John Aravosis wrote:

"...what I as a gay man have in common with a man who wants to cut off his penis, surgically construct a vagina, and become a woman."

"What did I get wrong, Lish? I'm sorry if not using buzz words and code words that people don't understand, like gender identity, offends you, but I think I gave a pretty accurate definition of pre-op transsexual, did I not?"

No John, you made an ignorant and offensive insult, which said it all about your complete lack of understanding or compassion for trans people. And if you honestly consider "gender identity" to be a buzz word that people you know won't understand, then why don't you do us all a big favor:

1. Look up "gender identity" on Wikipedia (or any modern LGBT source).

2. Try to put thoughts about penises (cut off or not) out of your mind for a while.

3. Call up your beltway Democrat friends and clients and patiently explain what you've finally learned about trans people.

I would like to apologize, however, for assuming that your blatantly transphobic remarks were evidence of prejudice and disrespect. I see now that you were completely unaware of how narrow-minded your tabloid stereotyping of trans people makes you look.

just came to have a look-see then leave. but i have a suggestion for Dana Runs. it ALL starts with a BLOG. that's how Aravosis and Greenwald got their space. get an email address, invite all here to wait a week then drop by. then START WRITING FURIOUSLY!). you can be sure Holly will arrive with all of her friends. best of luck to you and Holly.

The thing that I find most disturbing about this article combined with the letters responding to it is the underlying current of sexism.

Whenever a transgendered person is mentioned or referred to for real or rhetorical reasons, it is always a male-to-female person, or, and it sickens me that this phrase was used by an allegedly educated person, a man who wants to cut off his penis. When gay people write letters defending the separation of "gay" and "transgender" into two separate categories, it is men, and in at least one specific case the person doubts that the two should be thrown together, because that would be to instinuate that a gay man is or could be fundamentally like a woman or share more properties of that gender.

I find it slightly ridiculous but mostly sad. Even here in the case of so-called progressive people fighting for so-called progressive legislature, it is still just a male pissing contest. "That guy is a freak, he wants to cut off his own dick!" "Don't categorize me with those people because even if I'm gay and I like taking it from behind I am still a manly man!"

This may seem a peripheral issue to many people here but it seems pathetic to me that this form of chauvinism still dominates even in a world allegedly counter to the male-dominated norm.

Maybe you are right John, you do have better connections than I do, but I don't see how in the hell Bush doesn't veto this, I just don't. As for your other argument, I'm reminded of how things played out here in Louisville. When the local Fairness Ordinance came up for a vote, we were assured by members of the city council that we had the votes to get this passed but that some of them might waver if the usual nutcases raised bloody hell. Well, they did raise hell, all kinds of it and it got pretty nasty.

But you know what, the uglier it got, the more votes we got. It passed overwhelmingly and many of those who voted yes, said that they were persuaded to vote that way only after seeing how hateful some in the community could be. When the pressure was on them, with the media eating it up and the city hall packed with vocal supporters of both sides, they did the right thing even though some told them it was politically reckless to vote yes. It's been almost ten years and not a single one of those brave souls ever paid a price at the polls. Republicans and Democrats alike were all re-elected and today, it's never even an issue.

I bring this up because Louisville is a lot like the nation at a whole. It's fairly representative of the nation with regards to race, religion and economic standing. Yes, it does skew towards the Democrats with regards to voter registration, but aside from the usual liberal urban enclaves, of which I am fortunate enough to live in, it's a pretty moderate place and hardly one of the big city liberal places you like to hold up as the only places that get such legislation passed.

A year after Louisville passed it's law, Lexington and Covington followed and I assure you that neither of them is close to as liberal as Louisville and yet the same thing happened there that happend here, the elected officials did the right thing and voted for a trans inclusive law. In both of those cities, no one who voted yes ever paid a price at the voting booth. My point is, if it can be done here in Kentucky, the home of Mitch McConnell, he lives in my neighborhood, Jim Bunning and Ernie Fletcher, it can happen anywhere, including at the national level. It's not going to happen as long as Bush is in office, but I really do believe that if we get him out of there and get a better Congress, less Bush Dog Democrats, we can do this in 2009.

Look, I want the 25 million gays and lesbians to get their protection as bad as you do. I was there fighting for local fairness long before I finally accepted the fact that I was trans. I fought the hateful marriage amendment in 2004 and worked hard to get John Yarmuth, one of the more liberal congressman, elected as my representative in Congress. I'm with you John, I really am, but dropping the T only to see Bush veto it gets us nowhere. And John, you are a smart guy, I've read your stuff at Americablog for a long time, but you know in your heart and mind that Bush isn't about to disappoint the 29% of the population that still supports him.

This is my last letter here on this topic, I'm tired and ready to get back to work fighting for social justice issues of all kind. You've created a good dialogue here and though I disagree with what you have to say, I respect your right to your opinion and will fight like hell to let you say, no matter how much I disagree with what you say. Thanks John.