- Anything Else -

Something to chew on.

Posted by: Farinata ( L'inferno ) on April 14, 1999 at 17:18:24:

In Reply to: Re: Not an ounce of substance posted by Lark on April 14, 1999 at 16:50:33:

: :You cannot justify your feelings that homosexuality is obscene and unnatural. It happens. It happens in other species.

: I do think man is distinct form the beast myself and my feelings on homosexuality are a result of finding it abnormal, I find it abnormal because these people are engaged in activities which they are not physically suited to.

Why do you think man is distinct from the beast?

There are no scientific reasons to separate man from any of the other large primates; they exhibit bisexual behaviour.

: So homosexuality is a lifestyle choice FACT.

No, fiction. Even by the age of fifteen, the majority of gay and lesbians are aware that they find the same sex more sttractive than the opposite sex; there are any number of studies which show this. This is despite the overwhelming peer pressure which pairs them off with the opposite sex.

In fact, this is probably the reason why most gays don't come out until their late teens or early twenties; it is only at that age that their identity is secure enough to admit to the world at large that they are G/L/B, due partially to the cultural programming aimed at early teens.

: A lifestyle choice I think is unwise, cruel or a form of self-brutalism, which could result in disease or death.

Any sexual activity could result in disease or death; as a famous example, trapped air in the vagina can cause instant death due to an embolism; is that a reason to stop having sex?

: For me when I argue it's not natural and people should do it, it's the same argument which leads me to say dont do heroine or dont over drink or dont become a masochistic nut.

Heroin and alcohol are human inventions; moreover, human inventions that require careful production. Merely exhibiting a common primate behaviour is not in the same league. as the other two.

: Liberty as Red pointed out denotes personal freedom so I would never physically compell people to accept the judgements of state or society but I will see if can influence them to a position I consider is more rational or wise.

Unfortunately, that's not the case for a lot of people, who will beat up anyone of a different orientation because they are frightened of them. That's where the battle lines get drawn.

: 3 My opinions do not lack substance etc., I'm not the victim of a propaganda system/socialisation, I came to these opinions of my own accord.

But you are the product of a society which believes same-sex affection to be taboo; are you really saying that no such cultural programming exists?

: There is exceedingly more heterosexual violence than homosexual violence, contrary to what you are arguing. Heterosexual violence occurs, in some form or other, to most women in industrialized society.

It usually takes the form of power-related violence, rather than sex-related violence; and power-related violence is not specifically sexual; a man raping a woman "because he can" is not so very different from a man beating another man "because he can" - or from an alpha male baboon beating up an underling "because he can".

: The violence which occurs TO homosexuals is not sexual, and is usually perpetrated by men claiming to be pure heterosexuals.

(Actually, the vast majority of male rapes are carried out by people who describe themselves as heterosexual; the assault is a power thing, as it is in apes, rather than a sexual thing, as it is in most human encounters.)

As for assaults on homosexuals, they are usually carried out by people afraid of homosexuals to the point of violence; frequently, as Karen pointed out, due to deep-seated sexual identity crisis on their part. Homophobia is not just an invention, as the casualty wards will tell you.

F.



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