An open invitation to all ATS members concerning the homosexual issue.

Originally posted by joechip
Really it boils down to, do I believe in freedom, equality, and privacy rights? Most assuredly, I do. I could even be said to be passionate about these things.
But I also think gay people generally rock, so in answer to a far too simplistic question: "yay to the gay!"

Yes funnily enough I feel the same that my Gay friends are great and loving and fun - Maybe because they face prejudice it makes them more attuned to others who are considered outsiders like myself

reply to post by artistpoet

yeah, It's hard that. Real bummer. so many people face that, makes me real mad cause I know of so many similiar stories.
some might think it's not an issue 'cause it's not about alien invasions or conspiracy or flouride in the water or whatever cause they seem to forget the biggest tool used against us, divide and conquer. We're so busy hating each other and judging. There needs to be more people around that just get along nicely and tend to their own business and not make life nasty for others. in this issue and others.
thanks for totally cool response, lets here some more YAY for GAY!

I'll say "NAY" to this whole thread being started.

reply to post by number38

The following list includes those people who have confirmed their sexual orientation or whose sexual orientation is not debated.

* Roberta Achtenberg, US Politician
* Edward Albee, American Playwright (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
* Alexander the Great
* Chad Allen, American actor
* Steve Antin, American actor
* Reinaldo Arenas, Cuban poet, author
* John Ashbery, American poet
* W. H. Auden, British poet
* Augustus Caesar
* Kevin Aviance, dance music singer
* James Baldwin, American author
* Alan Ball, writer (American Beauty, "Six Feet Under")
* Samuel Barber, U.S. composer
* Clive Barker, Author, director, artist, known primarily for his work in the horror genre
* Michael Barrymore, British comedian
* Roland Barthes, French literary theorist
* Katharine Lee Bates, writer of "America the Beautiful" [1] (www.tstrich.com...)
* Billy Bean, former Florida Marlins pitcher, released shortly after declaring himself gay
* Amanda Bearse, American actor ("Married...with Children"), director
* Alison Bechdel, American cartoonist (Dykes to Watch Out For)
* Sandra Bernhard, American comedian, singer, author and actor
* Leonard Bernstein, U.S. composer and conductor
* Mark Bingham, United Airlines flight 93 passenger
* Ross Bleckner, American artist
* Chastity Bono, American activist, daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono
* Michel Marc Bouchard, Canadian playwright (Les feluettes)
* David Bowie, British bisexual singer, husband of Iman
* Karin Boye, Swedish poet and novelist
* Easter Bradford, American musician, actor and human rights activist
* Scott Brison, Canadian member of Parliament
* Benjamin Britten, English composer
* Lady Bunny, drag performer
* William S. Burroughs, American Beat author (Naked Lunch, Junky)
* Truman Capote, American author
* Nell Carter, Tony award winning singer and actress ("Give Me a Break")
* Luis Cernuda, Spanish playwright
* Graham Chapman, British comedian
* Richard Chamberlain, American actor
* Montgomery Clift, American actor
* Kate Clinton, American comedian
* Jean Cocteau, French director and artist, lover of Jean Marais
* Aaron Copland, American composer, documented in Howard Pollack's biography, Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man
* Quentin Crisp, British actor and wit
* Alan Cumming, Scottish actor
* Libby Davies, Canadian member of parliament
* Ellen Degeneres, writer, comedian and actor
* Divine, actor and transgendered performer
* Bertrand Delanoë, mayor of Paris
* Samuel Delany, science fiction author
* Lea Delaria, American comedian, jazz singer, author
* Ani DiFranco, American folk singer
* Hilton Edwards, actor, co-founder of Dublin's Gate Theatre, partner of Micheál MacLiammoir
* Melissa Etheridge, American singer, musician, composer
* Kenny Everett, British DJ and comic
* Rupert Everett, British actor
* Harvey Fierstein, American actor, playwright (Torch Song Trilogy)
* E. M. Forster, British author
* Pim Fortuyn, conservative Dutch politician
* Michel Foucault, French scholar
* Samantha Fox, British model and one time pop singer
* Barney Frank (D, MA), US Representative
* Stephen Fry, British actor, comedian, and novelist
* David Geffen, music producer and record executive
* Jean Genet, French writer
* Chrissy Gephardt, daughter of 2004 presidential candidate Dick Gephardt
* Boy George, British musician
* Andre Gide, French novelist and Nobel Laureate
* Candace Gingrich, activist, half-sister of former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
* Allen Ginsberg, Beat poet ("Howl")
* Juan Goytisolo, Spanish writer
* Judy Grahn, American poet
* Gustav Gründgens, German actor and stage director
* Rob Halford, British singer (Judas Priest)
* Marc Hall, Canadian student and activist
* Vincent Hanley, Irish radio DJ who died of an AIDS-related illness
* Lou Harrison, American composer
* Richard Hatch, "Survivor" winner
