Are gays wrong about the right?

Re “The right to be a gay Republican,” Opinion, Aug. 26

James Kirchick wonders why many gays are intolerant of Republicans in our midst. Whatever happened to diversity?

Maybe it’s the way the Republican Party demonized gay people in the 2004 election to garner votes. Homo-hatred was a main platform of the Republicans, and remains so among those who want constitutional amendments against same-sex marriage here in California and other states.

We gays have every right to call people like Jonathan Crutchley traitors.

Barry Wendell

West Hollywood

I wholeheartedly agree that gays need to practice what they preach when it comes to tolerance. Diversity of opinion enriches any community.

But most gay Republicans I’ve met vote as they do because they’ve decided their bank account is more important to them than their own human rights or the welfare of society in general.

That priority may merit tolerance, but voting your wallet over your humanity is a costly trade-off.

Reid Olson

Los Angeles

Gay Republicans such as Crutchley and me are making difficult choices about who we should support in November. Although John McCain and the Republican Party establishment may be openly hostile to gay-equality issues and do not want to be near us, gay Republicans support the party because of the majority of its positions on the issues.

If the Republican Party wants to be part of the future, it needs to understand that gay and lesbian voters are part of the fabric of American life. We would like to change the party from the inside. Competition in the marketplace of political ideas helps keep equality alive.

Matt Munson

Ontario