In response to Steve Markle's letter on Thursday, I would like to point out that, for all practical purposes, 51 weeks of the year are Straight Week. Why haven't you seen the ads? The reason is that there is a fundamental difference between the gay and straight communities, and it has nothing to do with sexual preference. The gay community has been denied many basic rights in our society; the straight community, as a whole, has not. In 39 states, individuals can legally be fired because they are gay.

Same-sex unions and health-care benefits for same-sex partners are also rights and needs that many gay individuals are forced to live without. Mr. Markle tries to find the "real issue" at hand. Is it violence or intimidation? While these are both serious problems faced by the gay community, and by many other groups, the "real issue" is homophobia in our society.

In order to combat the symptoms of the problem, we need to address the cause. Events like Pride Week begin to undertake the daunting task of challenging homophobia; as such, they are necessary in the fight for equality, and warrant funding from USG.