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To
the
Editors:
Principal
Sam
Ward
is
wrong
in
forbidding
the
picture
of
lesbian
student
Kelli
Davis
from
appearing
in
the
Fleming
Island
High
School
yearbook.
(“A
Lesbian
not
so
pretty
in
pink?”
editorial,
March
11.)
Ward
appears
prejudiced.
Instead
of
empowering
this
student,
he
instead
seems
as
if
he
is
trying
to
humiliate
her
like
the
typical
school
bully.
I
had
a
similar
incident
happen
to
me
back
in
1974
as
a
sixth
grader
at
my
public
elementary
school
in
Franklin
Lakes,
New
Jersey
—
but
with
a
different
outcome.
The
official
girls’
gym
uniform
was
an
ugly
blue
one-piece
jumper
with
snaps
down
the
front.
It
looked
like
a
baggy
prison
uniform.
On
the
first
day
of
gym
class,
I
went
into
my
little
brother’s
bedroom
closet
and
stole
his
gym
clothes.
It
was
a
white
tee
shirt
and
navy
blue
shorts.
Although
it
was
a
little
tight,
it
was
10
times
more
comfortable
than
the
anointed
gym
outfit.
I
wore
that
outfit
every
gym
class
during
my
last
year
of
elementary
school.
No
one
copied
me,
but
no
one
questioned
me
either.
Certainly,
no
one
disciplined
me.
I
thought
I
had
gone
completely
unnoticed
until
a
year
later
when
a
classmate
told
me
her
younger
sister,
along
with
all
the
other
elementary
school
girls,
were
now
donning
the
boys’
gym
uniform.
In
the
beginning,
I
felt
nervous
appearing
in
my
boy’s
outfit.
I
also
remember
feeling
empowered.
Unfortunately,
Sam
Ward
robbed
Kelli
Davis
of
her
positive
life
lesson.
Miami
Beach,
Fla.
To
the
Editors:
I
would
like
to
commend
local
songwriter
and
entertainer,
Chuck
Prentiss
(“Singing
out
loud,”
local
life,
March
4.)
By
raising
awareness
of
gay
themes
in
political
contexts,
Prentiss
has
furthered
an
important
genre
that
needs
to
be
heard.
His
comedy
song
“Beaver,”
as
brilliantly
performed
by
Miss
Vicky
Keller,
was
the
smash
hit
at
the
annual
SAGE
concert
at
the
Sunshine
Cathedral.
Prentiss
has
received
national
exposure
for
his
audacious
work
and
I
am
grateful
that
the
Express
featured
him
prominently
so
that
South
Florida
residents
will
be
more
aware
of
this
local
treasure.
Fort
Lauderdale
To
the
Editors:
I
would
just
like
to
comment
on
your
recent
article
concerning
the
“de-gaying”
of
Key
West.
(“Gay
guesthouses
disappearing
in
Key
West,”
news,
March
18.)
I
just
returned
from
Key
West
a
week
ago,
and
I
definitely
have
to
agree
with
you.
I
don’t
know
how
many
times
over
the
years
I
have
visited
the
island.
My
first
visit
was
probably
15
years
ago.
I
had
never
heard
of
Key
West,
up
to
that
point.
It
seemed
a
world
away.
The
next
year
we
returned
as
well,
and
the
next,
with
each
year
seeming
better
than
the
one
before.
I
have
made
most
of
the
trips
mentioned
as
gay
destination
points
in
your
article:
San
Francisco,
New
York,
P-Town.
And
I
now
visit
friends
frequently
in
Fort
Lauderdale
—
they
live
in
Wilton
Manors.
Having
stayed
with
my
friends
in
Wilton
Manors
in
November,
then
returning
again
for
the
week
before
I
traveled
to
Key
West,
I
doubt
that
I
will
be
heading
back
to
Key
West
again
any
time
soon.
It
has
certainly
lost
its
appeal.
For
the
first
time,
I
felt
intimidated
on
this
trip
to
Key
West.
It
may
have
been
due
to
the
rowdy
spring
break
week
we
chose
to
visit,
but
I
have
never
in
all
previous
visits
ever
felt
that
way
before.
I
am
very
sorry
to
see
this
occur,
but
it
has
been
heading
this
way
for
years.
We
had
talked
to
many
locals
and
they
are
all
saying
the
same
things
as
your
article.
No
gays
can
afford
to
live
there
anymore;
they
are
all
heading
to
Fort
Lauderdale.
It
saddened
me
to
read
your
article,
but
I
guess
it
is
just
the
nature
of
times
to
come.
As
gays
become
more
and
more
mainstream,
so
too
will
be
the
places
where
gays
live
and
visit.
I
guess
that
is
what
we
have
all
been
fighting
for
all
of
these
years.
Sylvan
Lake,
Michigan
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