Category: Let's talk
ok, I was wondering this off the back of several things in the media recently, and also off the back of what some have said in recent board posts. Recently i heard reference to a "gay world cup", and someone also has recently mentioned the "gay olimpics", and with various gay rights marches ... it makes me wonder, why is it that so called gay people want to be treated as equals, and yet they feel the need to have events exclusively for gay people? if you are gay, that surely does not make you different from anyone else? after all, being gay is not a disability, it is purely a difference in your sexual preference, well as far as I saw it anyway. If you are gay you are not unable to interact with the straight world - I have worked with several gay people and have also had them as friends and I have no issue with the way they live their lives, as long as, if they're women they don't come on to me *grins*, but apart from that they're just normal people who happen to fancy people of the same sex as themselves. any opinions? and please no anti gay reference here - I'm not homophobic, but really this does intreague me somewhat.
I suppose the idea behind it is, that as long as people of alternative sexuality (what's the PC acronym now? GLBTIQF?) feel socially marginalised, then there will be unity/support oriented events and groups. In Australia, there's an increasing call for aboriginal-oriented events, and those supporting various sub-cultures who are minorities, and there's various Women's institutions and societies, even though no-one would suggest that women, black people, italian immigrants etc are actually disadvantaged. People just like to feel that whichever classifications they feel they belong to are represented and apreciated. Just my thoughts, Erin
I think Erin makes a very good point. I read somewhere that for thousands and thousands of years people lived together in tribes or groups of about 150 to 200 people and only for a very short time have people lived together in much bigger groups (millions really). Therefore we have this inate tendency to create a tribe or group of people and the easiest way of doing this is through finding people who share your common hobbies or social/cultural/sexual preference. I think often people who feel marginalized look for a common course to feel, well appreciated in a sense and therefore you have all those "minotiry" groups even if the reason why those people consider themselves a minority is not readily apparent. The amount of societies and groups is just amazing. Just recently e.g. I saw a program about rollercoasters and they have the American Coster Enthusists association. This sounds so random and I never would've thought about such a socieety existing. So tying it into this discussion I think at least for some people finding others who share their sexual preference and making that preference your life style really comes from wanting to have a group to belong to and a group where your personality and work is appreciated, not that the sexual preference itself is merely a social phenominon but the idea of making it the focus of your life and social preference is social. I've seen this happen and found it a bit strange. But what sports would they suggest for the gay olympics. <grin>
-B
It's not just gay people who want to be equal and different. I think that since black people want to be treated equally, the MOBO awards should be scrapped, they're descriminatory of music of white origin. Their can't be a sporting event exclusively for gay people, how do you proove someone is homosexual? they could just fake it surely!
exactly, and although I agree that certain people attract to their own kind, after all, this is a site predominantly for blind users and therefore lots of blind users hang out here, just to use an example, to have specific such events just doesn't seem right somehow. After all, as you state ww, the mobo awards are aimed at black music, can you imagine the outcry if we staged an event which purely white people were allowed to enter? the campaigners against racism would be up in arms! and yet we have a black police association, black music awards, gay olimpics, even a radio station devoted to asians (the bbc asian network), and that is deemed to be perfectly acceptable.
I think in these days of greater sexual freedom, these exhabitionists, are just throwing their sexuality in society's face, and saying we're out and proud and its up to you to cope with it...personally I am very careful about who I tell and as far as being bisexual,I certainly dont flaunt the fact, as sadly, it's still too dangerous here.
i wonder though, and correct me if I'm wrong, but would being bisexual perhaps be harder for people to deal with? after all, you're not straight, and you're not gay, so essentially you belong to a different group of people ... somewhere in between? I'd imagine that both straight and gay people, straight women, and gay men that is, might both still have issue with someone who is bisexual? Like i said, correct me if I'm wrong, that's just my perception.
No your right eh some gay people refuse to acknowledge us, while others see us as a challenge,that of trying to turn us completely..well straight men, when I'm with their S.O's, still worry that I might have feelings for either them or their girlfriends ect.I find their concern quite amusing, as my mere presence, has the guys on edge which I play on just for the crack...gay women like to test out their charms on me and sometimes it works if they're not too butch which turns me off. Gay men are attracted and some think nothing of being with me as long as I'm not flirting or thinking of a woman the are ok.. and we enjoy each other's company.. however being bi is difficult confusing and damned hard work...
aint that the truth alex.
U cant generalize like that... gay r like blind: would u say All blind people do this or that? no, u wouldnt cuz it would be riddiculous. Well, on the other hand u cant say Gay male, gay female... its so stupid! Every gay is diffferent, like every blind is different and every blonde is different.
the Painter
Dont you come here with your nasty control freak tendencies and order me around pal...And FYI I am far from stupid I was talking purely from personal experience but that apparently slipped your mind I wonder why....
coming from someone who is gay, I think the reason for such events if to help other gay people realize they aren't alone. Sure, you may say of course there are other gay people out there, so why do they need things like gay pride? Well if you're gay, and don't know anyone else who is, you feel very isolated. I know i did when i first realized that i am gay.
I guess my real point is that you shouldn't say what's wrong or right unless you have a clear understanding, and if you aren't gay, then you won't realy know what it is like, and therefore why such events can be good for some people.
Shawn
Exactly, Shawn. I completely agree with u.
Ok ISeeZip, (and the rest) here's just a general thought (and don't take this as anti gay, it's just much more brooad context), ISeeZip said "you shouldn't decide what's right or wrong, you don't know what it's like being gay". That's fine but this reminds me of a SouthPark episode with Nambla (North American Boy Man Association) about these "sick" guys who came to South Park looking to have sex with 8 year old boys. At the end when they were cornered by the police they used exactly that explanation "there is nothing wrong with us, this is how we feel and we have to be who we are, there's nothing wrong with feeling this way we can't help it". It's an intersting point really, so, in a broad context, is everything that you reaaly feel socially acceptible and should we rspect that, if you get something out of abusing women or sleeping with children (not even children, sleeping with e.g. 13 to 17 year olds, may be you can get those boys/girls to sleep with you and they would enjoy that, in society's eyes that makes you a sicko or a pervert now, but may be this is what you are crazy about). I am not gay (nor anything of what I said above) so I don't understand. I certainly don't understand how one could possibly desire someone of one's own sex but there are tons of things I don't understand and as long as those people leave me alone and as long as they don't tout their sexuality as being "cooler" than mine (i.e. it making them cool or special or superior to me) I'm fine with it. It's just their sexual preference and tome it doesn't matter when I judge them as people. So, basically, waht can we deem acceptible as a society, where do we draw the line or is everything acceptible?
Cheers
-B
In general, where someone's activities harm another person. You can't please everybody, but that's the basics, but this is for another thread, another topic.
I'm in full accord with what Shawn, I See Zip, said. :)