While William Beardemphl’s opinion perhaps reflected the views of the publishers, they certainly did not reflect the leadership. In response to William Beardemphl’s column regarding VICE raids on papers, such as The Barb, that advertise prostitution, another community member wrote in. This is only part of a lengthy letter to the editor that criticizes Beardemphl for his view that people advertising for sex work are breaking the law, and so get what they ask for. The writer points out the absurdity of Beardemphl’s claims, explaining that arrests are made on behalf of solicitation. Clearly, the police choose to target gay and trans folks who solicit sex out of acute transphobia and homophobia. Anti-prostitution laws are always about policing sexuality, so cops exert force more heavily on communities whose sex or sexuality is most othered and abject from the norm. Police are arresting and harassing LGBTQIA people not because of illegal sex or prostitution, but on other accounts, according to the author. Most importantly, he highlights that The Barb would be censoring people were they not to accept solicitation ads. Beardemphl’s ideas represent a victim-blaming stance, in which all responsibility on the State and law enforcement is alleviated and put on the shoulders of the person arrested. The person writing in completely disagrees with this model, and represents a stance calls for support of people who solicit for sex, which implicitly includes trans people. Although, once again, no mention of trans people in The Reporter speaks to the exclusion of trans people from gay spaces and things they consider to be problems of the “gay” community.