* Nigel Hawthorne, British actor
* Harry Hay, American gay rights activist, founder of the Mattachine Society
* Anne Heche, American bisexual actress
* Sighsten Herrgård, designer, trendsetter. Became the face of AIDS in Sweden.
* A. E. Housman, English poet
* Rock Hudson, American actor
* Christopher Isherwood, British novelist
* Tony Jackson, American pianist and composer
* James I of England [2] (www.azurebloom.net...)
* Joan Jett, lesbian singer
* Elton John, British singer, musician, composer
* Philip Johnson, American architect
* Angelina Jolie, American actress
* Mychal F. Judge, Franciscan priest, WTC terrorism victim
* Julius Caesar
* Pope Julius II
* John Maynard Keynes, British economist, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics
* Billie Jean King, tennis player
* James Kirkwood, American playwright (A Chorus Line)
* David Kopay, American football player, outed self in autobiography
* Nathan Lane, American actor and singer
* k.d. lang, Canadian country and blues singer, musician
* Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Renaissance artist
* Hedda Lettuce, drag performer
* Jose Lezama Lima, Cuban poet
* Liberace, American musician
* Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright, martyred in the Spanish Civil War
* Audre Lorde, poet, author
* Greg Louganis, American olympic diver
* Micheál MacLiammoir actor and co-founder of Dublin's Gate Theatre
* Madonna, American singer, actress, writer, dancer, producer
* Thomas Mann, German author
* Robert Mapplethorpe, American artist
* Jean Marais, French actor, lover of Jean Cocteau
* Christopher Marlowe, Elizabethan playwright
* Armistead Maupin, American writer (Tales of the City)
* Ian McKellen, British actor (X-Men, The Lord of the Rings)
* Réal Ménard, Canadian member of parliament
* Gian Carlo Menotti, U.S. composer
* Freddie Mercury, British musician (Queen)
* Metrobius
* George Michael, British singer (Wham)
* Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian Renaissance artist
* Harvey Milk, American politician
* Sal Mineo, American actor
* Yukio Mishima, Japanese author
* Richard Morel, singer, music producer
* Morissey, British singer (The Smiths)
* David Norris, Irish senator, James Joyce scholar [3] (karlbot.glasglow.com...)
* Martina Navratilova, tennis champion
* Me'shell N'Degeocello, singer and guitarist
* Graham Norton, Irish actor, UK chat show host
* Rosie O'Donnell, American comedian
* Eoin O'Duffy, Irish police commissioner, leader of the 'Blueshirts' and aide to Michael Collins
* Sinead O'Connor, singer
* Joe Orton, playwright
* Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italian director and writer
* Peter Pears, English singer
* Danny Pintauro, American actor ("Who's the Boss?")
* Plato
* Paula Poundstone, comedian
* Michael Portillo, former UK Defence Secretary and defeated leadership candidate
* Francis Poulenc, French composer
* Queen Pen, bisexual rap singer
* Rio Reiser, German musician ("Ton Steine Scherben")
* Christopher Rice, American author (son of Anne Rice)
* Adrienne Rich, American poet and critic
* Herb Ritts, American fashion photographer
* Svend Robinson, Canadian member of parliament
* Ernst Roehm, leader of the Nazi SA
* Hilary Rosen, former CEO of the RIAA
* RuPaul, AKA RuPaul Andre Charles, American drag queen
* Jason Saffer, AKA Jolene Sugarbaker, drag performer and comedian
* Dan Savage, American columnist
* Franz Schubert, Austrian composer
* David Sedaris, American essayist and radio personality
* Matthew Shepard, hate crime victim, violently murdered in Wyoming, subject of Emmy winning films The Laramie Project and The Matthew Shepard Story
* Bessie Smith, American blues singer
* Socrates, Greek philosopher
* Solon, Greek statesman
* Jimmy Somerville, singer (Bronski Beat, The Communards)
* Dusty Springfield, singer
* Gertrude Stein, American author, partner of Alice B. Toklas
* Michael Stipe, American singer (R.E.M.), film producer
* Gerry Studds, US politician
* Lucius Cornelius Sulla
* Andrew Sullivan, conservative journalist
* Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer
* Neil Tennant, British musician (Pet Shop Boys)
* Scott Thompson, Canadian comedian and actor (Kids in the Hall)
* Lily Tomlin, American comedian, actress
* Pussy Tourette, drag performer and singer
* Michel Tremblay, Canadian writer
* Esera Tuaolo, former NFL player
* Alan Turing, British mathematician, computer scientist and theorist
* Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer
* Gore Vidal, American writer
* Tom Waddell, American sports
* Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford
* Andy Warhol, American artist and pop icon
* John Waters, American film director (Pink Flamingos)
* Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright and bon vivant
* Tennessee Williams, American playwright
* Walt Whitman, American poet (Leaves of Grass)
* Johann Joachim Winckelmann, German classical archaeologist and art historian
* Virginia Woolf, British author
* Klaus Wowereit, mayor of Berlin
* Will Young, British "UK Pop Idol" winner
* Felix Yussupov, Russian prince
* Pedro Zamora, Cuban AIDS activist, The Real World participant

