Hello LPSG-ers. This is for straight guys: "Do you find that homophobia-- helps or hinders you in life?" As a gay man, I would think that it hinders. If you find it helps you, please give some specific details on how it helps. If it hinders you, please give some specific details on how it limits you.
It is truly the straight people who loose out when you are afriad of something, because it shows misunderstanding, and fear of what you don't accept, want to accept, or are afriad of. sorry just read its for guys only
I think everyone whom we have a relationship with can contribute something meaningful to our lives regardless of their sexual orientation. With that said, even those individuals whom we have not met likewise do, too. The fear of homosexuality, it seems, is the taboo effect. Societal norms relegates what is deem appropriate and what is deem not. To negate an experience or a relationship based solely on ill-merit of orientation constructs an error in our personal sensing abilities. If things were marketed in a more positive atmosphere where people feel welcomed and tolerance became the norm, then we would live in a less paranoid state and thus become more humane in all our endeavors. It helps. It gives flavor and spice to my ordinary experiences and likewise, I feel I do the same for my friends who are gay or bi.
It is no problem. Maybe I should've opened up the topic for everyone--male and female. I wasn't fair on that. So, I would like anybody's comments.
This makes zero sense. To whose putative homophobia do you allude? Are you implying that straight guys are necessarily homophobic, and speculating that this homophobia hurts them in some practical sense? If so, I'm fairly certain that you're dead wrong on both counts.
To bridge the divide of homophobia, all we have to do is remember that (statistically speaking) we all went to school/grew up with/played with people who are gay before their orientation became fully developed. The chances of interacting with other men who have had at least one homosexual encounter is even higher.... But before these individuals took on a socio-political identity, we knew them as "friends", "classmates", someone's sibling... We just have to return to a state of innocence and acceptance in how we relate to people. That doesn't mean being naive about our differences, but it does mean exerting more effort to understand other people.
TK, as the OP posted later, he should have included everyone. Most likely, yes... but also most likely with more reason, wouldn't you think? To quercusone and big dirigible, I didn't read his post the same way you did. I didn't see the implication that all hetero men are homophobic. Perhaps worded a little differently, how do you feel that it affects you (positively or negatively) if you go to your local sports bar, and hear bigoted comments, or if you hear them from co-workers? I think the answer is pretty obvious, but it would be interesting to hear the answers. Although, my response to the OP is, how could homophobia ever possibly help anyone?
