In her July 14 opinion piece (tinyurl.com/bradleycol), state Rep. Brandi Bradley responded to a piece from Chad Cox that Colorado Community Media published on July 10 (tinyurl.com/lettercox).

Mr. Cox, who is a Navy veteran, had taken issue with a post (tinyurl.com/bradleypost) on Rep. Bradley's Facebook page in which, implicitly referencing LGBTQ Pride Month, she stated, “Our veterans and our military DESERVE a month of celebration, not naked grown men grooming our children.”

At the end of her own CCM essay, Rep. Bradley tacitly invited “constructive feedback on [her] viewpoints.” I would like to offer some here.

Rep. Bradley stated: “I question why there's a push to elevate a particular group of people — those in the LGBTQ community — over others.”

Seems to me that very few people who are both decent and sensible would see in Pride Month any sort of elevation of the LGBTQ community “over others.” Rather, I think people who are both decent and sensible see Pride Month as an opportunity for members of the LGBTQ community to celebrate their acceptance in the community as people deserving of basic human dignity in the face of a history and a continuing present of vicious bigotry.

Rep. Bradley stated: “Mr. Cox took offense to me calling out that the rainbow flag is being used by groomers.”

Yes, Mr. Cox did, as all people who are both decent and sensible ought to do. To insinuate that all members of the LGBTQ community are “groomers” is a vicious slur. See Point 1 above.

Rep. Bradley suggested that in accordance with Pride Month : “We must pledge our allegiance, even in violation of our conscience, lest we be derided in public as an ignorant hater; or otherwise shamed and booed back into compliance.”

Actually, no one is demanding that anyone else do anything, apart from refrain from slurring whole communities with words like “groomer.” See Point 2 above.

I sincerely hope Rep. Bradley finds this feedback helpful.

Eric Brody

Castle Pines