Legal problems.

While I applaud The Advocate for publishing the special report "Gay Law for Beginners" [May 8], I was distressed to note the absence of any discussion of family law, children, and adoption. Given that somewhere between 6 and 10 million children are being raised by gay and lesbian parents, one would think this information might be valuable to your readers. Knowing how to protect our family relationships is key to the safety and well-being of our children, and the laws vary widely from state to state. I urge you to include such a piece in the future.

The authors, Kenji Yoshino and Michael Kavey, encourage readers with legal problems to consult a lawyer. I encourage your readers to go to the Web site of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (www.nlgla.org), which lists over 20 affiliate lesbian and gay bar associations across the country, many of which have membership directories and/or referral services. Because the laws affecting our lives are changing rapidly, it is essential to locate an attorney who has the requisite experience.

JOYCE KAUFFMAN Cambridge, Mass.

What a complete disgrace to your readers was the opening paragraph of "Gay Law for Beginners." The friend asking about Sinead O'Connor leaving the Supreme Court was found endearing and to get you thinking. And the cute conclusion was equally as embarrassing.

There is no shame in one not being an expert on current events, but what level of intelligence is this magazine geared toward? Such writing has the feel of a bad freshman paper (you can decide if that's high school or college).

Thanks for making an effort to educate your readers, but please provide us with important information in these special reports in a more intelligent fashion.

J. McDOWELL Washington, D.C.