The idea of a "Gay community" existing scares me as much as the possibility of "heterossexual males" or "heterossexual females" communities ever existing. Communities are based around cultures and not sexual preferences. Have you ever thought that all this "gay pride" parades not necessarily represent everyone that is homossexual??? Most homossexuals I know do not walk around in beach clothes in the middle of the street, or wear like Cher/Kylie Minogue, and I know more then one homossexual person who gets embarrased when seeing this type of demonstration on TV being shown as a "Gay community" manifestation. There is no such "gay community" in the real world, as if everyone who shares the same sexual preferences where forced to think and act exactly the same, and build a whole culture around it. In fact, many times people who speak in the name of the "Gay community" are doing a huge harm on homossexuals image. But still, if you want you can wear like Cher and dance in the middle of the street representing the "gay community" and not be bothered to being stoned or hanged or something like that... So complain as much as you want about USA... as if Europe itself wasn´t the grandmother of all USA ideas and culture... And as if the rest of the world was much more open minded to accept the different, as if racism and homophoby wasn´t much more common in 3rd world undeveloped countries...

 

You bring up some very interesting points, and you are probably correct that the image the "gay community" sometimes presents isn't always helpful. But I do implore you to look beyond what you see at pride parades and drag balls. The gay community isn't just what you see on TV. They are very much engaged in civic affairs - representing huge populations at political rallies and protests. Yes, equal opportunity (gay marriage, etc.) but also at anti Iraq War demonstrations, feminist rights, pro-choice rallies, etc. in the US. The gay community has also been a major force in AIDS-related health care charity efforts as well as other healthcare related issues. In many places in the world, the united gay community isn't just fighting for the right to exist (like in Iraq) but for the right of all freedom and tolerance. There, it isn't simply that they are persecuted against for being gay, but that anyone is persecuted against for being anything other than what is expected.

 

Please don't be frightened by the "Gay community," because it really isn't all Cher and Kylie... after all, the Madonna campaign is very powerful :D

 

And to your other point... I know I've told this story before but my boyfriend was born in Iran and came here at an early age. He can't even IMAGINE the thought of growing up there, repressed, discriminated against, etc... he's said again and again that his life is immeasurably better for having moved to the US. And people in the West wonder why there's such a huge migration?? Would anyone here so critical of the UK/US/etc ever... EVER move to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan??

Edited October 9, 200717 yr by Consie

You bring up some very interesting points, and you are probably correct that the image the "gay community" sometimes presents isn't always helpful. But I do implore you to look beyond what you see at pride parades and drag balls. The gay community isn't just what you see on TV. They are very much engaged in civic affairs - representing huge populations at political rallies and protests. Yes, equal opportunity (gay marriage, etc.) but also at anti Iraq War demonstrations, feminist rights, pro-choice rallies, etc. in the US. The gay community has also been a major force in AIDS-related health care charity efforts as well as other healthcare related issues. In many places in the world, the united gay community isn't just fighting for the right to exist (like in Iraq) but for the right of all freedom and tolerance. There, it isn't simply that they are persecuted against for being gay, but that anyone is persecuted against for being anything other than what is expected.

 

Please don't be frightened by the "Gay community," because it really isn't all Cher and Kylie... after all, the Madonna campaign is very powerful :D

 

Well put Consie, what JJN fails totally to understand is that these "Gay Pride" marches are merely festivals or carnivals, and shouldn't be seen as being any more representative of the gay community than the Notting Hill Carnival is representative of how the majority of afro-caribbean people act on a normal daily basis....