Re: Unlike me
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:23 pm
Randy-
Thanks for the insightful post.
I completely understand where you are coming from. I want to share that I believe your perceptions about gay drug use to be anecdotal, and not reflective of actual numbers.
Drug use among homosexuals is likely lower than national figures. Gay people are more likely to be better educated, have more savings, are more law abiding, and generally better off than the average heterosexual.
Now, if you delve into heavily gay communities like West Hollywood, or the Village in NYC, or the Castro in San Fran, you will be more likely to see abberent behavior for several reasons:
In these areas there are more younger people, many of whom are just coming to terms with their sexuality and their reactions to feeling unoppressed (less oppressed) are often to over indulge in VISIBLE behaviors, perhaps saying to the world that they are free to be who they want to be. This is a very small percentage of the gay community.
It is PRIDE weekend right now, and WeHo will be filled with all sorts of colorful characters expressing themselves in ways that most homosexuals find excessive and indulgent. Similar to the black power movement of the 60's and 70's, these behaviors are done to evoke a reaction by onlookers: A gay man dressed like Dorothy is no different than a black man's gloved fist raised in the air. It is an expression of freedom and solidarity with one's "perceived" community.
I say "perceived" because I do not identify as being gay. I identify with being a man. I live my live how it needs to be lived. I don't need to flaunt my gayness to feel secure, and I don't need a support system to tell me it is okay to be gay. I am who i am. I am fortunate to be able to live this way. Many homosexuals do not or can not do as i do.
If you met me, you WOULD NEVER have any clue as to my sexual orientation. There are some people, who are easily spotted as gay, but MANY times people make the wrong assumption about strait people with a limp wrist or a butch haircut. Visual clues are such a small part of the gay experience.
I understand your proactive decision to become a eunuch as a way to piety. But most people embrace their sexuality, and being attracted to and aroused by people of one's own gender is at the core of being gay and is something that cannot be changed.
The honest truth is that there are millions of Americans who are gay who live upstanding lives, and the ONLY thing that differentiates them from the rest of society is that they were born to love someone of their own gender.
Thanks for the insightful post.
I completely understand where you are coming from. I want to share that I believe your perceptions about gay drug use to be anecdotal, and not reflective of actual numbers.
Drug use among homosexuals is likely lower than national figures. Gay people are more likely to be better educated, have more savings, are more law abiding, and generally better off than the average heterosexual.
Now, if you delve into heavily gay communities like West Hollywood, or the Village in NYC, or the Castro in San Fran, you will be more likely to see abberent behavior for several reasons:
In these areas there are more younger people, many of whom are just coming to terms with their sexuality and their reactions to feeling unoppressed (less oppressed) are often to over indulge in VISIBLE behaviors, perhaps saying to the world that they are free to be who they want to be. This is a very small percentage of the gay community.
It is PRIDE weekend right now, and WeHo will be filled with all sorts of colorful characters expressing themselves in ways that most homosexuals find excessive and indulgent. Similar to the black power movement of the 60's and 70's, these behaviors are done to evoke a reaction by onlookers: A gay man dressed like Dorothy is no different than a black man's gloved fist raised in the air. It is an expression of freedom and solidarity with one's "perceived" community.
I say "perceived" because I do not identify as being gay. I identify with being a man. I live my live how it needs to be lived. I don't need to flaunt my gayness to feel secure, and I don't need a support system to tell me it is okay to be gay. I am who i am. I am fortunate to be able to live this way. Many homosexuals do not or can not do as i do.
If you met me, you WOULD NEVER have any clue as to my sexual orientation. There are some people, who are easily spotted as gay, but MANY times people make the wrong assumption about strait people with a limp wrist or a butch haircut. Visual clues are such a small part of the gay experience.
I understand your proactive decision to become a eunuch as a way to piety. But most people embrace their sexuality, and being attracted to and aroused by people of one's own gender is at the core of being gay and is something that cannot be changed.
The honest truth is that there are millions of Americans who are gay who live upstanding lives, and the ONLY thing that differentiates them from the rest of society is that they were born to love someone of their own gender.