Homosexuality in Public - Discussion

Boston

Stark, I would hope recent bannings from the forum warrent a post in them mod forum askign for a sit wide ban. No way a moderator should have to put up with this crap.

Zombrex

MobileInfantry wrote:

its unnatural, and everyone knows it.

Very little humanity has done in the last 10,000 years with regard to sex has been biologically "natural"

Do you disapprove of all the unnatural things straight people do for pleasure during sex?

Squirrel

Ok, I'm straight, but ffs lads, why is it such a problem that people are homosexuals? Seriously. Also this is a bit random, but in Cruel Intentions the football player is a homophobe in public but is a closet homosexual, take it any way you want. And I agree with a site wide ban for them. Also, you're making f**k all sense, it's unnatural? Come on. I agree with Wicknight, foreplay is natural? Sure, why not

rsynnott

The strangest thing here is the conviction many people have that homosexuality is un-natural. It's been observed in hundreds of species of higher mammals, plus ducks. Ducks, for goodness sake!

The religion argument is not relevant in a modern secular society, and don't start babbling about "all religions" being against it, it's nonsense.

Really, the only reason to be against it is having too much respect for the sensiblities of mindless bigots.

Boston

I think the problem is that most people consider themselves "normal". Therefore what is natural for them must be natural for everybody else. By that logic, if you're claiming something is natural for you, it must be natural for them, which it clearly isn't. Therefore you are ab-normal and homosexuality is un-natural.

I've made this argument before, But what the hell I'll repeat it. If is perfectly normal and natural for a gay man to have same sex relations. However it is unnatural and ab-normal for a straight man to have same sex relations. Now I understand the fallacy of using definitions as a kind of proof here, and the question of whether or not a straight man who has same sex relations is still a straight man, but I think it illustrates the point.

Really, the only reason to be against it is having too much respect for the sensiblities of mindless bigots.

Slur them, dehumanise them, label them and box them, then, and only then, we can truly disregard them.

moridin

Personally, I'm not too concerned about being seen as being "normal". I'm not particularly camp, I'm not uber-straight, I'm just me. For you, the idea of being gay may be "repulsive", it may make you squeamish, and you might not want to have to deal with it. But I'm a person too, my thoughts and feelings matter just as much as yours, and I have the same basic human rights as you do.

Just because the person I love happens to be another guy, doesn't mean that I shouldn't be able to hold his hand on the street. The social 'norm' is constantly shifting and changing. 15-20 years ago it would have been pretty unusual to have a discussion such as this one. By you not wanting your child to see guys holding hands, you're actually holding back his/her social development in my opinion. Sooner or later, your kid will see that gay people ARE people, and deserve to be treated as such by both society and the legislative infrastructure that runs our country.

Regarding social change, for a long time I disagreed with things like Pride, because I saw it as the gay community being abnormal - it was where homos stood up and said "look, how weird we are". And I thought it was anti-productive. Because it gave off an impression of how these strange fags were flouting themselves, their sexuality, and their way of life.

These days though, I think that Pride serves a purpose, but it's something that you don't really understand too well unless you've 'seen things from the other side' as it were. I don't mean that you have to be gay to 'get' it. IMO, the real revolution comes when people realise that their gay friends are still their friends after they come out. That they don't change overnight into sex-loving, pill-popping **** (mostly). But Pride and demonstrations do serve to challenge the public norm, the accepted behaviour, the very things that we've been talking about on this thread. And without this kind of challenge (which, due to apathy is sadly lacking lately), how can we adapt to become the kind of fair society that we should be?

simu

To answer the original question (this thread is very long to read!), I think it's nice to see gay people being affectionate in public because it sucks that people should have to hide what they are but it's also important because it shows people who might not have had a lot of contact with homosexuals before then that they're not just those campy people on TV (or whatever the current media stereotype) but ordinary people living in the same community, doing the same boring going to the supermarket etc as everyone else.

fortysixand2

Hear hear, moridin!

