- Anything Else -

The execution sucks, the idea sucks too

Posted by: Lark on December 29, 1999 at 11:00:59:

In Reply to: It's a bete noire by another name. posted by Farinata on December 16, 1999 at 14:10:08:

: Unfortunately, a frighteningly high number of people are; nearly all openly gay males will be attacked at some point in their lives; a quarter of them will be seriously injured as a result of it.

No disagreement, that is terrible and the bashers are a greater threat than the bashed.

: Remember, they are ultimately being attacked over something that is a part of them; something that they really don't have control over.

I'm not sure if that's the case, there's been a lot of anti-bi murmuring from some gay leaders because they want to differentiate between the gay and the hedonistic sex reveller. Either way that's a red herring, my point is it's private lives, it should be private not public business.

: In this, they are no different to people who've been attacked because their skin was the wrong colour or because they belong to the wrong Church.

Sure enough.

: Think about it, Lark; gays are attacked not because they are gay; but because other people are unable to tolerate their being gay.

Sure enough but I wish they wouldnt react to such things by organising marches or other ill thought out direct action that results in the alienation of 'sleeping support' like me.

: It's like someone being attacked for being black; not because they were black; but because they didn't apply enough face paint to disguise the fact.

I'm beginning to disagree.

: Or someone being raped because "they were asking for it, dressed like that" - it ultimately shouldn't matter how a person is dressed; rape is rape.

Fair enough.

: If you feel that nekkid wimmen are also wrong, what do you plan to do about it?; I'm sure you can guess what would happen if you really tried to stop expression of heterosexual sexuality in public; you might as well try and push mountains around.

I can express my disappointment etc. as I am doing now.

: As such, the only way to achieve parity and overcome the existing homophobic bias is to make it damn clear that all people are people, regardless of inclination.

I dont think immiserating me is going to them much good some how.

: It's no sillier than affirmative action after all; trying to ensure that ethnic minorities have an equal chance to do what they want.

Possibly.

: It's a reaction against the forces of the 'moral majority' that would shut them up, Lark. A lot of deeply unhappy kids have killed themselves in past years because they didn't have access to unbiased information; because what seemed natural and normal to them was seen by society at large as intolerable and disgusting.

And have you ever considered the amount of people who may, if gay fostering and other ridiculous things get carried over into the real world from the realm of fantasy, be wondering I feel like I'm heterosexual but how will it go down with everyone etc.?

The execution sucks, the idea sucks too, if they where all like Portillo or Mandelson I dont think it'd be such a damn issue.


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