Accepting homosexuality in our communities. ( POll )

After I read a thread about homosexuality being a choice, I felt a bit shocked by the post replies I read.

I've now got a burning question which I'd like to be answered by as many ATS members as possible.

I'd like to ask the people who feel homosexuality is wrong.
Do you think there is the need to take action removing homo sexuality from our communities and how far are you prepared to go and or participate in those actions ?

I'd like to ask the people who accept homosexuality as a natural occurrence and accept gay men and woman without any consequences what so ever.
Are you prepared to defend gay rights.

Please keep in mind we are all civilised adults. If you want yell, go look up the nearest playground or something. Or even better, smash your keyboard to pieces against the wall. Believe me it helps.

[edit on 27-3-2010 by Sinter Klaas]

You know how this is going to turn out, don't you? More bickering about natural vs choice. Good luck. I will be keeping an eye on this thread though.

For me? I NO problem with gay folks. Except one. I was heartbroken to find out Fergie was gay.

I think gay people deserve the same rights as any other person. They are more than welcome in my community and of course my home, since several of my friends are gay. And yes, I would defend their rights.

Natural or not, Homosexuality is not in my place to judge. Although I am a subscriber to the Bible and a relationship with Jesus Christ, I fully support the rights of homosexuals and the acceptance of homosexuals. I believe they should without a doubt be able to hold any position in society like any other individual.

So yes, homosexuals should be accepted no matter what your belief system. Whether I think it is wrong or right is besides the point of acceptance.

It is not in my place to condemn and thus I shall not! Although to get into the whole ordeal about marriage or not is tricky. I do believe the term marriage is a more or less a religious concept, thus would advocate allotting homosexuals "civil unions", but that's a different thread.

Good thread, S+F!

So what is the point of this thread? Those who support the gay agenda will defend it and those who think being gay is immoral and unnatural will condemn it. Then the posts will turn personal and get ugly. In the end, nobody will change their opinions and all we will have done is add more anger to the mix. Is that a good thing?

I came from an area in the U.S. that was fairly liberal. I now live in a small community that is predominantly Baptist. Homosexuality is frowned upon here, where I live. It used to be illegal to be so. Later on, the legislature moved to regulate public behaviors rather than a person's sexual preference.

I actually dislike that term I used -- sexual preference...... I think that a person's sense of being is much more than just their sexuality. We do tend to focus on what body part goes where and with whom, though, don't we? Why is that??

yes, I defend the right of others to be gay or lesbian. I do it online, and I do it here, even though I am chastized for doing so. I have become SO VERY acquaited with various facets of Scripture. The thing I don't really understand is this, and it's two-fold:

1) If a person subscribes to the entirety of the Holy Bible, why do they insist upon cherry-picking the verses that support their own prejuidice and not the others that are absurd within context of modern society? Nobody I know conducts burnt offerings. Nobody I know condones selling their daughter, nor slavery in general. Nobody I know believes adulterers should be stoned to death, nor those that trim their beards, nor those that dishonor their parents. Nobody I know believes it is a sin to eat lobster or turtle or conch. I could ramble on and on with these and even quote passages of Scripture. It really pisses me off, the hipocracy.

2) Why does it even matter to anyone??? We all are what we are, and we KNOW what we are, and who we like/love. I knew from an early age that I liked females. My best childhood friend -- although he never let me know until much, much later -- struggled with these issues, as he KNEW he was attracted to other males, but also KNEW it was "wrong" within context of the society in which he grew up in. He felt like a freak, and suppressed his natural tendancies until he was in his late teens. He moved away from a peaceful and prosperous town in which he had a good opportunity for a solid career in favor of a big city in which he could be the person he was born to be.

Why does anyone CARE who loves who? It's really not my business, and I applaud anyone who can find love in this cruel and heartless world. What gives anyone the right to judge someone else's proclivity? As a society, we make homosexuals' lives very difficult, and often in the name of this or that religion. Look, if you really believe that God does things for a reason, what in the name of perdition gives you the right to second-guess Him and decide what is best for someone else??

I don't understand how it affects anyone else that is not homosexual that the people who are just exactly like everyone else -- just trying to make their way in this quirky world, just trying to contribute their efforts -- are just wanting to be left alone, to live, to love, to make a life.

YES, and hell yes, I support anyone who is being oppressed by an ignorant mob mentality that chooses to set an arbitrary longitude of self-rietousness and and lattitude of judgement over people they fear for no plausible reason.

I think gay people are people just like everybody else. Not defending their rights would be the same as not defending my own rights.

Reply to intrepid.

I would greatly appreciate it when any violation would be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent escalation.

Fergie ? Do you mean the on fom the Black eyed peas ? Because that would be a major shock for me to.

[edit on 27-3-2010 by Sinter Klaas]

Originally posted by itguysrule
So what is the point of this thread? Those who support the gay agenda will defend it and those who think being gay is immoral and unnatural will condemn it. Then the posts will turn personal and get ugly. In the end, nobody will change their opinions and all we will have done is add more anger to the mix. Is that a good thing?

