In his letter "Homophobia, racism shouldn't be compared," Oct. 28, Earl Holt III made several ridiculous claims. First, he limits racism to being something understood only by people of African descent. Is he blind to the racism faced by Hispanics, Asians and other minorities? He also implies that gays imagine themselves to be oppressed. His very letter is a form of oppression, just like the oppression so many people deal with on a daily basis. In many cases, gays are forced to live day to day hiding who they are for fear of being "discovered." While sexuality may not be as visible as race, the issues are indeed very similar.

He continues to dismiss advocating for gay rights by saying they doesn't have the ability to stand on their own merit. Gays are in no way trying to trivialize or leech off of racism -- they are just trying to gain society's acceptance as individuals and earn equality like any other civil rights campaign. Sure there are differences between each movement, but the parallels are undeniable.

Additionally, he claims that sexuality is not an inherent trait, which is truly ridiculous. While a young child may not exhibit sexual preferences, there are definite differences that appear during adolescence, and this is a decision that no individual has control over, just like race. Who would actually choose to be harassed and ridiculed if it were such a simple choice? Very few, I would guess.

He finally says gays have not suffered real injustices, so then what does he think about the murders of Matthew Shepard and Brandon Teena? These and so many other hate crimes mark recent history, and I can't imagine someone thinking these are not injustices in a very real sense.