Shopping mall discrimination
In response to our story on a lesbian couple’s experience with discrimination at Raleigh Cameron Village (qnotescarolinas.com/8843/), readers say:
I applaud Breedlove and company for standing up against discrimination. And, I do not believe it’s acceptable for some random security force to tell people their casual shows of affection are offensive or inappropriate. Or force them to leave a shopping area. Just because of their genders! Who are they to say? If the property owners have ordered that this homophobia be enforced at their shopping center, they will never see another red cent out of me. Homophobia is a kind of depravity, and it doesn’t belong in polite society, where gay people are just trying to live their lives, hug their girlfriends, eat their lunches, and shop around like all the rest of us. Anyone who condones discrimination of any sort based on sexual orientation has a moral and spiritual deficit. It’s disgusting.
— Dannette, web, Oct. 14
Unbelievable…why don’t we just tell African-Americans to sit at the back of the bus again and not allow overweight persons to dine at buffets?
— amp, web, Oct. 15
I agree with Caitlin that this connects to a wider push in this country right now to push “others” to the fringes of society — queer folks, immigrants, people of color, poor and working-class folks. It seems like things like the Tea Party are making bigots feel they can be even bolder and pushier. And it takes just one incident like this to make all of us feel more scared in public space. Thanks to Caitlin and her girlfriend for bringing this to light!
— Isabell, web, Oct. 15
Why should my husband and I have rights that my sister and her partner do not have? The actions of the security guard and the supervisor are totally unacceptable. We must fight against such discrimination.
— Prof. Knight, web, Oct. 15
Duke Energy lights
Responding to the rainbow light themes on Uptown’s Duke Energy Building on National Coming Out Day (qnotescarolinas.com/8788), readers say:
I could see the building from my job last night and it was quite beautiful. Awesome display of corporate citizenship, Wells Fargo. Well done!
— Gay Lee Forward, web, Oct. 12
Awesome. I honestly became a little emotional upon seeing that in the sky last night. It’s just great.
— Equality, web, Oct. 12
That’s pretty impressive. Wachovia will become Wells Fargo later this month in Georgia. Wells Fargo participated in the Atlanta Pride parade yesterday and literally rolled into town in a red horse-drawn carriage. A horse and buggy and rainbow buildings?? Sounds like “The Wizard of Oz” to me. They’re doing a lot to be seen as a friend of Dorothy, huh?
— DavidAtlanta, web, Oct. 12
This was an amazing feeling, riding home from the Candle Light Vigil and looking to my left seeing this building in a display of Rainbow colors. “Alone we will have failure, but together we have strength and we will persevere.”
— Michael Turner, web, Oct. 12