LGBT DIY.

The July 18 issue provided two good reminders that we have to fight for ourselves to affirm our place in our society and our rights. In the story about meeting the right definition of family to be allowed to live in certain municipalities ["Gay Families, Keep Out!"], the Ladue, Mo., city attorney claims that city council members are eager to legislate in favor of gay and lesbian couples today if a battle presents itself. It does not seem to occur to him that these eager legislators could just vote to toss out their discriminatory ordinance; they don't need a new "test case" from one of us to do so.

In Second Opinions, at the very end of the issue, we are given a final reminder. In an editorial in a trade press targeting the newspaper business, Joe Strupp opines that if gays and lesbians took "their battle for true equality to the streets in huge numbers," our cause might become a "priority" in newspaper editorials. That these newspapers could provide editorial support for our rights simply because it is the fair thing to do, whether or not we take to the streets, doesn't seem to occur to him. I'm not convinced that such direct action would not lead instead to editorials about our "lawlessness."

In both cases we are reminded that if we expect others to do our heavy lifting for us, we can expect to be disappointed.

ROBERT FRAME Minneapolis. Minn.