No lesbians allowed.

While spending a semester of college studying in Amsterdam, I came to realize that the city I had thought was the "gay capital" of the world was actually the "gay men's capital." As an avid feminist and a gender studies major, I was devastated to realize that sexism and gender marginalization existed even in such a seemingly inclusive queer community. Since returning home, I've come to realize that this lesbian marginalization is pervasive in all facets of life.

I have read The Advocate for many years and have been generally impressed with your attempts to include equal coverage of both gay men's and lesbians' issues, but the recent interview with Tyra Banks regarding America's Next Top Model [Big Gay Following, October 12] only reinforces the misogyny and lack of visibility for lesbians in America. Her comment "Everything's gay on America's Next Top Model. It's a gay man's paradise," while probably accurate, only serves to reinforce that gay men are the primary constituents of queer culture, and lesbians, while just as queer and present as the men, are relegated to a secondary position. Perhaps I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but it's comments like this that make me wonder just how far feminism has come. If women can't be treated equally in the queer community, where else can we go?

Sarah Wilson, Centennial, Colo.