A Fine Young Man

Our biggest mail-getter last week was Michael Krikorian's story about Deshawn Cole triumphing over his hard-scrabble background and a sexual orientation that often goes unacknowledged in the housing projects (“A Gay Leader Emerges in the 'Hood,” April 5).

Writes David Tulanian, “What an inspirational story! Michael Krikorian's article makes me realize that 23-year-old Deshawn Cole is 'a gay leader' and a survivor. Because of his honesty about his sexual orientation, other young people who live near him and happen to be gay may be spared the kind of turmoil that he experienced. His mother's call for the establishment of a gay and lesbian center in Watts is both practical and right. Deshawn should have a leadership position at this center. He has earned it.”

“Great story,” Robinadodge agrees. “Cole sounds like a great young man.”

James Dolanko of Beverly Hills also offers his praise. “Powerful story about a brave young man. He needs to be applauded. In this world where basketball players and golfers are foolishly put on pedestals, Deshawn is a real hero.“

Finally, we heard from Hunter_Ellroy, who writes, “Great story of personal courage in the face of cultural intolerance. I wonder if there have been any studies that seek to explain why the black acceptance of the LGBT community differs so drastically from that of other ethnic groups and the U.S. overall. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife.“

Good Causes

Readers also responded to the two pieces in our April 5 A Considerable Town section. While many applauded Marisa Tomei's dedication to the anti-GMO effort, as detailed in Emma Courtland's piece (“And Then Marisa Tomei Called”), TRMdiva was critical. “Giving money to India is great, if you want to help India. What about the U.S. citizens who are in the dark? Most people know nothing about this issue here. I say the important thing to do is to raise money for awareness HERE.

“We need TV commercials, radio commercials, etc. We each need to do our part by passing out flyers or posting them in our neighborhood (laundromat, grocery store, light poles, etc.). If you need a flyer, you can email me at trmdiva@yahoo.com. Or create a T-shirt that says you are a supporter of non-GMO food with a bar code for scanning the movie Genetic Roulette. Or you can create a magnetic car decal with anti-GMO information that has a bar code for scanning or a website. We each can do something little, which in combination ends up being a huge difference.“

Others responded to Jeff Maysh's First Person piece about hiring women to strip down while cleaning his apartment (“I Hired a Naked Maid”). Writes Markwitman, “Time to fire Merry Maids!” But Mary Fry has a pertinent question: “Are naked lawn care guys soon to follow?” We can only hope!

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