Galveston Parrot ~ The Gulf Coast's Favorite Newspaper

The Gulf Coast's Favorite Newspaper

In Response
Written by Lyssa Graham

Normally I like to get going on my second pot of coffee in the morning before allowing the things I read in the paper or see on the news to goad me into shrieking like a madwoman. Yeah, I said second pot not second cup – got a problem with that? I’m over-caffeinated enough to claim insanity at trial so piss me off at your own risk.

Unfortunately, in mid-March, our local paper not only prodded me into an all consuming rage but also caused me to spew my second cup of my second pot of coffee through my nose. That’s no way to start your day. For one thing, once you get coffee into your sinus cavity you’re going to be smelling that all day. And it burns. So all in all, it’s a crappy way to kick off the morning.

What caused me to choke on my coffee? For once, it wasn’t our gloriously entertaining City Council. This nasal coffee wash was brought on by the Opinion section of the Galveston Daily News. Not the first time this has happened but definitely one of the more notable events.

You see, there I was, innocently opening up my newspaper when I spotted two very upsetting items. One was a letter from a Galveston resident, Josh Davis, suggesting that Galveston would be a better place if it weren’t so darned tolerant of those nasty gay folks. We’ll get to Mr. Davis in a minute. The other coffee spewer was the editorial by Heber Taylor attempting to excuse running Mr. Davis’ letter at all.

Headlined “Tolerance such a bad thing?,” the editorial made the case that Mr. Davis’ letter serves as a reminder that some people object not just to different people, lifestyles, religions but also to the community that tolerates those differences. This is true. There are people out there who object to anything or anyone who doesn’t exactly reflect their own views.

And those folks have a right to object and share their views with the world if they so desire. But in attempting to show the high moral ground the editorial staff has taken by refusing to run letters suggesting that Muslims, Catholics, African-Americans, Jews and Hispanics should all be run off the island, Mr. Taylor was being a wee bit disingenuous.

You see, not running other inflammatory and insulting letters doesn’t give you a pass on running Mr. Davis’ letter. Telling us what you haven’t done in the past isn’t a defense against what you are doing now. Wouldn’t work in court, won’t work here.

I think I understand where you were trying to go with your editorial but, seriously, Mr. Taylor, is it acceptable to start the dialogue by running a letter that refers to a segment of the population as deviant trash who give the city a bad rap, a stigma? Seems to me you could have started the dialogue by simply asking if a reputation for tolerance was something Galvestonians desired without giving Mr. Davis the column inches in which to insult and demean a sizeable part of the population.

And speaking of Mr. Davis, let me just say this. We should be so lucky as to be considered like Key West. In fact, a chunk of my get-rich-slowly plan hinges on Galveston becoming even more like Key West – a nice, laid-back community where people are accepting of each other even if they’re dressed like pirates, carrying six-toed cats or kissing their partners in the street.

Children play on the beaches in both places without suffering irreparable harm from being in the presence of gay people. In fact, I don’t want to alarm you but gay people have families too. They take their kids to DisneyWorld, they go to the movies, they shop in the malls and grocery stores. Good grief, they’re everywhere!

Have you ever taken a cruise, Mr. Davis? If you have, then surely you know that Third Coast patrons aren’t likely to be the first gay folks the passengers encounter on their trip. Nor is Third Coast the first bar they’re likely to walk past. I’m pretty sure they’ll survive the ordeal of being in the same vicinity as gay people. You know, some of those cruise passengers might even be gay people! Maybe you should ask the cruise lines if they’d mind keeping the gay folk on board when they get to the island – don’t want to upset the straight folks walking around.

You think the gay lifestyle is so sordid, disgusting and horrible, Mr. Davis? Then go a day without a gay and get back to me. Give up your gay folk for one day and you won’t just be facing a bad hair day and no fresh flowers on the dining room table. You’ll be going without your doctors, your lawyers, your real estate agents, your appraisers, your accountants, your police officers, your teachers, your landscapers, your restaurant managers, your waiter or waitresses, your publishers, your chefs, your corporate executives, your city officials, your stockbrokers, your website developers, your retail salespeople – well, Mr. Davis, the list goes on and on and we’re only talking about the gay folk I know. You might know some I don’t.

By the way, the day without a gay was suggested by a gay real estate agent I know and I gotta tell you, Mr. Davis, I’m pretty sure he suggested the day without a gay because he really wants a day off not because he really wants to make a point. You see, he’s busy, very busy. He’s working to bring more people to the island, helping them find their dream homes, guiding them through the process, welcoming them to the island he calls home. You might not recognize that behavior – it’s called making a positive contribution to the community. You should try it, Mr. Davis.

Of course, I know, I need to practice what I preach. So Mr. Davis, here’s my promise to you. I’m going to try and be tolerant of you. I’m not going to suggest that you be run off the island because we don’t need the rap that we’re a Bigot Mecca. Hell, Mr. Davis, meet me at Third Coast and I’ll buy you a beer. It’s a crazy thing and you might not believe me but, they allow straight people in the bar. You don’t even have to wear a name tag or nuthin’. Just come on in and they’ll accept you and treat you with respect. Go figure.

Lyssa Graham is based on Galveston Island, a sandbar on the outskirts of Texas. Contact her at Lyssa@LyssaGraham.com

John Bostock