Editor,

I moved from Coupeville last year but still enjoy reading the news about North Whidbey online.

Today, I was deeply disappointed that you published a letter from a Mr. Jones in Bremerton that includes a slur against gays.

Worse, you featured the slur in your headline for the letter.

If this had been a racial slur, I doubt you would have included the letter in the paper. And I’m quite sure you would not have chosen to feature the slur in the headline.

While I am not gay, I have many friends on the island, including North Whidbey and elsewhere, who are. I think you owe them an apology.

At the very least, you and your staff need to smarten up about today’s world and refrain from drawing attention to such a rude slur by including it in a headline.

The quotation marks did not lessen the sting.

Molly Cook

Bellevue