No Gay Community

Re “Gay Pride Confronts an Identity Crisis,” June 24: Although I’m a 50-year-old libertarian gay man, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of any “community.” If people are astonished to discover that “the gay community has long experienced a certain amount of internal dissent,” then they must not get out much.

Imagine making the statement about an imaginary “women’s community” or “adolescent community.” Aside from the obvious us-versus-them factor, it seems that most of the confusion comes from equating the mythical gay community with the very real, self-righteous, naive, thought-police community. And although it isn’t necessary to be gay to be a member of the Stalinist community, sadly, it obviously doesn’t hurt, either.

Tony Enos

Los Angeles