I OFFICIALLY RETRACT THE SEXUAL MANIFESTO

I would like to go on the record and retract my own Sexual Manifesto.

Although I think it is still very rational, I have realized that refusing to name your sexuality by the only means possible--loaded, abused and stigmatized language with clinical and pathological implications--will only serve to keep sexual minorities in the closet.

As opposed to the alternative--if enough people are open and brave enough to apply such labels to themselves and, through activism, friendships, and lifestyle examples, provide alternative perceptions of sexual minorities, it will no longer make sense to push LGBT-identified individuals to the sidelines, erase them, exclude them, humiliate them and/or demean them--because it will become obvious how unfounded these phobias, misperceptions, and social constructions are. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

This also reinforces how important ALLIES are. We really need you.

Which just makes me feel once more so upset about what is going on with ENDA--and HRC. We need the momentum from the gay rights movement to help gender oppression--it CANNOT succeed by itself. Even if it sets the LGB back a year or two, we can't leave those with non-normative gender identities to suffer for WHO KNOWS HOW LONG. Why would we leave our friends behind?