The publishing of the letter, “Same-sex marriage an affront to God’s will” (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 21), was irresponsible at best given the mass shooting in Colorado Springs that claimed five lives (“Police: Gunman kills 5 at gay nightclub, subdued by patrons,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Nov. 20).
Given the recency of the shooting, this is not the time to provide a platform for anti-gay messaging, nor should you be doing that at any time. The amplification of hate has real consequences, and we who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community have to live with that. Hate is not an instinct; it is taught, and letters like the one you published, then promoted on Twitter, teaches hate.
The Star-Advertiser needs to do better. Newspapers have the power to inform the public and expose people to other perspectives that they may not have known, but you used that power to platform bigotry instead.
As we’ve seen from this past week, letting hate sit unchecked leads to real consequences for those who are marginalized.
June Zolmer
Manoa
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