Quote:
Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Do sexism, homophobia, racism, etc. have a larger impact to "us" as a society, or does it only have something to do with the target group? Does it have something to do with you indirectly?
Not trying to start anything (for a change). I'm just wondering what you mean.
TM
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I think two very interesting questions/issues are going on in this thread. TM's is one and SD's is the other.
I'll start with SD's since in a way it is easier. When the last march on washington happened there were many complaints by those "outside" the gay mainstream that there was no place for them, that there were so many children and so many "married" couples that it was crazy, what had happened to the gay community?
The answer is that a lot of the gay community is assimilating very nicely into the rest of the country.
And there is a bit of a break between those who think certain behavior is appropriate and certain behavior is inappropriate in the gay community. I don't think it is appropriate to be standing on a table top screaming I AM GAY at the top of my lungs. I don't feel the need to passionately kiss my gf in front of other people (unless I am at a gay pride thing which apparently makes me given to PDA, something I don't understand exactly but I digress.)
I don't think it is appropriate for anyone, homosexual or heterosexual to be engaging in such displays in front of other people. I have little use for gay pride parades in which people are running around naked.
And for that there are people who would say I am the gay equiv of an Uncle Tom in the black community, or that I am homophobic. I think I am just conservative and have a different value system. But that is neither here nor there. I think a heterosexual can make the same exact argument, as long as that argument applies equally to heterosexuals, I would not think the person is homophobic.
There is a difference however between saying that extreme public displays of affection between anyone is inappropriate and going off on homosexuals for saying I'm proud, I'm here whatever, I am accepting of who I am, and you know, I'd like to be treated equally by society thank you very much. That is the typical, yeah you are gay, get the fuck back in the closet were you belong you freak. And that, if you ask me, is what the comments meant.
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To TM's point. There are obviously people who feel I am wrong to be a gay rights activist. Of course there are also gay rights activists who think I am too calm and quiet to be a gay rights activist, but again, digression.
I think that homophobia, sexism, racism, intolerance of other religious view points, etc. have an impact not only on those who are the victims of them, but on society as a whole. I think it harms society when we minimalize a group of individuals based upon some silly part of them. I think it harms society when parents and government and religions tell the children that it is ok to hate, to treat people as second class citizens because they are different.
I think those things cause at the least intolerance, and at the worst violence. I think that for most people it simply causes intolerance, but for the extremists, it gives them an excuse for violence. Why? Because these people, homosexuals, blacks, jews, christians, asians, whatever, are different, they are inferior, and so, we are justified in beating up the gay man who hits on a straight man, raping the lesbian who dares to not want to have sex with men, tying the black man behind a truck and dragging him simply because he is black, and yes, taken to its extreme, justified in terrorist attacks against the infidels.
I have babbled on and I am sorry. Obviously it is no surprise I have strong feelings on these issues.
