What is it like to not be acknowledged as gay but like everyone else?

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Being gay was so much a controversy in the 50s but since the 90s we've experienced a surge of understanding from the public. How have your views on the nature of life and the society changed since this acceptance? If gays are meant to help each other and build a solid ground of understanding for later generations, is it our responsibility then to combat those who reject us as a whole and to broaden our political scope in the government?


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danmilan

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Being gay was so much a controversy in the 50s but since the 90s we've experienced a surge of understanding from the public. How has your views on the nature of life and the society changed since this acceptance? If gays are meant to help each other and build a solid ground of understanding for later generations, is it our responsibility then to combat those who reject us as a whole and our political scope in the government?

What is "political scope" - do you mean to what extent does the gay community have political influence? Also, as a college undergrad you'd be wise to check your plural verbs (that would be "how HAVE your views ... changed". Plus, "the" society...? Don't you just mean "society" without the article? If u read thru what you've posted after posting u can always edit....
 

dags

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My views really havent changed. I don't set my expectations too high with regard to the average person that makes up society. I am very happy there is a greater acceptance of gays today than there has been in the past.
Another positive thing is all the gay and lesbian parents. It is thier children who will grow up and really have the positive attitudes we need in society.
They will take their positive experience out there in the world with them. The people they relate with everyday will be touched in some way by their
lives. Its going to get alot better.
I also agree we do need to really come together and continue to educate.
Everyday in our lives, we can help change attitudes by the people we talk to and interact with. The more people who know someone who is gay and did'nt realize it, the better. Everyone should try to set a good example.
 

fortiesfun

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You don't say where you are an undergraduate, and your profile doesn't indicate your location, but surely you are aware that gay rights have not taken many major strides forward recently except in the Northeast.

Mass. and NJ seem in the vanguard of forward motion, but the Federal "Defense of Marriage" Act makes gay marriages non-transferable. Anti-gay marriage referendums are on 11 state ballots on Tuesday.

While I admit that things are better than the sixties, I think (like most undergraduates) you underestimate how far there still is to go before anything like equality will be achieved.
 

Closet Donkey

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I personally have always been very liberal in my views. Even when it was frowned upon, I personally never saw it as a big issue.
In my humble opinion there will always be homophobia, and hatred towards gay people, just as there will always be racism. I don't agree with people who hate others for their sexual preference or race etc. To a larger extent I find it highly illogical.
I think that there is too much religion intertwined with politics in the U.S, and the so-called good christian citizens would rather die, than see more rights for gay people.
In the U.K I think there is far more tolerance/awareness of gay issues.
"Why descriminate or try to make life harder for someone just because they prefer men to women?
I just wish that everyone would get along. Wishful thinking? I think so.
 

Latiszari

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I have allways been supportive and friendly whit gay peoples, i don't bellieve on the myth of the "100% eterosexual man" (science shows as everyone is, less or much, a bisexual) and so i do my best for a better future for the gay, bsx and lesbian peoples.
What is possible to do again for the gay peoples? Well, to obstacolate the ones who are against them, and who wants the return to a religious society where anyone who's different from the standardized man must be emarginated. These peoples are the real perverts, not the gays! I don't know how is the situation on the Usa, but here on Italy a lot of peoples find obvious to considerate gay peoples as "strange animals" who have some worring disease. I am horrified by this ideas, but the conservative sectors of italian politic has this mind... The only solution is to obstacolate them.
 

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I wouldn't stay that today gay people are integrated and accepted. I know if I were gay, there would be tears from a lot of my family and a lot of anger. Its a big deal if you don't/can't carry on the family name/bloodline. Plus I'm an only son.

I think a lot of my friends and their parents are anti-gay too...or at least really would not like their kids to be gay. Where I live, a gay guy is really an outsider, and more often than not are disowned by their family, and sometimes their friends too.

I have no problem with gay people but I don't know many...except my uncle although he is 'flaming' and really embarrassing. He just bursts out singing Tina Turner/Shirley Bassey songs. He has actually a good voice, when he's not trying to sound like a woman. Baritone or maybe bass...not sure.

I'm pretty sure here gays are usually confined to gay bars etc. :confused: All I know for sure is that it is very rare that a gay guy is accepted as 'just like everyone else'. And I don't think its just a problem in the town where I live.
 

B_Think_Kink

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I dunno wonderboy, maybe since I don't live where you do that it makes a difference.. but my best friend is openly gay, the only people who don't know are his parents. Since he came out, he has been accepted so much more by both sexes. It doesn't help that he is really good looking, has an amasing personality, and the other stuff that people want in a male. In the town I live in, there are people who dislike, and by dislike I mean hate, gay people, there are the people that don't care, and there are people who just accept them for who they are and embrace their personhood.

For example, when Brokeback Mountain was just about to come out, there was a huge contraversy over wheather or not it should be shown here... people we're having huge debates about it. When they did bring it here, people watched it, I only know a handful of straight people who didn't, and even less because it was about gay cowboys. But what shows people's rudeness was that during some of the playings when it came to the whole 20 second sex scene, people were screaming vulgar things, and walking out of the movie theater screaming things like "fkin blah blah blah" you get the point. To balance this though, my town has a program in place that individuals who are being teased, and bullied can go and have action taken against the people who are harassing them.

I think there will be less *problems* for gay people when the babyboomers start to diminish, to me is seems like they are the most influental problem, but that is my own opinion.
 

davidjh7

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From what I have read, seen, and experienced, every generation is a bit less fucked up about the gay issue than the previous one. MIne is more accepting than my parents, the one following mine is more accepting than mine. In practically every size town today, any high school kid can name at least one openly gay student. In my high school days, there WERE no homosexuals--or else--if they were, they would be beaten at best, killed at worst, and ostricized by all, especially any school administration. Open anti-gay attitudes were actually encouraged by the school teachers and administrations. That wouldn;t happen today, not as much because of acceptance, but because of fear of lawsuits, but any gain is still a gain. Society changes slowy, but I have personally seen the change. IT gives me hope that one day, no gay child will have to experience what I went through. There may never be total acceptance, because predudice will always be a part of humans, but eventually I suspect there will be full integration as just another part of society as a whole. I won't live to see it, but I hold out hope that it will happen.
 

fortiesfun

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David, you are insightful and thoughtful, as always. Things are better, witness that Arizona became the first "red" state to reject a ban on gay marriage Tuesday. But things are still tough: 10 other states passed such referendums, including Wisconsin - a relatively liberal place. Lots of work left to do to achieve gay rights.
 

jfrsndvs

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things have drastically changed since the 50's in regards to the "gay" acceptance, each decade gets more and more tollerent towards gay and lesbians, around here, the one thing that will cause nothing but trouble for gays is being a flamer, being gay in general around here isn't as big of a problem as being a drama queen, pushing the "gay pride" thing, and just acting like a giggling teen age girl, a man acting like a man, talking like a man is accepted here regardless if he is openly gay or not.

I think that each area is different as far as acceptance, there will always be a problem with gays being accepted, but the harder the issue is pushed, the more people will pull away from accepting it.



Being gay was so much a controversy in the 50s but since the 90s we've experienced a surge of understanding from the public. How have your views on the nature of life and the society changed since this acceptance? If gays are meant to help each other and build a solid ground of understanding for later generations, is it our responsibility then to combat those who reject us as a whole and to broaden our political scope in the government?


hahahaha, my posts aren't meant to be subjected to grammar criticism, come on lol