Reader supports Marcie Maxwell for mayor
Dear editor,
In the 30 years I’ve known Marcie Maxwell through our PTA and community advocacy for Renton children and schools, she has been an unflagging champion of business, this city, our citizens and community organizations. She is tireless in her willingness to reach out, work with and learn from a broad spectrum of people, finding solutions and celebrating differences. Marcie has served more than 20 years in elected local, district and statewide office, honing her leadership skills and collaborative experience, with an emphasis on inclusion. She is a progressive woman of boundless energy and unimpeachable integrity. Marcie is insightful and smart, always searching for creative ways to develop and promote this city that she loves. Marcie’s years of service as an experienced leader and community activist make her uniquely qualified for this position. Marcie will be a marvelous mayor. marciemaxwellforrenton.net.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Albrecht
Renton
Reader wants us all to choose our words carefully
Dear editor,
Warning: this discusses language harmful to LGBTQIA+ people, and its history.
Recent letters to the editor have highlighted the long road still ahead in the work against defamation toward the LGBTQIA+ community, especially in media. Most notably the week of June 28th, a letter was published that, verbatim, discussed “deviant sexual sin, as experienced by homosexuals (LGBTQ+ folks)” among a condemning Bible quote. More recently, another letter to the editor published an article referring to “homosexual teens” at the Renton Library.
Homosexual was never our word. It may be confusing, because for over a century this term was continuously used and published in major institutions. Even its origins come from people who were part of or sympathetic to our community. At times, you may even find that queer people use the term ironically. The reality is that, since the 60’s, “gay and lesbian” have been used by our community, and expanded to more words that more accurately describe our feelings and identities.
The word homosexual is condemned by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as a “term to avoid”*. It brings to mind a terrible history that lingers on today. It was widely used as a medical term, going back not long ago when we were targeted by many different organizations. Doctors, researchers, even the CIA, considered us a form of “sexual deviancy”. We were subjected to mass surveillance, blackmail, police raids, chemical castration, electroshock therapy and other unnecessary medical experiments that attempted to “correct” us. We weren’t a people; we were “suffering from a condition”, homosexuality, which needs to be “fixed”. While some of the more extreme practices have fortunately disappeared, the horrendous torture continues in many places today in the form of ex-gay/conversion therapy, sometimes even on our youth. It doesn’t seem too far-fetched that letters you receive from individuals referring to us this way believe in something similar.
I hope to see a day when our media makes a stronger commitment to protecting marginalized communities from outdated, offensive language and preventing our livelihoods from becoming an unnecessary public debate.
* https://www.glaad.org/reference/offensive
Regretfully,
Chad Cashman-Crane
Renton
Reader says “Vote Randy Corman!”
Dear editor,
As a 13 year resident of Renton, I have been actively involved with our city council on issues involving my Kennydale neighborhood and the community. I have always been extremely impressed by Councilman Corman’s commitment to listening and learning all sides of any issue that requires a council decision. This has meant Randy and I have not always been in agreement but I know that he started with an open mind, did his homework, considered every aspect of the issue and reached a conclusion that he felt was best for our city and its residents.
When Randy announced his candidacy for Mayor of Renton, I was thrilled. My husband Charlie Conner and I wanted to help but first we felt we needed to really understand his positions and plans for Renton. Randy spent over an hour with us talking about the city’s current issues including transportation (405, Renton airport, high speed ferry), growth, diversity, education and more. He was impressively knowledgeable on all, even for a 25-year council member! He had thoughtful answers to each of our questions, including “I don’t really know but I will research that and get back to you.” Randy is truly nonpartisan with leadership and management skills that are respected by city staff, his fellow council members and
Renton residents. Get to know your candidates. Vote with confidence in the primary on Aug. 6th. We will be casting our ballots for Randy Corman!
Sincerely,
Anne Simpson
Renton
