Is it 'morally' wrong to overdiscuss homosexuality?

[alphatronics]

Although I suspect that in many cases the vitriol poured on homosexuals is for the benefit of the pourer, to re-inforce their own shaky confidence in their own sexuality.

Or energize the far right in an election year, regardless of whether the person doing the energizing actually cares one way or the other.

 

[EnemyPartyII]

Or energize the far right in an election year, regardless of whether the person doing the energizing actually cares one way or the other.

Hmm, this one I have not observed... but it certainly sounds feasible. I have seen many other examples of politicians blowing an otherwise obscure or irrelevant issue out of all proportion around election time to distract from actual, you know, ISSUES

 

[Texas Lynn]

Hmm, this one I have not observed... but it certainly sounds feasible. I have seen many other examples of politicians blowing an otherwise obscure or irrelevant issue out of all proportion around election time to distract from actual, you know, ISSUES

Oh, I think he's right; the bulk of the plutocratic elite care not one whit about others' sexuality except in certain cases where minority orientation is hidden for business purposes. The rubes who hate LGBTs are being played. This issue and the abortion issue serve the primary purpose of tricking people into voting against themselves. This is the primary thesis of both What's The Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank and Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Baegant.

 

[EnemyPartyII]

Oh, I think he's right; the bulk of the plutocratic elite care not one whit about others' sexuality except in certain cases where minority orientation is hidden for business purposes. The rubes who hate LGBTs are being played. This issue and the abortion issue serve the primary purpose of tricking people into voting against themselves. This is the primary thesis of both What's The Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank and Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Baegant.

In Australia, homosexuality and abortion are not the hot button issues that they are in the States, although we do have our own, and politicians on both sides of the political spectrum invoke these issues shamelessly to distract from the main issues... on the Left, we have "saying 'sorry' to the stolen generation" and becoming a Republic, on the Right, we have illegal imigration and terrorism. At the state level, both sides pretty much try to outdo each other in a race to the bottom as far as the bastardisation and brutalisation of common, minor criminals is concerned, as well as wanting to place bans and restrictions on things that really don't need it, without addressing things like health and eucation.

 

[Texas Lynn]

In Australia, homosexuality and abortion are not the hot button issues that they are in the States, although we do have our own, and politicians on both sides of the political spectrum invoke these issues shamelessly to distract from the main issues... on the Left, we have "saying 'sorry' to the stolen generation" and becoming a Republic, on the Right, we have illegal imigration and terrorism. At the state level, both sides pretty much try to outdo each other in a race to the bottom as far as the bastardisation and brutalisation of common, minor criminals is concerned, as well as wanting to place bans and restrictions on things that really don't need it, without addressing things like health and eucation.

Thanks. It's always interesting to see how things are in other countries. How do they "bastardize" criminals? And what do they want to ban?

I read a library book once about Australia by Art Linkletter. He was a broadcaster with a daytime talk show, hosted game shows, and compiled several humor books, and he was an investor in Australian businesses. It was very old, from 1965 or so, and he described the culture and I remember he said "don't get involved with an Aborigine woman or the white Australians won't respect you" which in retrospect was terribly racist but he probably didn't understand that it was.

 

[cantata]

I suspect that in many cases the vitriol poured on homosexuals is for the benefit of the pourer, to re-inforce their own shaky confidence in their own sexuality.

The sad thing is that it probably doesn't work...

 

[Texas Lynn]

Its nice to be able to villify a group that you can clearly distance yourself from. Although I suspect that in many cases the vitriol poured on homosexuals is for the benefit of the pourer, to re-inforce their own shaky confidence in their own sexuality.

This is certainly true in many cases. Many vitriolic homophobes are closet cases as the various scandals in right wing churches certainly show, as does the story of Roy Cohn. However, some seemingly asexual types are just mean, though of course some celibates are not.

Some looked into Jerry Falwell when he began his extremist political actions nationwide. I understand they looked to see if he he was secretly gay, had a mistress, was looting his church, etc. Investigations revealed all such were not present. Someone commented on that saying it made him scarier than if he had skeletons in the closet. I certainly agree.

 

[spaceddivstud]

the other thing that gets me is that the homosexual-straight spectrum is a SPECTRUM not a black and white concept - hence those who call themselves bi.... there are very few people in this world who are 100% straight with no fluctuations. Many will claim to be totally straight and thats fine, but doesn't it change things a bit if some people are partially gay or partially straight??

and yes it is interesting that other countries have different issues they focus on (which may or may not be as unnecessarily overemphasized). It would be nice to be christians who focused on the positive rather than the negative? the good things we do and not the sin always- i'm sure that the more one practices the virtues (as such) the less sin is needed in their lives... i reckon that's a much more constructive attitude to sin on the whole. Obviously we don't want to ignore sin as it will become rooted and habitual, but why not replace the habits with good things?

 

[cantata]

the other thing that gets me is that the homosexual-straight spectrum is a SPECTRUM not a black and white concept - hence those who call themselves bi.... there are very few people in this world who are 100% straight with no fluctuations. Many will claim to be totally straight and thats fine, but doesn't it change things a bit if some people are partially gay or partially straight??

You're right; gay men get all the controversy Bisexuals, lesbians, pansexuals, asexuals, transgendered people, &c. barely get a look-in!

and yes it is interesting that other countries have different issues they focus on (which may or may not be as unnecessarily overemphasized). It would be nice to be christians who focused on the positive rather than the negative? the good things we do and not the sin always- i'm sure that the more one practices the virtues (as such) the less sin is needed in their lives... i reckon that's a much more constructive attitude to sin on the whole. Obviously we don't want to ignore sin as it will become rooted and habitual, but why not replace the habits with good things?

In the UK, people just don't get so publicly upset about gay rights, and elections aren't won and lost on the basis of a few buzz issues. I find it slightly odd when people I know in America speak as if they choose their candidate solely on the basis of one or two issues (abortion, gay rights, gun control, religion) rather than reviewing a broader range of issues. To me it seems a very peculiar way of conducting political rhetoric, but perhaps it's just unfamiliar. I do care about abortion and gay rights issues, but I care more about the state of healthcare, education, and the economy, for example.

 

[Texas Lynn]

Great Britain, Australia, etc. do not have "religious right" groups with any significant political power like the U.S. does. Interestingly ours are primarily concentrated in the rural South and rural Midwest, areas historically impoverished and underdeveloped. Also, there is finally another culture developing a major religious right movement and unless you had already heard of it you probably would not guess it. It is the Baltic/Slavic cultures of Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine, and especially immigrants to the Sacremento, California area from there. These groups are having mass demonstrations and organized gay bashing, both in the old country and in the Mother Lode Country.

It would be interesting to see a cultural analysis of social forces which led to extremist movements of this sort, both the American Religious Right and its newer Baltic franchise, and, yes, they do communicate with one another.