Originally posted by number38
Yay or nay? as in are you opposed to homosexuality or do you have no problem with it and wonder what everybody gets so upset about? So if you are gay obviously you won't have a problem with it unless you're a self-hating gay which would be a very complicated thread. So yay or nay on the issue.

Its as simple as that. I want to find out what the majority of ATS members actually think about this issue. No debate or arguing just a FOR or AGAINST. If you can't decide then keep the maybes to yourself, have a long think and reply later.

thanks to all who contribute.

peace

edit on 27-9-2010 by number38 because: to make it clearer what I'm looking for (hopefully)

I can't make out a single thesis to respond with Yay or Nay to, number38, but I'll do my best to answer the apparent gist of your question. I'm OK with gay people sharing our world (of multiple genders, sexual orientations and endless unique lifestyles). Since Natural Living Peoples too have a cultural niche for 'gay', often something like a third gender and unique status, and the holy book of the Jews, Torah, was already legislating against male homosexuality some 3000+ yrs back, even fuming against towns with a gay majority, I'm guessing gays have been around throughout Homo Sapiens' (pre-)history, as a fairly constant minority.

If indeed gay people have been emerging as a small, robust segment of humanity for the past 200.000 years, homosexuality must be part of human nature, and logically 'natural' to our species. It could be caused by genetic overshoot: males and females have different psychology, yet normally share a few qualities of the opposite sex. Handy for vital understanding/cooperation between heterosexual men and women. This successful survival trait may lead to a small percentage of the population having a few TOO MANY gender qualities, by way of genetic glitch, from the opposite sex programmed into their genes/brains, creating Lesbian, Homosexual, and Transgender fellowhumans.

Obviously gays contribute to society by participating in the work force, make fine soldiers, good neighbors and (important) they will VOTE! (Surely they can be criminals too, or turn out useless individuals, just like everybody else.) So the simple way to mobilize and direct the potentials of our gay fellowcitizens is by giving them the same rights and obligations of all citizens, treat them equally.

So the only problem I have with the 'gay issue' is observing discrimination, and occasionally violence, committed against those of an alternative orientation. And theocratic societies (Iran?) actively persecuting, treating with cruel injustice, homosexuals and lesbians I strongly condemn. Hope this helps you find your answer.


smilodon

Who cares, whom another has relations with or falls in love with...It is a NON issue. Although some want to attribute homosexuality to hurting children in one way or another, this is a red herring arguement. Ugh...enough bulls*** is going on today without needing this.

im straight , and i have NO objections to gay people :S, WHY should the sex of others concern you or me or anyone ?:S... EACH TO THERE OWN :|

reply to post by number38

What 'issue' are you talking about? Personally, I cannot recall the last time I ran around describing myself as someone who really really enjoys normal sex. I'm not sure what the issue is here...that gays need to run around saying they are gay, bi, tri or what ever? Or is it other people doing this for them? It must be time to amp up the aidshoax™ once more, as the Fall is coming on fast. Spring and Fall are the openings they always use for aidshoax™ promotionals.

reply to post by artistpoet


Although Michael Barrymore, British comedian, announced he was going straight again around the Celebrity Come Dine With Me table.

Originally posted by Alora
Yay


(is this a conspiracy to get us all docked for points because we don't have a second line?)

Something a lot of people don't get is that the second line rule does not mean that you have to have at least 2 lines of text. Your post just needs to be on topic and contribute.

If you can do that in one sentence or less that is allowed. But generally it is encouraged that you add more. But really, adding the words " second line" does not help at all. If anything. It makes it less on topic.

