Gay couple ordered to ride in back of bus by New Mexico bus driver

I'm really surprised at tenth here. I don't always agree with what he says, but I've always found his posts to be reasonable and for him to make a great argument for his viewpoint. In this thread I think his comments are totally unreasonable.

Some guys holding hands is NOT some vulgar public display of affection. If someone is offended by hand holding or a quick peck on the cheek, I don't understand how they survive life without dying of stress from constantly being offended by every tiny thing.

If these guys were deep in a passionate tongue kiss, or if they were groping or dry humping each other I would absolutely say they were out of line, and back of the bus wouldn't be good enough, I'd say kick them off the bus.

But they were holding hands... I mean come on. I cannot fathom that even today someone like the bus driver would freak out over that, and I'm even more shocked that people would defend the bus driver's actions.

I'm not calling anyone a bigot or anything, if you truly believe that nobody should be holding hands or anything regardless of gender or sexual orientation than at least that view isn't hypocritical. But I cannot believe that anyone would find a man and woman innocently holding hands an offense. Yet they support the idea that it's an offense if two men do it.

reply to post by jheated5

Another gay couple looking for a lawsuit?

What law was broken?

Title VII does not cover sexual orientation, nor does any other such law or Act. While distasteful, discrimination based on sexual preference is oddly enough, perfectly legal (at present).

Personally, I think that the driver was being ridiculous, and should be terminated just based on a public relations fiasco, but legally, he did nothing wrong.

reply to post by James1982

I'm even more shocked that people would defend the bus driver's actions.

I won't defend his actions, but I will state that he did nothing illegal.

I'm not calling anyone a bigot or anything,

Why not? The driver certainly is one.

Originally posted by Sharingan
reply to post by goou111

 

Surprised, but not wanting to cause trouble or make a scene, McCoy and Bowers complied, moving to the back of the bus

Yet here they are, going to the press and making a scene

It's the old union mantra..."Obey Now, Grieve Later". Public servants - especially - don't have the right to humiliate the folks who pay their salaries.

reply to post by goou111


Maybe he should have kept his eyes on the road instead of on the gay guys, then it wouldn't matter if they were slightly holding hands.

Originally posted by Rocker2013
What is it with Americans and this weird thing about public displays of affection? I never knew you all had such ridiculous hang up's until recently. Are you REALLY all so sexually repressed that you feel "offended" by seeing two people holding hands? Really?

You know, you really shouldn't come to Europe. We have people *shock horror* holding hands and walking along the street!

I've seen people kiss in public too

I agree that they should have caused a fuss, and they should have argued. It is discrimination, obviously, and when gay people accept it and comply they are allowing it to continue.

it's called....Church. Religious dogma here in America is one of the strictest forms of control. Hell, some people even give up 10% of their wages to their church. retarded, isn't it

reply to post by TXRabbit


Why do people assume that every person that doesnt want to see two dudes kissing is a bible banging religious zealot?
I dont want to see it and I havent been to church since around 1992 and that was to get married.

as much as this story saddens me, to see the replies it's getting is even more sad, to think that we should be allowed to be discriminated because of 'public displays of affection' that would be tolerated by straight people.

and for people to dismiss this as not a problem in the world, personal belief is one thing, and something i have always stated i defend. you are allowed freedom of thought and believe and expression, and you don't have to agree with homosexuals or their public displays of affection, and i have heard many say 'i don't like it when straight people do it either' fine, but straight people don't get ridiculed for it

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

Originally posted by Kaifan
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Humiliation is Humiliation and I sure wouldn't tolerate it.

But they did, and then complied, instead of refusing right there and then.

And then they complain about it, while they allowed it to happen in the first place.
There's just more to this than a one sided issue.

I don't get your point here. These two chose to take the higher road and not make a major scene, major issue and perhaps create a police issue by the time this ignorant driver got done ....and so it's somehow their fault for that reason?

Not everyone SHOULD make Custer's last stand on every single "wrong" they perceive has been done. That's a GREAT way to die from heart failure or stroke before reaching middle age. It's an absolute certain way to live a very miserable and pathetic life...going from one fight to another and basically living to make others miserable.

These two were in town for a happy and, to them, very important event. They apparently weren't going to bite the bigot bait and get themselves into a far worse position or thrown off the bus as the best outcome. That, I respect...not condemn. Would I have said something? Well, I already said I would. However, I wasn't there on THAT bus with this driver and these 2 men. There may have been aspects to this we can never know, not having been there...which made their decision the best one.

I'm afraid the two sides to this story are VERY clear. Bigot and Victims. The roles? Self evident. How I feel about gay behavior is irrelevant. No one has the right to humiliate other people like that for any reason. Period, in my opinion.

edit on 4-8-2013 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

And yet your opinion is that "Humiliation is Humiliation and I sure wouldn't tolerate it." ? but they did, well, to each his own i guess.

reply to post by Kaifan


How do you figure we're even hearing about it at all if they "tolerated it"? I'd say they used discretion and intelligence to pick their battles, not only in where and how but WHEN and why as well. Some folks here are like a big Internet Rambo. They'll fight everyone, every time over anything, to hear them talk it. I'll bet the majority are actually among those who would barely make a peep in real life too.

These guys didn't let anything go, they just had the good sense not to make a fight at the start into a confrontation that might well have seen them walking at best and in jail to miss their event at worst (perhaps what the driver quietly hoped they'd do, too).

People don't need to fight every fight to stand up for their rights. Not every fight needs 'in your face' stupidity, as so many do these days either. Again... We'd never have heard about this if they hadn't taken a different route and by appearances? An effective one too.