I try to stay out of politlcal-type stuff, but this piece is excellent and should be published in every gay news outlet. If Imus was canned, so should have been Washington. ABC obviously thought, and correctly so, let it go for a few days and no one will remember. Shame on GLAAD.

Let's be realistic Michael. We have let ourselves down in more ways than just having no backbone. Most of the gay community, at least in the New York area, are more concerned worshipping drag queens, porn stars, and DJ's (no offense to any of those performers) than they are with protecting their right to live an equal life. Reading any issue of HX magazine will prove that. Our community has become increasingly and alarmingly sedate and accepting of the status quo.

It becomes taxing to continue to care after a while, especially when you have institutions like GLAAD and Logo being the "face" of your culture. Institutions that are more about making friends than they are about making waves. Institutions that, on too many occasions, live up to the stereo types we're trying to fight.

Even the Gay Pride Parade has become more about corporations exploiting the gay community by "marching" with us. It has become about the opportunity for them to market their product, not stand up and fight. And, aside from you, where are all those "gay icons" I mentioned earlier when it's time to say something of substance on the issues facing the gay community?

So, as you have called on us, I am calling on you. You are very well connected with the afore mentioned drag queens, porn stars, and DJs. Why not put them on camera in a PSA and force Logo to play it. Force GLAAD to include it. If these "icons" can collect a paycheck from the money we spend, they can donate a few minutes of their time to our cause. If not, then maybe they don't deserve our spotlight.

I think Roseanne Barr recently said it best when she stated that gay people only care about gay issues. The biggest lie ever sold was that minority communities have to fight each other for resources. The gay community itself is also very fractured. We are not a community when white gay men rove in packs, black, latino and asian men are only sexualized and exoticized, and gay women and transgendered persons are an afterthought. So until we clean our own house "WE" will never be able to mobilize effectively.

Rosanne Barr is absolutely correct the so called
"gay community" such as NY BLADE, Washington Blade is run by white gay men. The so called "gay" community is basically whiteness. Its not about gays of colour. And I have felt thoroughout my life that white gays WANT gay blacks and other gays of colour to "choose" sides. I am BLACK and I AM GAY I am BOTH and if I had to choose I would choose the BLACK SIDE. The media sterotypes the black community too much. The black community is not so homophobic there are elements of homophobia. However, the white gay community I can say from personal experience is very Anti BLACK and VERY RACIST. All I got to do is read Kevin Naff in the Washington Blade or read NY BLADE to prove my point. Isaiah Washington is NOT a bigot. He's a man that had an argugment with a coworker at work. The white gay media has taken this too far.
It was wrong for Washington to call his co worker a faggot. However, the white gay community isn't fooling anyone they went hard after Washington because he's a black man.

As black writers have pointed out racism, homophobia, and sexism cannot be ignored they are connected. GLAAD doesn't care about racism or sexism all GLAAD cares about is how white gays are protrayed in the mainstream media.
Next, you got a white gay man Kevin Naff recently wrote a column in Washington Blade DEFENDING Don Imus. I mean Naff is not only a racist he's also a major hypocrite.

I read the article and the author of the piece says "our community." The question has to be asked who is Michael Lucas gay community? Its obvious to gay black men such as myself that gay people of colour we are not a part of this "gay" community. Jasmyne Cannick a black lesbian feminist has pointed out the ineffectiveness of GLAAD since GLAAD is hypocritical against black gays and very racist. The so called drag queen Shirley Q Liquor performs at white bars across America in blackface yet GLAAD says nothing about it.

I want to say something personally and directly to Andre who commented above.

You are as prejudiced as anybody else possibly could be, lumping all white people into one mentality and not acknowledging that there are many white people of open mind and great integrity.

Really, Andre. You and society will benefit from thinking these questions through more clearly. It does no long-term good to classify yourself on a "side" with regards to sexual orientation or ethnic background. What does accomplish something worthwhile is declaring that all individuals deserve respect as individuals, and that our common humanity is more important than any cultural differences there happen to be between us. I think that of you, even though I don't know you personally, and I hope you give me that same respect.

Harvey Fierstein is a household name; Kevin Naff is not. Harvey had an Imus-scandal-related op-ed piece published in the New York Times, which is more widely read than The Washington Blade. I dare say the New York Times is read by more gay people than is the Washington Blade. In Harvey's article, he called for the elimination of bigotry of whatever sort, without exception. And even Kevin Naff was not saying that Imus was laudable because of the things he had said. Mr. Naff, rather, was making a free speech argument. It couldn't be clearer in Mr. Naff's piece that he is not in favor of bigotry. And, while you cited Jasmyne Cannick, you did not mention something germane to the Imus case. Namely, the worst offense in the specific insults for which he was fired did not involve race. It rather involved misogyny. And the specific element of misogyny to which Imus gave voice did not originate with straight white males.

To me it seems more salubrious and rational to call for the elimination of all bigotry than to declare that you're taking a side, label all people not on your supposed "side" as bad and evil and then dig in your heels and make no attempt to bring about more love in the world.

If the gay community is "basically whiteness", as you say, then why is Kevin Aviance the star he is? Why is RuPaul known . . . as a gay person . . . to the entire country and much of the world? How many gay people can you find who don't know the name Bobby Blake? What is the show Noah's Ark about? Yes or no; has it been written about at great length in virtually every major gay publication?

Ironically, you Andre say that you can't read the New York Blade without proving your point that gay people who happen to be white are anti-black racists. Yet Michael's column . .. the one under which you placed your comment . . . originally appeared in the Blade, and cited black leaders' reactions to Imus's insults as a model for gay leaders to follow.

If you knew me, Andre, you would know that in my mind and heart there is not one iota of bigotry against any group of people. I give each individual the respect of evaluating him/her as an individual. The question is, what are you going to do; contribute to social progress by calling for the elimination of all bigotry, or contribute to the perpetuation of bigotry by "taking a side"? You talk as though all non-black people are against you because you are black, but that simply isn't so.

Good article. The gay community needs a kick in the ass. We must demand the heads of those who insult us. No less.

I agree with Michael here whole heartedly. I think every gay person should take a page from the Larry Kramer book of activism. We need to stand up, be heard, and fight if necessary to get respect. The Religous Right has made it perfectly clear they have no intentions of ever giving us respect. The Ann Coulters of the world are mean, nasty people. You don't fight fire by sitting in the middle of it and hope you don't get burned. You fight fire with fire. We will never get respect until we earn respect, and sometimes the only way to do that is by demanding it.... OUT LOUD....

I agree with your article. I've found that I am, generally, more involved in Gay Rights activism than my gay friends. At times this bothers me greatly. I don't fully understand people who choose not to fight for their rights/beliefs.

I do think everyone in support of equality - no matter one's sexual orientation or gender identity - should speak out. However, the lack of equality affacts everone. Thomas Paine once said, "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression."

In response to the person who shifted some of the blame onto the adult entertainment industry and others, I must say that I know some GLBT people who have little desire to attend a Gay Pride celebration until it is menioned that a celeb of interest will be in attendence. With such attractions available, it is hoped that more gay rights literature will be disbursed and that people who were previously clueless will take a more active role in the community.