A Question of Time

[Guest Klair]

Some of us are old enough to remember the civil rights movement in the USA. It took a long time for blacks to obtain equal rights, and there are still some problems, but things are sure a hell of a lot different now than they were then.

I think the same is starting to happen for gay rights. More states are allowing better gay rights than were ever allowed before. More countries are allowing it as well, including gay marriage rights. Obviously much, much more is needed, but as far as I can tell, there is a lot of movement in the right direction and it's happening at a quicker pace than ever before. I'm quite optimistic that gay rights is gaining ground and the crap coming from the religious right is slowly, but steadily losing ground.

I lived most of my life in the closet. I'm not entirely out of the closet just yet, but that day is coming. I'm beginning to think I might live to see full equal rights during my lifetime.

[BiBottomBoy]

The more visible the gay community becomes the more respect and rights we will get. But we also have to clean up our own house. Bisexuality is still taboo in much of the gay community and that sucks. And there are still large parts of America that only sees queer people when they either see news reports of gay pride parades - with us looking like freaks and dancing to Lady Ga Gay or else on television shows where we are presented as sexless best friends of women who treat us like accessories.

We need to be more out while just doing normal shit. Otherwise we'll get looked at as either a trendy eunuch or weird leather bears, neither of which advances our cause that much.

Some of us are old enough to remember the civil rights movement in the USA. It took a long time for blacks to obtain equal rights, and there are still some problems, but things are sure a hell of a lot different now than they were then.

I think the same is starting to happen for gay rights. More states are allowing better gay rights than were ever allowed before. More countries are allowing it as well, including gay marriage rights. Obviously much, much more is needed, but as far as I can tell, there is a lot of movement in the right direction and it's happening at a quicker pace than ever before. I'm quite optimistic that gay rights is gaining ground and the crap coming from the religious right is slowly, but steadily losing ground.

I lived most of my life in the closet. I'm not entirely out of the closet just yet, but that day is coming. I'm beginning to think I might live to see full equal rights during my lifetime.

[Guest Klair]

Bisexuality is still taboo in much of the gay community and that sucks.

I've never encountered that, myself. I'm strictly gay, but I've never met other gays who had a problem about bisexuality.

George Carlin once said, "It must be really difficult and frustrating to be bisexual. Can you imagine wanting to fuck everyone you meet?"

[BiBottomBoy]

Post a profile on a gay dating site saying you are bi and then try and contact a dude. 90 percent of the time you'll get ignored or else given a lecture about how you are really gay and just in denial. Have exactly the same profile, same pics, same everything but put yourself down as gay instead of bi and you'll get dudes who want to fuck you.

I've never encountered that, myself. I'm strictly gay, but I've never met other gays who had a problem about bisexuality.

George Carlin once said, "It must be really difficult and frustrating to be bisexual. Can you imagine wanting to fuck everyone you meet?"

[TotallyOz]

Otherwise we'll get looked at as either a trendy eunuch or weird leather bears, neither of which advances our cause that much.

Hey, what is wrong with leather bears? I take great offense as I resemble that remark.

[BiBottomBoy]

As I get older I look more and more like a bear myself.

My main point though is that if those are the only types of gays most americans ever see it's harder for us to mainstream into the culture.

[Guest restless]

I lived most of my life in the closet. I'm not entirely out of the closet just yet, but that day is coming. I'm beginning to think I might live to see full equal rights during my lifetime.

We might see full equal rights but the public sentiment is still out there, especially in my field (finance). I'm still very much in the closet. It pisses me off. If I came out in my place of business, I'd be The Gay. I don't want to be The Gay. Full rights or not, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to come out. Maybe when I retire. And I'm working hard to retire early.

[Guest Klair]

We might see full equal rights but the public sentiment is still out there

I agree, but I do think public sentiment is slowly moving in the right direction, especially within the younger generation. But I also think a great many people who might say they it doesn't bother them if someone is gay, it's only what they say, not what they actually think. I think it will be a long time before whether someone is gay, straight, bi, or whatever is no longer even an issue, but I do think that time will eventually come. I hope we all live to see it, but I don't think it will happen as quickly as that.

[Guest restless]

I agree, but I do think public sentiment is slowly moving in the right direction, especially within the younger generation. But I also think a great many people who might say they it doesn't bother them if someone is gay, it's only what they say, not what they actually think. I think it will be a long time before whether someone is gay, straight, bi, or whatever is no longer even an issue, but I do think that time will eventually come. I hope we all live to see it, but I don't think it will happen as quickly as that.

I agree with you re the younger generation. Dan Savage was on one of the shows last night and hit it on the head when he talked about how the "old people" are in charge and they're the ones dragging their feet. This next generation doesn't give a shit. Let's just hope their stereotypical apathy doesn't prevent the good ones from going into public service.

[Guest Klair]

Let's just hope their stereotypical apathy doesn't prevent the good ones from going into public service.

The problem is the good ones are rarely seen in public service. Maybe over time that will change too. The ones I'd like to strangle are the ones who publicly are vehemently anti gay, but privately they are just as gay as us. I love it when they get caught. That's when they usually quickly resign from office because they 'want to spend more time with their families.'

One of my favorite recent stories is the George Rekers story.

http://edition.cnn.c...igns/index.html

[Guest restless]

The problem is the good ones are rarely seen in public service. Maybe over time that will change too. The ones I'd like to strangle are the ones who publicly are vehemently anti gay, but privately they are just as gay as us. I love it when they get caught. That's when they usually quickly resign from office because they 'want to spend more time with their families.'

One of my favorite recent stories is the George Rekers story.

http://edition.cnn.c...igns/index.html

I laughed my ass off at Rekers. Seen this one?

http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/2007/11/04/comic-the-new-gay-stereotype/