To a certain extent, I can understand Kramer's lament. But we have to also look at the fact that this "community" is actually a pretty disparate group not as tightly linked as many would have us believe. It's difficult to shape "policy," if you will, when we don't even have representatives or leaders. And whom would we select anyway? How would that selection process go? Right now, we have every Tom, Dick and Harry who can get 15 minutes in the spotlight speaking on EVERYONE's behalf, regardless of whether this is how we all actually feel or not. The gay "community" (or at least those who speak on its behalf) is often myopic in viewing itself. Take for instance all the hub-bub about Brokeback and suddenly gay cowboys are all the talk. I've grown up in cowboy country so gay wranglers are nothing new to me but suddenly there's a film and people gasp about the novel new thought of gay cowboys. Until the "community" stops seeing all gay men as stereotypes itself, it'll never discover the gays without fashion sense, or the video-game playing gays or the ones who work as plumbers in a small Kansas town...

Though his comments are pointed, they're not without hope—and they're not without merit. I think Larry has contributed more to queer culture and American history than most, and while I like Queerty lots I disagree with writing off his criticisms as "tiresome." The response plays into the passivity he's lambasting.

Thanks, Queerty, for the insightful and erudite explanation of why he's wrong.

Oh. You didn't write that bit. Too difficult or something?

For all Larry’s grumbling (and there is lots) he has done more than just piss, moan and criticize others (are you listening Queerty editors?). He helped found GMHC and Act-Up to name just a few accomplishments and yours?

I can think of our first unanimous order of business: ignore Queerty until it goes away, or at least until it takes up the agenda it touts in its subtitle. Or maybe we'll actually be the first marginalized group to achieve equality through "a healthy mix of style and fashion, entertainment and celebrity, news and politics and, yes, relationships and sex."

Larry has always been and remains rage-disabled...but he is most certainly one of the most important gay voices of the 20th Century. It is a little unfair to call him "tired." He's never been able to see over the rage, but his rage has played a huge postiive role in creating the freedom and acceptance that we now enjoy. Sadly, he's unable to appreciate that blogs like Queerty and videos like Tomboy are an important part of today's voice-- voices that were rare even twenty years ago and simply unimaginable thirty years ago. Speaking as a man of a certain age (ahem), I wish that Larry could look past his rage long enough to feel the pride and joy that I feel when I watch a video like Tomboy. On the other hand, Larry seems to have found the cure for AIDS: rage.

To characterize Kramer as 'tiresome' is disrespectful especially coming from this shallow little endeavor called Queerty. Kramer is someone who used up much of his life to challenge the anti-gay ignorant homophobic status quo especially during the initial wave of AIDS. He did it in person, directly, with courage. Now please remind me... what do you do here... for the gay community... other than gossip and paraphrase I mean? Get a clue.

...I know many people look to me for answers. Perhaps that is why many of you are here. You want answers? We're living in pigshit and its up to each one of us to figure out how to get out of it. You must know that by now. Crystal meth is not an answer. You must know that by now. And quite frankly statistically it is only happening to so few of us that it is hard to get anyone worked up about that problem. Just as it hard to get worked up about a middle-aged man with brains who sero-converts. You want to kill yourself. Go kill yourself. I'm sorry. It takes hard work to behave like an adult. It takes discipline. You want it to be simple. It isn't simple. Yes it is. Grow up. Behave responsibly. Fight for your rights. Take care of yourself and each other. These are the answers. It takes courage to live. Are you living? Not so I can see it. Gay people are all but invisible to me now. I wish you weren't. But you are. And I look real hard... -The Tragedy of Today's Gays (full text)

I will join the chorus. While you are busy fixating on the latest crystal meth takin', rent boy/porno star, turned 'it' boy de jour of the minute (a very quick NY minute at that), this guy has been busy trying to make life better for us gay folks. Does he understand all of us- hells no - but he is a helluva lot better than most of the "I am in it for myself" gay folks out there today who can't imagine sacrificing 5 minutes, much less years to a cause. His cause is us. What's yours?

This nasty post really shouldn’t surprise me, written by the QVN: Queerty Vacuous Ninnies. None of the bloggers here has the balls to take responsibility for anything they write, notice all posts are unsigned. Larry Kramer can’t get any respect on this site he’s not hot, he hasn’t been exploited by some sleazy pornographer and he writes at a level that the editors here would need a dictionary to understand. That’s three strikes on Queerty.

As a 21 year old queer raised and going to college in the midwest, I have to agree with Mr. Kramer. I long for that 'community' which I have all the old gays talk about. About protests and rallies, unity and love. But today, I am the only male queer in my school's art program (hard to believe but true), and I have to settle for being the token gay guy amoung the rest of my straight friends.

Not to mention how difficult it is to find a gay boy my age who isn't a damm libertarian. The whole "We want civil liberties but we don't want to have to work for them" crap gets on my nerves.

Quite frankly, the generation in charge of this so-called gay community are a bunch of entitled bitches. They remind me of those little twats on that awful MTV show about birthday parties for 16 year old girls. I am 19, and I am already as enraged as Kramer is. When I was 15, I had a dream that the Castro was a place where action happened. Where people came together to share ideas on how to work for social liberation; coming from the Bay Area and seeing all sorts of documentaries on the glory days I guess I was pretty naive or lead on. Four years later, I've realised the attidue of the current leadership is clear:

"Money is the goal. You are nothing if you are poor. You are nothing if you are ugly. You are nothing if you are not from the coasts. We will gentrify once-interesting communities by day, and fuck all night. Cross your fingers, maybe President Hillary will give us the right to marry in 2009. Does she know who our daddy is?!"

I am of the opinion that the HRC and the NGLTF are a waste of time. Where is the protesting, the social activism, the GOTV campaigns? If we aren't out in full force during the god-damn Bush Administration, when will we ever be? Or does the HRC honestly believe that the courts and the voters will just give us what we want without earning it? I honestly would rather earn the right to marry, than have it given to me while getting all ghetto-booty in a club. If we don't earn it and respect it, I'd rather not have it at all.

--Matt
P.S. So who is the tiresome harbringer of doom on the Queerty staff that constantly rags about GLAAD?

You certainly can’t say the editors/bloggers here have the courage of their convictions. They seem to love to do the drive by flaming bit or make wild unsubstantiated statements then just pretend to be above explaining their “editorial” actions. What a bunch of Queerty Chickenshits!

Always nice to hear from you, Larry, especially in your tiresome incarnation as the harbinger of doom.

How else do you motivate one to fight for their rights? A loss of rights IS doom.

What's he supposed to say, 'hey let's stand up and fight for equality, although it's really not so bad without it?' How would that motivate?

Larry Kramer said it right on....the GLBT organizations like HRC are more for their own self perpetuation and not for pushing GLBT rights...they need that huge multi million dollar building they own for what purpose? Ben above said it best..the only way we are going to get our rights is to demand them, get organized and get off our butts to be active....taking small steps to be thrown under the bus once again gets us no where..pressure, activism of the type Larry Kramer did and speaks of is what gets us to the front of the bus with full civil rights....if we take 'give us crumbs' attitude..that's what we will get. Stand up and stand united and keep screaming and never mind the "more please" attitude of thanks for the crumbs from the politicians...how about we are mad as hell and aren't going to take it any more and keep going until we get the same constitutional and civil rights as every other American and then work with the worldwide GLBT community..since we seem to be asleep at the wheel in helping others in other countries..which I do applaud, Queerty for reporting on..it is one of the few (actually the only site I know) that does so! Indeed, Queerty is more active and gets the news way before mainstream media does...so in its own way it is far better activism then HRC and its ilk will ever be!