WeHo News prints every letter it receives and verifies through a phone call. We WILL request your PHONE NUMBER for ID verification. That private information is not kept by us or used for commercial purposes and is not shared with anyone at all, ever.

We promise to publish all letters received unedited except for brevity, grammar & spelling.

We publish the letters as a group on most Thursdays.

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In certain cases where a letter could stand alone as an op-ed piece, we'll publish it as such.

This Week:

From Pat Rocco, Hawaii

RE: Anderson Cooper finally comes out

Congratulations to Anderson Cooper for his forthright announcement of coming out. Those of us who have "been there,” understand the turmoil and conflict of coming out. 

I was not one of them. I came out in the late forties (when I was thirteen) and all my friends knew it. So did everyone else who crossed my path in the 50's. 60's and 70's etc.

Many of you who are reading this remember me for my movies in the sixties, my presidency of CSW in the seventies and the first Festival, my founding of Hudson House, the first shelter for homeless gay men and lesbians, and some may even remember my music (ongoing).

However, Mr. Cooper prominently thanks those in the past for making it easier for those in the present, by sticking their necks out when the ax was always ready to fall. For some reason I NEVER minded sticking my neck out, and by being such a public figure, getting death threats regularly.

Others like Rev. Troy Perry and Morris Kight also got their fair share of death threats by sticking their necks out and "standing up proud" when it was MOST unpopular to do so.

But there's still a few of us old warhorses around to remember what it was like to be out and scared of it, but still putting our best foot forward to make a difference.

Anderson Cooper now has a great opportunity to "make a difference", and if his coming out announcement is used to great advantage to be a role model, then hoorah for him, and more power to him.

Now it's YOUR turn (those who are reading this and haven't yet come all the way out). Do yourself a BIG favor, sigh a sigh of relief, and GET ON with it.

You'll never know how GOOD you'll feel about yourself until you lift and throw off that heavy burden that's been holding you down.

In addition, age doesn't matter. If you're 13 or 30 or less or more, breathe that sigh of relief and just DO IT!

Thanks Anderson, for starting YOUR new path of relief.

From Dan Ramos

RE: WeHo News returns to publication after hiatus

I see from the re-started emails from WeHo News that you are back in action.

I was beginning to wonder if the WeHo News online paper was out of business.

In the last few months, a few news items concerning West Hollywood were reported in the general press.

By habit, I would go to your web site for more details and would be disappointed that the site was out of date.

I hope that you are back for good.

From Pat Rocco, Hawaii

RE: HAAS-TA LA VISTA: Eye sore

Regarding Mr. Haas' tear-it-down and build-it-up theories: there are MANY aspects to consider before rushing forth (if it's ever POSSIBLE to rush forth).

On one side there's Haas' theory of cleaning up Santa Monica Blvd. of the blight of the LGBT community, which is the theater itself, what it shows, and those who go to see it.

Haas wants to send these people to "another place" so we can redo the theater completely.

Fine - so far.

But what if some (perhaps like Haas) started to say that - let's say - we should not allow drags on the streets or in the bars because they show a side of our society that some people think is negative? Or substitute the word "drags" for - "leather guys" or "hustlers" or "bull dykes" or "gay bars" or "effeminate men" or "mannish lesbians" or "straight cops of sheriffs" or "Russians" or "priests" or "people who wear loud clothing" or "people who don't think like the writer", or "older gay men and lesbians" or etc. etc. etc.

Should all of these be ordered to go someplace else?

And who would do the ordering?

Yes, we have a widely diverse gay community, and most have learned to accept this - even LOVE it.

It's because that most of us have lived with, mingled with, celebrated with, and worked with our melting pot of diversified gay society - that we have become STRONGER and BETTER for it. 

And so Mr. Haas, who or what is next?

Would your "revival" of the Studs Theater be just the beginning of who or what should go or stay?

As good an idea you have for a cultural center is, why not rally for a NEW theater at a fine West Hollywood location? Surely BOTH can survive. Your world-class theatrical center could be the pride of West Hollywood, and would most likely be supported by the tourists and our own community if it is truly DIVERSIFIED and not limited to close-minded ideas.

But the new should not trample on the rights of that diversity, or all is lost. 

And it's worth repeating - WHO'S NEXT?