I've unfortunately not yet had the chance for any kind of public displays of affection, really Still hoping.

*thinks* Wait, sorry that's not true actually, have done so once or twice Sitting with arm around boyfriend on train etc. We did get one or two odd looks, but generally speaking no one seemed to care. I caught one girl smiling at us, even It was just a really nice, kinda mini-liberating feeling.

Just thought I'd add that two cents

funky penguin

muckwarrior wrote:

The simple fact of the matter is that most normal* people find displays of homosexuality uncomfortable/disturbing/repulsive. Why should we be subjected to to this in puplic? Some asshole said "well if ya don't like it then don't look". What the fukk are we supposed to do, walk down the street with our eyes closed? Keep it behind closed doors. Simple as that!

*Yes I did say normal, and I stand by that!

Every day I thank buddha I'm not normal.

I can't even fathom having the same views on homosexuality.

fortysixand2

I can't remember whose, but someone here on Boards has a sig that reads "Normal is a setting on a washing machine" How I wish I'd thought of that one

Annasopra

Just came back to boards after a while,

have all these guys been banned or just one or two

Cannot believe the crap that has been thrown about in this discussion

By the way here is the USI survey link

http://usilgb.netsoc.tcd.ie/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=123&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

azezil

moridin wrote:

I'm not particularly camp,

ROFL!!!

Boston

I was at a event last night with my boyfriend and a couple of people came up to us and thanked us for for seting an example and not being afraid. We where doing abit more then holding hands but no more then any other couple there. It was cool to see the other side.

ApeXaviour

LiouVille wrote:

I was at a event last night with my boyfriend and a couple of people came up to us and thanked us for for seting an example and not being afraid. We where doing abit more then holding hands but no more then any other couple there. It was cool to see the other side.

I'm impressed.. Good to see anti-muppets around. Hopefully there won't be any need for them in a few years however. Those attitudes which logic forgot are diminishing slowly.

Stark

Those attitudes which logic forgot are diminishing slowly.

Yes, now that Sarok's teachings are returned to us.

(Damn, let my nerdy side loose on the net again).

RuggieBear

i was at the trinity ball a few years back (think it was 99 or 2000) and the last act of the night in the front square was abba'esque...real good atmosphere, everyone having fun...anyway place was heaving and two gay blokes beside me started snogging....tbh didn't really pay to much attention to it, more than the usual "get a ****ing room" thoughts i have for anybody snogging near me

Anyway...suddenly about 5 or 6 blokes noticed across from me and just start laying into them with loads of the usual abuse...

Just all happened so quickly....two lads ended up on the ground getting kicked before myself and a few others in the crowd jumped in and tried to protect the two guys (who'd basically been caught by suprise and had large cuts to their faces/heads). Anyway managed to help the lads to their feet and bring em to first aid while the violent ****ers ran off and blended into the crowd.

was so pissed off and ashamed/emabarressed by what i'd witnessed, that i was physically sick. Anyway, tbh it has left me feeling very nervous when i see gay couples holding hands as sometimes i fear for their safety

CathyMoran

I can not see the harm in public displays of affection by any types of couples. Sure, when I am not in a relationship I get all moapy but normally I just think that it is very sweet and it reminds me of my then beloved.

In terms of kids seeing public displays of affection - my parents let me watch "Brideshead Revisited" when I was a kid, when dad explained the situation to me (as "liking men"), I said that I liked men too. (Am female btw).

Stark

This thread was going off-topic so I split posts off here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=256537

Boston

The event I was at was trinity ball. There was allot of very drunk people at it, and allot of them where in fairly poor mood. Security at the event was probably the worst I'd ever seen. I saw more then one fight break out in front of the stage, while security looked on, so what you say doesn't really surprise me.

TBH despite the couple of people that came up to us and where grand about it, I never let my guard down, and always watched my back. It helped that I was pretty much sober and so was my boyfriend, for avoiding trouble. I did notice a fair few other gay couples there through out the night, but they where keeping a fairly low profile.