In the queer community, we have a lot of discussions about the intersection between sexuality and gender. I’ve been party to many dinner parties where we natter on about what really defines “us” — is it our sexual orientation or our gender identity? We talk a lot about how as “the movement” is broadening its reach to include trans people, it’s encouraging gay and lesbian folks to think about how homophobia intersects with transphobia, and how to make space and share “lessons learned” with up-and-coming activists who are struggling with issues that are so pressing … like finding a safe place to pee — as Ivan Coyote wrote about in a recent issue of This Mag.
Anyway, all of these discussions are really inconsequential to the fundamentalists who are so terrified of “the gay.” According to WorldNet Daily’s resident fundie Jim Rutz, “homosexuality is always deviant.” And the latest threat to our children’s moral purity? No, it’s not Madonna or home decoration shows. It’s soy, which according to Rutz has the ability to turn boys into girls and girls into women …

Which brings me back to my original point. If you read Rutz’s rant, what he really seems to be scared of is men becoming more like women. I find that this is the real source of homophobia — hatred and fear of women …
That’s why Jack Malebranche is only fueling hatred against women by suggesting that gay men should redefine themselves in an effort to “remain men.” (You’ll note the portrait of him holding a baseball bat in a menacing manner — lovely).
That’s why I’ve always believed that the past battles between feminists and gay men (over censorship/pornography) and between lesbians and trans people (over access to women-only spaces) seemed so futile.
Because according to our opponents, the only thing worse than being gay is being a woman.