Several of my students, who are lesbian and gay, were deeply upset by the cartoon you chose to run on Monday, Feb. 23. Meanwhile, it sounds to me (from sidewalk conversations overheard) that the boors the cartoon was supposed to mock actually felt supported, not criticized, by Nate Allen's cartoon.

So, you've given jerks a chance to feel good and laugh, and given the lesbian, bi, gay and transgender folks here another reason to feel scared and silenced. I don't think the cartoon worked as you had planned, Ed Ronco. Next time, think twice about using a slur to try and champion political progress.

Alice Dreger
associate professor of
science and technology studies