The second major criticism of the film at its release came from gay activists who felt that the film had a homophobic political message and that it portrayed gay men as being attracted to violence, which could in turn justify homophobic hate crimes. Ebert wrote "The validity of these arguments is questionable." However, several critics have taken issue with its portrayal of gay men. "TV Guide's Movie Guide", for example, noticed that the gay scene is portrayed in the movie "as irredeemably sick and violent", with "virtually nobody portrayed sympathetically". Brian Juergens, associate editor with gay culture website AfterEllen, contended that the movie "viciously exploited" the gay community, arguing that gay male sexuality does not seem to serve any purpose in the plot other than being a prop to shock heterosexual audiences. Although the film contains a disclaimer saying that it does not intend to be "an indictment of the homosexual world", Juergens states that certain elements in the plot—especially the fact that it is hinted that several gay male killers are operating simultaneously—"makes a clear statement (however unintended the filmmakers may maintain it is) about a community as a whole".