It has become frighteningly clear that queer people have much more to worry about than religious fanatics and fag-bashing rednecks. Could it be that the real demise of our movement lies in our own rank and file? We read with growing anger the truly insulting and misinformed letter written by John Bell titled "Don't add the T" which appeared in The Daily Collegian on Monday, Jan. 23.

Rather than taking the opportunity to enlighten the University community as to what transgender issues are, John resorted to scare tactics and assimilationist appeals for acceptance. This is no surprise since his letter really had very little to do with the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance or concerns about gender. His letter was about fear and about control. It was a letter that proved to many of us that we are doing exactly the right thing by supporting transgender inclusion.

Why transgender is so threatening to some in the queer community is twofold. First, it is not a black and white issue. It is one of those annoying subjects that actually requires you to think, that requires you to question your role in society and the privileges you take for granted. Second, it undermines the power imbalance between men and women, an imbalance that exists whether you're gay, straight or bisexual. Most men in our society, regardless of sexual orientation, are raised to believe that they have specific rights and responsibilities afforded to them because they are male. Most men are also raised to believe that females are inferior, untrustworthy, and the opposite of males. This is the foundation of gender and unfortunately it is where sexism and homophobia are justified.

In our society being a gay man is a problem because it is seen as being "like a woman." The inability to see how gender is the justification for homophobia is why so many queers are filled with self-hatred and hatred for each other. So we have these straight-acting gay men, and somehow these men can convince themselves that they are proud to be gay. Proud of the ultimate violation of their assigned gender roles?

Every time they kiss another man, have sex with another man or love another man, they are violating their assigned gender roles. Only after we abandon the limited confines of male and female can queer people move forward, together. That is transgendered behavior. That is why transgender issues are our issues.

For far too long, we queers have been undermined by those who stand to gain the most from the "we're not any different than straight people" dogma. It has been the consciously self-closeting, straight-acting gay men of this community that frighten us. They want to be straight men, with all the privileges that come with it, and yet still have a male partner, job security and a place to dance on Sunday night. Well guess what fellas, to our enemies, you're still a bunch of fags and they're gonna hate you no matter how much you try and play their game.

John Bell said in his letter that we're not simply sexual outsiders." Well John, to our enemies that is exactly what we are, no matter how much we try to co-opt heterosexual ethics. Modeling our sexuality after straight people's will do nothing for us than bring on our heads the inequalities and problems facing so many heterosexual couples today. You want to fit in, you are interested in acceptance. We are less interested in acceptance than we are in survival. Our transgendered friends are often the ones that take the brunt of the violence directed at our community because they are unable or unwilling to hide their differences. We can no longer afford to sanitize our movement to gain acceptance. We've lost too many lives just to fit in.

John stated his concern about "providing ammunition to those that oppose us." We think it might be smarter to re-think the battle plan. If John Bell wanted to find real opposition to queer liberation he might not have to go too far. He could simply look in the mirror.