The goal for this thread is to learn where people stand.
It is not the place to defend an opinion.

But only for the reason you just gave.

Why does it even matter what you or I think? Why does anyone need our acceptance? I don't ask you for acceptance if I want to look or act a certain way, so why should anyone else?

You do whatever you want, I'll do whatever I want and as long as we don't step all over eachother's freedoms in the process, who cares?

As much as I agree with why does it even matters what anybody cares.

The problem is, there are people who do care and do judge.
History learns us that when and wherever these ideas get the upperhand. People are capable of some very nasty things.

So. That's why I think it matters. It's not about acceptence from each other it's about living together in peace and a little respect if possible.

[edit on 27-3-2010 by Sinter Klaas]

reply to post by Sinter Klaas

The goal for this thread is to learn where people stand.
It is not the place to defend an opinion.

My sincere and nonsarcastic apologies for doing so. I misunderstood your opening post, apparently. Obviously, this is an issue that is important to me. One my ask the inverse of my question: "Why does it matter to me what people think about homosexuals?"

The answer is that it doesn't matter to me what people think so much as it matters how they behave. I am against singling out any person and mistreating them for factors which I believe should not matter -- skin tone, sexual preference, religion, gender, etc. etc.

Sorry for having gone off on a rant.

cheers, and thanks for the space.

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


oh, wait a minute
I thought there was a dont ask dont tell policy
in place around here somewhere or did that get
trampled on when they burned the Constitution?

Do you think there is the need to take action removing homo sexuality from our communities and how far are you prepared to go and or participate in those actions ?

I dont think there is a need to do anything other than
mind our own business. I surely dont intend to judge
anyone as I dont expect them to judge me.
As far as what extremes I'm willing to go through,
I'm not. If they want to be gay, then let them as long
as it doesn't interfere with my own rights. That's their choice.
I really dont believe in the theory that people are born gay.
I think they are driven in that direction by peers and
emotional feelings which they do not understand.
I'm not gay but if they want to be then, that's on their
shoulder, not mine. I would bring up the religion card right now
but that would be to in-depth so back to ur regularly
scheduled pity party.

reply to post by argentus


Apology accepted

So it's actually discrimination.

I think everybody has the right to think homosexualitity is wrong but ( and for good reasons ) there are laws to prevent discrimination. Those laws can be changed therefore it is our duty to know what's going on in society.

This is exactly the kind of subject where there is little more to be done then teaching people.

reply to post by boondock-saint


Well I think you just proved how you can give your opinion without any arguing involved. As I believe you have every right to do so.

What people do in their own time and the lifestyle they choose to lead is none of my concern nor should it be anyone else's.

People should be free to live their lives as they please, provided that they are not negatively influencing others. How dare we judge.

Hi

I'm astonished at some peoples responses to the various threads that pop up on homosexuality, yet heartened by the replys of most.

Most people don't give a dam, as they see it as none of thier business who someone falls in love with, ok not for them, but all relationships are unique.

Most people who have a negative view on it seem to be closed minded and won't accept that what they have been told maybe wrong.
Sure, they can quote various extracts from a book that was written 2000 years ago proclaiming that this is evidence that some people are wrong in who they fall in love with. Yet they dismiss other sections that allow the prospect that slavery is acceptable or that women are somehow inferior to man.


If there truely is a god and most who are anit-gay will produce some sort of religious dogma to back up their bigoted views, must be so confused as to why that if a god created all of the universe , our galaxy, solar system, earth, atmosphere, oceans, land, nature and mankind, that a few gays falling in love with other and heavens forbid actually having sex is too complicated for him to somehow correct.

Sounds kinds daft really doesn't it?

i'm sick and tired of hearing about a "gay agenda!"

Would you accuse Martin Luther King or nelson Mandela of having a black agenda?

It;s about trying to counter the ignorantce and bigotry that some still push out today.

reply to post by Tykonos


I agree. I can come up with a few religious teachings which if followed would cause people to live in harmony

So, I probably do not think your post is daft, if you would tell me what 'daft' means I'd know for sure.

reply to post by Tykonos


I agree. I can come up with a few religious teachings which if followed would cause people to live in harmony

So, I probably do not think your post is daft, if you would tell me what 'daft' means I'd know for sure.

I really don't mind if a man loves another man or a woman loves another woman...

BUT - I dislike the automatic army of the politically correct crowd, who will jump to their defence without much thought.

An example being the two men who refused to stay at a guest house because they were gay. As much as i don't really think this was fair.

I tried to discuss this with some friends of mine, and they got heated and said the woman who refused them should be boycotted and have her business closed down.

BUT - in defence, who is to say what the woman did was wrong? It was her business, her building and also is she not allowed her own beliefs (for right or wrong).

In a sense she may have had a different up-bringing , or she is from a different generation. I tried to explain this and got accused of being a bigot, when in actual fact i was trying to see the arguement from both sides.

I DO disagree with teaching young children about gay sex education though, as much as i'm tolerable about adult relations, i think children have better things to be getting on with than learning about sex at such an early age.

Anyway that's my tuppence.