Newsflash: Gays Contribute

Mr. Tabor, get over it! (Letters, May 14). Gays live in the Richmond community and they contribute to the community — not just the gay community.

And they will continue to raise children in gay households. I imagine that those children will learn to be far more tolerant of another person’s lifestyle than you. I also imagine that those children will be far less fearful than you appear to be of another’s lifestyle.

I take exception to your characterizations of Carytown and the Downtown YMCA being flooded with “openly expressive gays.” Do gays frequent Carytown or belong to the Downtown Y? Yes they do, but last I checked, they had a right to frequent both venues in an open society.

Carytown is a wonderfully diverse area of Richmond.

As for the Downtown Y, I am a member who goes there four to five times per week. Yes, there are gays who are members, but I have never been offended by anyone’s gay lifestyle in my time as a member of the Y.

See, the Y follows Christian principles — which, if I am not mistaken, stresses being tolerant of others, even if they are different from us. The only “floods” I have seen at the Downtown YMCA are a flood of great programs for all people, a flood of enthusiastic and professional staff and a flood of diverse members.

So, myself being a straight man with two grown children, I would suggest that you get over it Mr. Tabor and realize that gays live and work in Richmond, raise kids here and contribute to the overall well-being of the community.

Drew Malloy