Letters

The very fact that same-sex marriage is a controversial issue is demonstrative of how institutionalized homophobia is in society. No different from institutionalized racism and sexism. As for "the gay community and its leaders being insensitive to the complexities of the Catholic Church," perhaps if the leaders of the Catholic Church could be more sensitive to the complexities of homophobia, they might understand that you've got to have a sense of humor.

You say, "the Sisters and their supporters ... wanted to teach Levada a rather obvious and unnecessary lesson: that gays have more power in the City of St. Francis than the Catholic Church does." Isn't it obvious that it's the First Amendment that has more power in this city than the pope in Rome?

I disagree with most of your article, but you do present the side of some Catholic individuals who are not homophobic and who were offended by the Sisters' mockery and their block party on Easter Sunday. Hopefully these are some of the people who will eventually influence the leaders of their church to take a more tolerant and inclusive stand. It's then that we may see the leaders of the gay community extending "an olive branch" to the archbishop of San Francisco.

As for your opinion that Tom Ammiano may not be temperamentally suited to be the mayor of San Francisco, he's got my vote.

Michael Lenhart
Via Internet

In regard to George Cothran's dreamy article about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence ("Sisters of Perpetual Conspiracy") and possible reconciliation with gays and Catholics through the kind offices of Archbishop Levada, may this writer remind Cothran that the Catholic bishops are effectively silenced in matters of sex by Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger.

Indeed, Ratzinger has extended his loathing to gays by declaring: "When civil legislation is introduced to protect behavior to which no one has any conceivable right, neither the church nor society at large should be surprised when violent and irrational reactions occur." Matthew Shepard took five days to die on the altar of Ratzinger. And legislation to protect him would have made it all the worse? This from a servant of Jesus.

Reconciliation? Makes as much sense as Jews for Hitler.
Kenneth J. Miller
Noe Valley

Correction
The photograph that ran with the April 21 restaurant review "Social Grilling" was not a picture of Coriya Hot Pot City, as we stated, but Brothers Restaurant. SF Weekly regrets the error.