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Re: Frank Talk on Gay Stereotypes
I know this debate is coming to a close but since I haven't written before,
I will write anyway.
As soon as I hear anyone talk about "the gay community" and what it does, I
get annoyed. There is one thing that links the entire "gay community" and
that is gayness, nothing else. There is one thing that links all Asians, and
that is their Asianness, nothing else. The same formula holds true for
Caucasians, Africans, Catholics, Republicans, union members etc.
It is very simple for some to put a diverse group of people in a category
which they can be prejudiced against. I have been in the most wonderful
relationship of my life for four years. We are monogamous, I have gay
friends who have been in monogamous relationships for fifteen years. I have
straight friends who have been married just as long or had marriages that
lasted under one year. I have friends who have met people in bars and
formed longlasting relationships with them or had one night stands. I
cannot judge them. Finding the right person is not always easy for
straights or gays and years of no sexual contact can be tough.
If one does not admire the gays at parades, bars, and bath houses then one
can look somewhere else. My lover loathes bars and refuses to go to them.
I just go with friends to have a nice place to dance or chat. A few ideas
if bars and bath houses don't tickle your fancy - try a little gay-related
volunteer work, join a gay/lesbian special interest club (the big cities
have lots of them or start your own club), go to a gay-friendly church, or
whatever.
Call one of the local gay and lesbian community service helplines in the
larger cities. They should have hundreds of gay and lesbian
clubs/organizations/etc. listed. No more need to be prejudice by grouping
people and assuming they are all similar.
Chicago Paul (for the first time)
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