That said,

My opinion is that I have zero problem with any body regardless of their sexual orientiation. I have my sexual orientation which happens to be straight. You have yours, and I have no problem with you no matter what it is. Why should I? Who am I to judge someone for any reason? No one, that's who.

We have every right to be sexually attracted to men or women whether people like it or not.

reply to post by Jerk_Idiot

Answer. Yes, I am opposed. Unless of course it is between females. Stupid non logical answer but a honest one. Why? I will be dammed if I know.

I can help you understand. And I think it's important that I do.

If the ice cream truck comes through your neighborhood, but you don't like ice cream, will you be tempted to chase it down for a tasty treat? No. You don't want things you don't like. Now let's say some hotshot Senator sponsors a bill, the Iced Creams Prohibition Act of 2010. Since you don't like ice cream, you couldn't care less. After all, it's fattening, all those calories and carbs and high-fructose corn syrup (I mean, "corn sugar" ), it's like diabetes in a box, denying it to everyone would be for their own good, right? They'd be doing kids everywhere a favor by banning it, right? You might even actively support the bill, put up signs in your yard and such. It's for their own good. Right?

But what about someone who just loves the stuff? Even if they know it's bad for them, they still have some now and then. This is their choice. They have free will. Your free will is to not eat ice cream. Their free will is the opposite. Nothing in existence makes your free will more important than theirs. Nothing. And the same thing goes for cigarettes, porn, alcohol, McDonalds, rap music, violent movies, owning a really big dog, home schooling, gun rights, coffee, certain books, certain websites, gas guzzlers, free speech... where does it end? Does it even end?

If one doesn't enjoy watching lesbian action, what harm does it do one when others do enjoy it? Answer: none. If one doesn't like the thought of two guys marrying to tell the world "We choose to share our lives with each other. Deal with it," what harm does one incur when two men (or women) in love tie the knot? Same answer. So why do so many oppose it? I think it's probably ego. Everyone wants to be right. And when someone tells them they're wrong, they get offended and fight back and the first person retaliates and the vicious circle closes, never to break again. If people could just get over this hideous craving to viciously defend how right they are about everything, we'd all be a lot happier, and a lot better off. If the thought of ice cream nauseates you, or the thought of two men exercising their mutual choice to perform certain aerobic activities with each other, just don't think about it, and then you won't be tempted to tell others they can't do it either.

PS: I love ice cream.

Originally posted by artistpoet

Originally posted by BlueLightRain
For. There is no reason homosexuals should be treated different. Its a genetic trait... like red hair.

I agree - I have a friend who is Gay and has Red Hair - She is an Alien also

gay and alien, go figure!

i belong only to the first minory lol (well in fact i dont know someone who claims to be alien)

nice artistpoet ( your message made me smile)

A very big NO NO NO
Nay!

If you don't accept homosexuality, you're a bigot. There is no arguing with that fact.

The same goes with not accepting blacks because of their skin color. You have a choice to live a life of racism and hatred, I'm just tired of seeing it on a website that's suppose to deny ignorance.

I don't care what consenting adults do in their free time.

Can we please have an end to the endless BS and homo threads?

reply to post by number38


Let them do what they want. I don't believe they should be legally wed or qualify for benefits from their partners work. I think they should not be in the military. They should have the right to make medical decisions and such for their partner as long as there is a written health directive stating so. Enough is enough. Homosexuality is deviant sexual behavior and shouldn't be rewarded with expanded benefits. So I say Nay.

reply to post by number38


totally against-this is pure poof propaganda(reminds me of soaps nowadays)the few replies I read are for ,tell me why is everyone so scared to say they are repulsed by these people?

I say YaY.

BUT - A gay man will have to accept they are in fact inferior to a straight man and act as such.

Sorry, but bending over and submitting for another man to bang you up the anus, and then falling in love with said man, is quite inferior to a straight man.

Although there are no real victims, so I say YaY.

I think it is NOT an issue, period, meaning: there is no such thing as "the homosexual issue." The thread, by its very nature is bigoted as it asserts there is such an issue. It is as nonsensical as asking people's input on the "day issue" or the "up issue" or the "green grass issue."

How about a thread on the mental disorder that is the abject unwillingness of some to accept what just is?

I am a brand spanking new member. I just wanted to reply to this.

I personally have no problem with homsexuality whatsoever. The way I see it the most direct path to a better society is to allow the greatest amount of freedome to the greatest amount of people. Why is this any different than any other group who is different from the majority.

Blacks could not vote or woman at a point in our history because the bigger group tried to push them around. How are homesexuals and the right to marry any different than that struggle?