Objecting to Stereotypically Gay Role Models

[Beanieboy]

I"m afraid that this is the point where we agree to disagree.

I particularly like Mr. Pirates "stereotypical African American" critique. If those behaviors were wearing one's pants below one's buttocks, speaking in Ebonics (does anyone do that anymore? I don't know, lawyers don't), and the like. Then I would pull X aside and say, "The following are inappropriate, they will end now or your employment will" if I had the power to hire/fire. I don't think that that makes me a racist, just as I don't think to my objection to what I see as less than professional behavior makes me a homophobe.

Beanieboy, Jesus Christ was a Man's Man. When he was struck, he took it. When others feel asleep, he stood his post. When others complained of the impossible, he performed it. Where others broke faith, he remained loyal.

There are many ideas of what a Man is; there are even many ideas of who Jesus Christ was and is. I consider myself fairly masculine but I do not chase anything with a skirt, I have standards, I do think folks should be virgins until married, because sex with folks you're not really bounded too ultimately proves empty, but there's no gender bias there. I rarely tell off-color jokes (don't know many to tell the truth), I do swear for emphasis but not every other word nor to prove my manhood, I rarely drink, rarely hit the gym, (more of a cross country and kata kinda guy), I'm actually quite a good dancer and enjoy it a great deal, especially when one waltzes to God Smack or Korn the expressions on folks' faces is priceless. I can't sing, can dress myself (but admittedly it's hard to get a suit wrong), I've little hair left to be bad, and rarely have conversations about girls or sports, more likely politics, law, theology, economics, or local music.

It's about behavior and about setting forth role models most likely to succeed.

Peace

The OP is "Stereotypical gay gestures". When asked, he responded, "Limp handshake, dangly earrings, the need to touch beyond handshakes"etc.

I don't wear dresses. I have a strong handshake (I hate weak handshakes from men or women.) I was raised Lutheran, so my parents usually shake my hand at most when I come home for Christmas, or give me one of those one armed hugs. Lutherans are the frozen chosen, so I rarely am "touching" people.

What I listed were equally "stereotypical heterosexual male" mannerisms, which also hold some truth. (Can you say that you have never been around guys that swear, brag about their sexual conquests, or try to prove their manhood for the amount of pain they self inflect, alcohol they can consume, etc.?)

Jesus was a man. A man's man. He told people to turn the other cheek. That's really hard to do.

However, if a guy pushes you, in the world's view, you "act like a man" by pushing back, not taking it. That's called being a wuss.

So, the OP is suggesting that the youth conform to the world's view of what it means to be a man. He also suggests that it is important to not even appear gay, lest you be harrassed or rejected by the world.

If Jesus were walking around today, I doubt that he would be thought of as a macho man, but is it important to teach kids the importance of conforming to the world's view? How can they then differentiate when a "man's man" is NEVER a virgin, and virgin men are mocked?

There was a British movie where a guy was afraid that he was going to get fired for some reason. His neighbor decides to help him, and says he's going to "out" him. The man says, "but I'm straight." The neighbor says, "Yes, but then they will be afraid to fire you." He says, "but I don't know how to act straight." He begins acting overly effeminate, and the neighbor says, "Just be yourself, and people will just read into it."

The neighbor then sends a photoshopped picture of the man in leather chaps at a gay bar. The rumors fly, and sure enough, people watch him. If he crosses his legs, "mmmmmm." If he is going to the gym, "Ohhhh, yeah." They read into every tiny detail. The man ends up being saved from being fired, and the neighbor reveals that he had been fired simply for being gay, and that was how he knew how people read into things that they didn't before.

It takes a strong man to simply live out his convictions, and be true to himself, rather than the man that is constantly doing things to "prove" himself to others that he is a real man, and most things which involve degrading women and self.