W2ell, when I was an AIDS activist, I was motivated by anger and grief (by the fierce, uncompromising offense I took) over the insults and actions of depraved and morally disgusting people whose homophobia was literally killing us.

I did not choose to be offended. I had NO CHOICE but to be offended by the death I lived with and by the animosity and apathy that made it all possible.

I AM SO GLAD that Larry, Bill Dobbs, Ann Northrup, etc, did not buy into Eleanor Roosevelt's foolishness.

She was dead wrong, and I'm part of the living proof of that, as are all my Act Up and Queer Nation colleagues who took to the streets, shouted our anger and offense, and CHANGED THE WORLD.

That matters.