Unjustifiable Defense

Concerning Susan Self’s pronouncement under the headline “Sadly, 1st Amendment Is Also a Defender of the Dross of This World” (June 5): Since when was gay bashing a form of free expression that needs to be defended?

Get real. In a world (and a city) full of hate crimes against gays, Self’s statement that she doesn’t find “ ‘bluenoses, religious fanatics [and] gay bashers’ . . . an especially attractive group either, but [critic Christopher Knight] would help his cause by pledging to defend their right to free expression just as ardently as he appears to defend Mapplethorpe’s” particularly jarring.

Rather than encouraging gay bashing, perhaps The Times should run articles discouraging such evil acts. Or would we rather see more gay men and lesbians murdered?

CHRIS WORKMAN

Kettering, Ohio