Supporting Nathan Fletcher
This past week the California Assembly passed two important bills aimed at combating anti-LGBT bullying in schools and colleges. I am very proud that my assemblyman, Nathan Fletcher was the only Republican to cross party lines on both occasions to vote to protect LGBT youth.
In the past Assemblyman Fletcher took a “No on 8” position and also, as an ex-marine, made a strong speech in support of repealing DADT on the Assembly floor (I encourage you to find the speech on YouTube.)
I have met Assemblyman Fletcher on several occasions and have always come away impressed by his common sense, his willingness to listen to all sides and even more important his openness to being persuaded by a good and well-reasoned argument.
There is an understandable temptation within our community to believe that we must always support an LGBT candidate if they are in an electoral race. I hope that we have learned from the leadership of Mayor Jerry Sanders that we can be equally well served by a committed straight ally.
I am very pleased that he has decided to run for mayor and I hope that as the race develops LGBT voters will be as open to listening to Nathan Fletcher and his ideas as he has always been when listening to me about the issues that are important to our community.
COLIN PEARCE
Not Getting Any Better
I’m a bi man and have been in that closet hell forever but forced out because I was found out and recently attacked over it again. And I can tell you that it’s not getting any better here in Chula Vista or really anywhere. I’m sure, and especially not for older bi or gay men.
I’m a fighter, so I fight the bullies but that never works out well either, and they always have fresh replacements and new recruits to send in and I’m always alone.
Where are my groups? Hey, who’s going to help and save me? When a kid who’s gay has a problem with bullies they have a recourse for help, and that’s great and long overdue, but what about the rest of us.
Who cares about some old gay farts? I was assaulted by a neighborhood bully yesterday and I’m sick of it. The police have actually told me I should move. Why? Where am I going to live then? And maybe a better question: will the bullying ever stop? Not until the police work with us and arrest bullies and charge them with the hate crimes they have committed and when the Chula Vista Police treat gay people with more respect. Also in San Diego and everywhere else I’ve been, it’s bad and my guess is it’s getting worse, especially the older we get.
I’ve had to install security systems and get firearms to protect myself and I want to recommend that we all do, just for our safety. I’ve never wanted to talk about this subject before now as I was in the closet and scared. I’m still scared, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to live my life in fear any more. And from my experience things never got better until I stood up and fought back and confronted bullies face to face and only then if and when they ever go to jail.
Yea, everybody celebrate LGBT month but meanwhile the bullies are attacking us left and right. Nowhere left to go, and so everyone pretends it’s all right as we get beaten or killed again. Like the kid they killed in San Diego just because he was a gay and wore funny hats. This whole town just makes me sick it is so two-faced and … I want to shed light on this issue for our community. It’s like a living hell if you’re an LGBT person living in Chula Vista and it’s just not right that the city is not addressing the issues and keeping us safe, and even worse they’re openly discriminating against us in my opinion and in my observations as a bi man living in Chula Vista all my life.
A.G.
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