Being Gay is Now a Problem

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/nyregion/16gays.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=gay%20bronx&st=cse

Openly Gay in the Bronx, but Constantly on Guard

The New York Times

Sam Dolnick

I think the headline is very straight forward and sums up the story in a couple of words. It works very well with the story because the whole story is about the recent attacks on three men in the Bronx for being gay and gay people having to be cautious of being openly gay on the Bronx. The lead was very well written because it posts up a scenario that the reader could follow but still leaves the reader on a hanger to make up their own conclusions but explains it in the rest of the story.

The sources in the story were Keith Mitchell who lives in the Bronx and is openly gay, Charles Rice Gonzalez a writer and gay activists, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., and Eliza Byard an executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. This story also contained many different quotes from people who live in the neighborhood where the three men were tortured for being gay. The story contained a lot of statistics which was very helpful because it gave the reader a better understanding of the situation with LGBT communities in NYC. The story could have used more quotes from other openly gay men who live in the same neighborhood as Keith Mitchell and someone from the police department to shed some light on how the case of the three tortured men could affect other openly gay men in the city.

The story could have used more quotes from different sources like other openly gay men or people who sympathize with other gay men. The story was very long but it was very informative but I think it could have been shorter because it seemed like there was too much packed into one story.

The story uses the news determinants timeliness, proximity and human interest. Everyone is interested in what’s going on in the Bronx with the men who were arrested for torturing three openly gay men which makes it a story people want updates on. This new controversy with openly gay men is going on in the Bronx and a lot of readers either live in the Bronx or close to it. This story serves to shed some light on issues going on in different communities which trigger different emotions.

I chose this article because I am very passionate about LGBT issues because I feel that everyone has a right to be who they are and not have to look over their shoulders wondering if something is going to happen. I thought it was also interesting that something so horrible is going on so close to my home, if it can happen in the Bronx it can happen anywhere. This article showed me how serious the situation is with openly gay people and society not wanting them to embrace them.