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Except that the way Rick’s letter appeared in print wasn’t the way he wrote it: the letters editor changed Rick’s use of the word “gay(s)” to “homosexual(s)” throughout. Rick, feeling his point of view had been skewed, fired off the following missive to the letters editor:
I strongly object to your changing "gay" to "homosexual" throughout my letter as printed in today's letters page. Regardless of your own style sheet, this sort of editorial policy makes no sense, as it is my name below the letter and not yours, and that is not what I wrote. Virtually no one talks that way any more, including Times readers. This is such a relic, I cannot believe you would insist on doing this. Why can't you let people speak in their own voices, short of obscenity? In fact, why don't you insist on it?
In response, Rick received the following note:
Dear Mr. Rosendall,
Per The Times' policy against Orwellian abuse of the English language, the euphemism "gay" is not used to describe the homosexual lifestyle.
Cordially,
Matthew A. Rarey, Letters Editor
What’s interesting is not so much that a right-leaning paper has a thoroughly, even laughably, reactionary letters editor (even the title he gave Rick’s original published letter, “Homosexuals pooh-pooh pedophilia,” is belittling and misleading), but that this very conservative paper also is running Andrew Sullivan’s "Weekly Dish" column and not editing its pro-gay content, much less its use of the “G” word instead of the “H” word.
Email Andrew Sullivan and ask him about his Orwellian abuse of the English language.
(sent in by AgendaBender)