I know this is diverting the thread, however....

bobover, that's one hell of a broad brush you're painting with. I don't qualify as 'better educated', and yet I'm far from 'avoiding open discrimination' as you say.

I see absolutely no reason that anyone in today's society should have to suffer second-class citizenship. I don't give a crap what your skin colour is, or what your sexual orientation is. What matters to me is what you, as a person are like.

Same-sex marriage? Well, I'm against marriage in general, but I see no reason why anyone who wants it shouldn't be able to partake in the same 'joy' as straight couples. (If nothing else, it'll help line the pockets of divorce lawyers.)

Quite frankly, I've never been able to understand discrimination. I just cannot see how someone's skin colour should matter to me in the least. Similarly, if two guys (or two women, or whatever) love each other, and want to spend the rest of their lives together, I can't see how that is either any of my business, or how it affects my life in the slightest.

What I cannot stand is intolerance. By painting "straight society" in the light you have, I fail to see any difference between yourself and those who you stand against. It's all prejudice, and it's all to be fought against, no matter who it comes from.

If one becomes intolerant of intolerance, do they join the ranks of the intolerants.

If one discriminates against those who discriminate, is one now a discriminator?

Why some people think and act they way they do, particularly that other people should live their life in some particular fashion, is one of the mysteries of life. They become consumed how other should live they don't realize that they are no longer living that magical life themselves.

As an individual I resist being intolerant, resist discriminating against those who do those things. It is not easy. And generally speaking they are unchangeable so entering into debate, or conflict with them is opening the door to an unalterable unsolvable never ending activity.

Regardless of a person's skin color, sex, origin, religion, politics, there is but one very simple age old motto that defines the goodness of a person.

Do they do unto others as they would like others to do unto them.

Do you do unto others as you would like others to do unto you.

This is not religion. It is social interaction that makes an individual good.

No one should be discriminated against. But I'm not talking about should, I'm talking about is. To repeat, minorities - any minorities - upset the perfect harmony and uniformity of society most people crave. I wasn't indicting straight people. I was indicting all people. Gay people are just as likely to be racist as anyone else. Black people are just as likely to be homophobic as anyone else. No one learns. Everyone says "I'm nice, so people ought to like me, unlike those **** down the road, who deserve whatever they get." It's a sad scene, but that's how I see it.

Speaking for myself, I've always preferred the most diverse society possible - intellectually, morally, sexually, ethnically, politically, etc. Experience has taught me my preference is rare. What I find invigorating, most people find frightening. It takes a high tolerance for ambiguity.