The Quad would like to apologize to Ms. Denim. Due to a mix up, her letter did not run as scheduled in this week’s paper. It will appear in print next week.To Whom It May Concern,
On one hand, I would like to thank Marcelle Bacon for writing an article about LGBTQ history month. Any visibility is good visibility. However, on the other hand, I am angry that the author failed to recognize the other letters of the alphabet – most notably throughout the article, Bisexuals and Queers, but also Transgendered individuals later on. The first sentence was what had me most furious:
Among all of the students at West Chester, many are what people would consider “gay,” “lesbian,” or “transgendered.”
I guess I don’t exist? Hello – I identify as bisexual. You also excluded the people who identify as queer. If you check LGBTQA’s name, there’s a “b” and “q” in there. We exist. We are on this campus. True, you do refer to bisexuals in the title of the month, and true, the letter “q” is not in the name of the history month; however, as a journalist, it is your duty to make sure your article is as informative and inclusive as possible.
I also have a problem with how you put the sexual orientations gay, lesbian, and transgendered in quotes. I am not “bisexual”. I am bisexual. Period, the end. I cannot speak for the rest of the LGBTQ community, but to me, putting those words in quotes indicates that our sexuality is a choice (which, it isn’t). The quotes weren’t necessary.
Another correction in your article: the website you provided – and it says this on the home page of the website – also includes bisexual icons of the LGBTQ community. You didn’t include this in your article – you only said gays, lesbians, and transgendered individuals. You also forget to include bisexuals, queers, and transgendered individuals when referring to the “community”; instead, you said “the gay and lesbian community”. While I respect and understand that you were probably trying to not sound repetitive, this could easily be corrected into saying “LGBTQ”.
I applaud you for writing an article about our movement; it truly is appreciated. However, next time, please do your research and double check your article before you submit.
Sincerely,
Sue Denim