Letters to the editor

SIGN COMPLAINT
Snakebean Restaurant is the only business along the gay strip that has erected a large banner welcoming religious fundamentalists from World Youth Day into Oxford St.

This is at a time when gays and lesbians are being repressed by draconian laws to curtail free speech, equal only to the Singaporean government’s totalitarian regime.

I rang up to complain about the sign and was aggressively told the establishment fully supports World Youth Day. This business has no respect for gays and lesbians and I urge a boycott of this establishment.

-” Brett, Surry Hills

WELCOME GESTURE
I’m just a humble businessman running a harmless takeaway store in the vibrant and inclusive village of Darlinghurst.

I have placed a sign to welcome visitors of WYD to my store and it appears this has ruffled the feathers of a few very angry people! It’s just a simple sign that says Welcome Pilgrims WYDSYD -” no Virgin Mary, no pictures of Benedict or Pell. Just a friendly G’day -” just as I do every month to welcome Fruits in Suits to my business.

I have had phone calls today from several people who have told me that it is offensive to invite and welcome Catholics to Oxford St which is a gay area.

Goodness. If I want to welcome Jews, gays, straights, Muslims and especially Catholics I will.

One caller Scott advised me he would contact the media and arrange a gay boycott of my business for my appalling judgement in welcoming Catholics to his street.

I agreed that Scott had a right to an opinion as I have a right to welcome people in the spirit of love of WYD.

It’s political correctness gone mad when Oxford Street becomes a no-go zone to people based on their religion! The fact that over 50 of my closest gay friends are Catholic (including my lapsed Catholic past) seems irrelevant. Apparently the way forward for the gay community is to discriminate and ostracise in the way we have been discriminated against forever. A bit eye for an eye -” very biblical really!!

What nonsense. Welcome to gay Sydney.
-” Jeremy McNamara, Snakebean Asian Diner

REFLECTION TIME
After World (Catholic) Youth Day, I think it’s important we remember that no child is born with a religion -” there are no Catholics born, just individuals indoctrinated into the Catholic (or other) religion.

The religion chosen by the parents is then imposing often outdated moral values in the minds of the young … at a time when the individual child cannot use their own reason and intellect to make their own decisions about belief systems.

While I met a number of friendly and accepting pilgrims during last week, the religion they support continues to oppress and oppose us as a community in the advancement of equality as well as the broader community on many social and moral issues.

Support of the Catholic Church or other religions is merely supporting an organisation which, through their power and influence, apply their beliefs in ancient writings/myths and in supernatural beings to influence how the rest of us are able to live our lives.

I’m sure this is why many in our community chose to protest WYD and the State and Federal Government support of the event in what should be a secular society.

-” John, Enmore

LACKING RESPECT
I am an out and proud gay Catholic.

I do not hide my sexuality from family, friends or the church. Sure we, the gay community, are far from acceptance within the Catholic Church, but as a young Catholic I was utterly ashamed at the sight of those gay and lesbian protesters handing out condoms and leaflets at Saturday’s pilgrim walk.

I would like it known I am a registered pilgrim and I was involved with WYD events during the past week. However, when I and another young gay Catholic walked past the activists protesting against HIV/AIDS and the church’s stand on homosexuality, I was ashamed to align myself with those members of our community protesting. I was so disgusted, I wanted to shout out Yes I’m a Catholic man, but yes I love cock.

Come on guys, let them march in peace, we get our chance to do so in peace at Mardi Gras!
Wake up to yourselves. You were protesting against youths, some as young as 10 or 11. They should not and do not have to be subjected to a cause they know nothing about.

It was also embarrassing to see lines of police, linked arms preventing the protesters from any contact with the pilgrims. You looked like a bunch of caged animals.

Yet another case of negative PR for the gay community.

-” Matthew, Kings Cross

NOT ENOUGH
The Pope’s apology gives no peace of mind to those sexually abused by priests because there is no peace without justice, as the former Pope John Paul II said in 2002.

-” Andrew, Potts Point

DIFFERENT VIEW #1
Oh dear, Paul of Canada (SSO 927), is your brain in a jar of formaldehyde darling? Or are you on some fab designer drug? You poor, sad sod.

-” Phil, Surry Hills

DIFFERENT VIEW #2
Why do you print letters like the one from Paul, Canada (SSO 927)? We have had to put up with the sickening fawning over the Hitler Youth and his moronic flock of delusional pilgrims non-stop from the straight media. The last thing we should have to stomach is the same crap appearing in our paper.
Don’t let it happen again.

-” John, Canberra

NOT WELCOMING
World Youth Day has certainly been an amazing week for our city.

As a Christian, it has been encouraging to see so many happy and enthusiastic young people around the city praising God. Yes there have been some changes in transport and roads, but it has been worth it to see the hope that religion brings to these young people, something that is often in short supply these days. We need only to compare the past week with Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast to see what a difference there has been in attitude and behaviour by the pilgrims in Sydney.

So what an opportunity for other churches it has been to offer out the hand of friendship and welcome to these visitors. I am involved with a Uniting Church that hosted a Mass where people were amazed at the spirit and vitality of the service in the packed church.

However, I find it disappointing then that some churches and groups decided that the welcome they would offer would be to hand out condoms to the pilgrims. I not only find it inappropriate that young people were targeted with condoms, but also frustrating that again there are those who choose to forgo understanding and discussion in lieu of a populist media stunt. There will always be issues and doctrine that different Christian churches disagree with.

But there will also be that which brings us together and we should be focusing on this and working towards a future of greater understanding and respect lest we repeat the past. I know many Catholic people, have worked in a Catholic church and those who have rejected me have been few and far between whereas those who have been loving, supportive and friendly have been many.

We live in a free country and are free to make our ideas known but we must make sure that we do not tar everyone with the same brush. While the official policies and doctrine of the Catholic Church may be unsupportive of gay and lesbian people I have always found many wonderful people of the Catholic faith ready to give a helping hand when it is needed most.

-” Gavin Ward, student pastor, MCC Good Shepherd, Granville

NOT THE ANSWER
I read with some amusement the recent articles regarding trams on Oxford Street (SSO 926 & 927).
Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember trams in Sydney and I also spent the last 12 months working in Melbourne. So I know first-hand that trams are not the answer.

The obvious drawback to trams is that they are inflexible. If a tram breaks down, or if there is a problem across the lines, or like in Melbourne they have a habit of running into each other, everything stops. That’s right, you can’t divert trams to alternative streets or around accidents.

Then there’s the ugly visual pollution. Do we really want poles and wires spread like spaghetti across the length of Oxford Street? And let’s not forget those dangerous tracks which are a nightmare for cycles and a trap for anyone who wears high heeled shoes, which I suspect may affect a number of people in Oxford Street.

On the safety issue many people may have noticed that trams travel in the centre of the street. They do this so other vehicles can park, make deliveries and let off passengers etc. This means that anyone wanting to get on or off a tram has to make it across traffic lanes. Buses don’t present this problem because they pull into kerbs. While Melbourne has a number of measures to protect tram passengers making the urgent dash across the traffic it has not prevented accidents, particularly at night. There are even pedestrians hit by trams in the Bourke Street mall where cars are banned.

So sorry to the tram spotters but I think they are just awful things and should be kept only as fond memories.

-” David, Kings Cross