I’m writing this letter for queer solidarity, influenced by Catherine Ford’s editorial about Daniel Pearl’s murder at the hand of Pakistani terrorists. In that piece, she tells that his death wasn’t caused by his being a Western journalist or an American, but, rather, for being a Jew, and relates his death to a legend of the Danish king and his subjects wearing Stars of David to confuse the occupying German SS troops in World War II.

While it didn’t really happen, the story is still inspiring about solidarity defying hatred by sharing the fate of the victim to stop the oppression.

In that spirit, I would like to say that any gay men, lesbians, transsexuals, transvestites and even those who are just concerned should join together and say: "I’m a fag."

I’m a fag for the poor, incompetent, conflicted and isolated queers who yearn for and need community.

I’m a fag because of the heterosexist conspiracy – the Big Lie implying everyone is heterosexual and homosexuals are abnormal.

I’m a fag because of discrimination, public venting, bashing and, in some cases, sinister sodomy laws that queers face in Canada and the United States, let alone overseas.

I’m a fag because the closeted are rewarded for acquiescing to the Big Lie, while the honest queers are punished by systemic discrimination.

I’m a fag because of some white and/or good-looking and/or rich queers who ignore the rest of the queer community for their convenience.

I’m a fag for all the times that queers fell silent after bashings, fearing owning their victimhood and/or police hassles and/or sometimes uncaring police.

I’m a fag because of the disease AIDS, now a world-wide epidemic because of bias, indifference by mainstream society and power politics in the queer community.

I’m a fag because of the straight-acting and –looking queers out and/or closeted, expecting to conform their way out of homophobia. They aren’t fooling anybody, and are complicit with the Big Lie.

I’m a fag because of the failure to compromise in order to bridge mainstream and queer communities.

I’m a fag because conflicts between gay men, lesbians, transsexuals and transvestites have weakened our queer community.

I’m a fag because, overseas, homosexuals (mostly males) are executed, as in Iran, or imprisoned, as in Cuba, for their sexuality.

I’m a fag because gay men and lesbians buy goods and services from countries with repressive, anti-queer policies. For examples, queers who drive fuel-inefficient cars and SUVs should realize that some of that gas money goes to countries like Saudi Arabia, where homosexuals are put to death.

I’m a fag because of over twenty years of closeting I have been through, mostly because of the word "fag".

But I’m a fag, for that is who I am, for better or for worse, not because of historical, distant and/or closeted queer heroes or Pop culture Icons.

It is not out of pride, but solidarity for millions of queers who suffered and died meaninglessly, giving meaning, if not in person, then at least in spirit to their plights.

(editor’s note: I’m a big ol’ fag too J )