A light gate based on optically induced polarization anisotropy in cryptocyanine-glycerin compares favorably with a CS2 light gate tested under similar conditions. The organic-dye device is more transmissive at giant-pulse excitation levels up to 10 MW/cm2, where both devices gated 1% of an incident probe beam, and is less sensitive to variations in the intensity of exciting light. A theory based on the anisotropic orientational distribution of excited dye molecules during bleaching is used to explain the data. Fair agreement is obtained if one accounts for the birefringence as well as the absorption anisotropy induced by the exciting pulse.