To the editor:

Re: Duane Long鈥檚 letter to the Capital News, published Aug.14, 2019.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, 鈥渉ate begets hate,鈥� so I refuse to hate or hurt you like you have so blatantly done to others.

You write that our tax dollars shouldn鈥檛 be spent on a parade and rainbow crosswalks.

I have two things to say to that.

First, you write 鈥渙ur鈥� as though the tax dollars are yours. You create a dualistic world when you do that and that鈥檚 what starts wars.

Heed caution, for your words have power. Last time I checked, the LGBTQ2+ community is a part of 鈥渙ur鈥� Canada.

It is all of our taxes that pay for all of us.

Second, I would like to thank you. You have demonstrated so eloquently the exact reason why we need a parade and rainbow crosswalks. I hope the city paints more because of you.

Only someone with the privilege of ignorance would write that we play 鈥渢he downtrodden role.鈥� I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you are obviously ignorant to the hate and crime committed against the LGBTQ2+ community in this world.

In some places, we receive the death penalty.

According to Human Rights Campaign, 26 transgender people in the United States were murdered last year.

We live in different countries, but we are all a part of the world.

I am not your victim. I play no role, other than the one that obliges me to speak up because I have the privilege that I can.

You鈥檙e right. I am very proud.

I am proud to be gay and I am also proud to be Canadian. Canada is becoming a leading example of peace in our world, and it鈥檚 each Canadian鈥檚 job to set this example.

Do your job better.

Rose Caron

琉璃神社