Those with gifts for leadership more often have found their vocational goals met as gay men and lesbians leading organizations where their passions are vitalized, their expertise utilized, and their humanity honored to the greatest degree. If organizations serving the gay and lesbian community offer opportunities to lead within a culture of trust and support for achieving these goals, wiser and more capable leaders will emerge.

The environment of many organizations is a problem for many potential leaders. Often a significant proportion of the constituency will have intensely fixed, ill-informed, and simplistic notions in topic areas large and small. Often, too, there is a lack of willingness to negotiate and seek consensus, resulting in petty and pointless "turf wars."

The leadership demands of dealing with matters of perpetual victimhood claims, political correctness, faddism, programmed cultural mediocrity, and the refusal to take responsibility for oneself discourage many. The high risk of failure and low likelihood of excellence, regardless of one's commitment and energy, encourage talented souls to look elsewhere.

As leaders grow and find their place in the community at large, the attractiveness of a "gay community," acrimonious within itself and under misperception of constant siege from without, will diminish. As gay men and lesbians embrace a model of community centered on trust and friendship as a foundation for what follows rather than either mindless conformity or a crockpot of stewing personal and political issues, leaders who can serve such a community will emerge.

Ron Schwartz, MBA, PhD

SO REFRESHING, so necessary
STRANGER: Cheers to Eli Sanders for continuing to pursue the issue of Seattle's ineffective approach to the STD crisis. The focus on personal responsibility is so refreshing and necessary for any morsel of change to take root. Excellent work!

James Murphy, via e-mail

SEAN NELSON: WRONG
STRANGER: Normally I tend to agree with Sean Nelson's short film reviews, but he lost points with me in his July 10 brief on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen [On Screen]. While I'm not denying that the movie is probably a stinking Hollywood load, the assumption that the comic is at fault is fantastically naive. (Batman & Robin, anybody?)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (by Alan Moore, with art by Kevin O'Neill) is actually considered one of the smartest, funniest, and best-written comics in the mainstream right now. It's a tongue-in- cheek sendup of overwrought 19th-century adventure novels, and I heartily recommend it to anybody sick of superhero steroid-fests or self-referencing underground work.

In addition, the film option was bought out before the comic's release--ergo, the movie has about as much to do with the comic as our current administration has to do with compassion.

Dylan Meconis, via e-mail

A WALK IN THE PARK
Editor's note: Every couple of months we receive a letter from a rabid Linkin Park fan berating us--and specifically former Stranger writer Nathan Thornburgh--about an unfavorable article we ran about the band way back in January 2001. Here is one of them. Enjoy.

STRANGER: This e-mail is for Nathan Thornburgh. You're an ass. Chester Bennington of Linkin Park RULES--Linkin Park are more successful then you'll EVER be. And as far as them "copying Limp Bizkit" you're WRONG.... Listen to their music--it sounds NOTHING like Limp Bizkit. You're an asshole--probably just jealous of their success and money. They have a huge fan following--people that actually like them and support their music--and that's something you can't say about yourself. Every time Linkin Park plays a show it is SOLD OUT--every time they make a CD they sell MILLIONS. Choke on that. Asshole!

"Sincerely,"

A Linkin Park Fan

ACTUALLY, MIN Liao IS A WOMAN
STRANGER: I'm glad Min Liao can enjoy dumb holidays by ordering out from his favorite places (ever consider the guests?) in a beer-induced stupor, and maybe even blow up some shit while he still knows which end is up on the bottle rocket ["No California Harissa," July 3]. Sounds like lots of fun if you're 19. Many professional and nonprofessional cooks look forward to the opportunity to experiment with new recipes without the pressure of customer approval. The chefs featured in the Food & Wine article Min Liao refers to undoubtedly didn't have to run all over the city to pick up ingredients for their eclectic menu; any cooks worth their weight would have them in the pantry. What's wrong with celebrating Independence Day with an international flavor? Doesn't Min Liao recognize that thousands of immigrants are sworn in as American citizens on that day? What kind of food writer intentionally tries to squelch creativity in the privacy of one's own kitchen and would dare to imply that marinades are slavish tasks? I guess you forgot to put CRAB on your list of favorites!

J. Sugura, via e-mail