From: Eugene Harasymiw
Sent: Sun 1/31/1999 8:23 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Subject: "Gay editor explodes some old myths"

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO MICHAEL COREN.
THIS MESSAGE IS NOT INTENDED FOR
PUBLICATION. Thanks.

Dear Mr. Coren of Toronto Sun:

Re: "Gay editor..." (January 30, 1999)

Although your article is well written and there are many good points made, the choice of one particular quotation from Xtra West editor Gareth Kirkby was not only unfortunate, but downright insensitive (I'm sure someone of your background has used that term time and again.)

The quotation was in relation to the reliance the homosexual community places on pornography. You chose the following quotation from Kirkby: "It [pornography] is to queer [homosexual] culture what dancing and bright dresses are to Ukrainian culture."

Point: in the foregoing quotation, suppose there was substituted in place of "dancing and bright dresses" the passage "skull-caps and kosher meats," and then the word "Ukrainian" was substituted with "Jewish."

I can imagine the uproar your community would put up to oppose and vilify the article writer for choosing that particular quotation.

A little more "sensitivity", would you, please.

Eugene Harasymiw, LL.B.