous the tales they tell.

Security Key

I read your editorial "The Yellow Star" [September 2006, available at Guidemag.com] about sex-offender laws' threat to civil liberties.

Individual security is the essential element to prevent genocide; this awareness is generally missing throughout society, with people erroneously thinking that religion, democracy, or a free press are key. But they all are insufficient antidotes to genocide-- and can even facilitate it. Germany and Poland were religious societies. Rwanda was a democratic society with a free press.

And it is this protected individual security that is threatened by sex-offender laws and registries. Little by little we are on our way to the genocide of a group of people in America.

Will
via e-mail

One of the American Founders' greatest legacies to the world was a Bill of Rights that recognized governmental power, and its potential abuse, as a grave threat to ordered liberty. Allowing anyone, any group-- no matter how politically unpopular or despised-- to be treated without due process and basic fairness encourages further lawless behavior by the state.