The observation about gay men as "Peter Pans" is certainly accurate judged from my own experience. When I came out last October, I was immediately stunned by the number of gay men whose maturity level seemed to have been arrested at 16 or 17. And that crowd of hard-core left-wing gay men who delight in being called fag (as long as you're "in the right crowd") is still embarrassing.

--Dan Auiler
(Author of "Hitchcock's Notebooks")

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I've often seen your explanation of male homosexuality -- which I disagree with, but that's another e-mail -- but I have yet to hear your explanation of lesbianism. Can you explain why you're a lesbian? If "Adult men who avoid women as sexual partners have a subliminal fear of entrapment, physical and psychological (Ask Camille, Salon, 04/15/97)," do lesbians suffer from the same fears as gay men, or do they have a different set of phobias?

--Harvey

[See the section on homosexuality, pp. 67-92, in "No Law in the Arena", the central essay of my 1994 book "Vamps & Tramps" -- CP]

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THE MEDIA

I am writing to you about liberal hypocrisy in the media (an oxymoron if there ever was one). I was watching an episode of the "Golden Girls" tonight on Lifetime, which I do sometimes, as well as "Designing Women". Why is beyond me. I am a gay male -- maybe it is the camp aspect of the shows or the kitsch, who can tell?

Anyway, they have these "every woman counts" Public Service Announcements, where they whine and complain about the lack of women in the Congress and Senate. What they mean, I think, is the lack of liberal left-wing women in the Senate and Congress. I think this because every time a woman runs for office as a Republican, NOW and their fellow travelers always supports the Democrat, even if the Democrat is a man!

So-called women's groups like NOW, and TV networks like Lifetime that claim to support women, never give voice to, support or honor conservative women -- only to leftists like Patricia Ireland or Bella Abzug.

What is it with this robotic group-think and group-identity b.s.? It annoys the hell out of me.

--Edward Mank
Oakland, Calif.

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As an Englishman last year resident in Canada, I was exposed to predominantly American television, and read the odd American paper. This was a rocky year for the American presidency, but never once did I see the president expose himself to any real hostile cross-questioning. Similarly, the attitude of all the television reporters towards almost every politician who deigned to appear was uniformly respectful and unchallenging, and even deferential.

This contrasts markedly with the less respectful attitude of the print and online media, and with many televised discussions - in which various pundits mauled each other on behalf of their political masters, and nobody who had an image to protect appeared.

The situation in England, Canada and Australia is much more direct, in which journalists have far greater access to their representatives, and seem to be more challenging when they are questioning politicians directly. These three countries all have a small number of media outlets through which political debate is communicated to the electorate, and those seeking office are therefore compelled to accept the somewhat rough treatment they receive in return for their exposure.

Do American politicians, with access to an unsurpassed range of media, find no need to accept any but those offering the best presentation, with the least opportunity for independent journalism?

I contend that when the political classes are able to shop around between competing media, the better deal they get can be inimical to the interest of the public.

--Dr. Nicholas Stevens
Department of Chemistry, Monash University
Melbourne, Australia

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I am a 58-year-old woman with many years left to go, and I hope that the colleges will begin to turn out thoughtful, questioning graduates, rather than the sycophants who now fill the pages of our newspapers and magazines. Thank God for the Internet because, without it, I would be condemned to the frustration of "suffering fools" masquerading as journalists, writers and commentators.

--Judy Wolfersberger

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POP CULTURE

I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought "The Sopranos" was a piece of stereotypical, racist garbage. Why has this trash captured public and critical fancy so? When will we Italian-Americans be portrayed as something other than caricatures with insulting accents? Can you imagine what would happen if a show similarly depicted African-Americans?

--Brent Murray

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Why is Tina Turner still the sexiest thing going? Having watched her on the Super Bowl, "Oprah" and the "Tonight Show," I was stunned to find her as sexy and sensuous as ever -- at 60! I have never been a huge fan of Ms. Turner, but I could not help but fall in love with the woman after these shows.

As far as I can tell you have never written much (other than a brief mention in "Sexual Personae") about the "Queen of Rock and Roll," and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what my girlfriend calls "the Eighth Wonder of the World.

--R.J. Sandy
Chicago

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