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The reason that you've never had to announce it is because everyone assumes you are straight. People don't treat you like **** because of it.
That's the reason why we have pride parades. People used to (and still do) treat us awful just because we aren't straight. You mention not having a parade for you, well I have some questions for you: Have you ever been denied the right to marry the person you love because you are straight? Do you have to worry about being fired for your job just for being straight? Have you ever been disowned for being straight? Have you ever been beaten for being straight? Have you ever heard of people just like you in countries being murdered/tortured/imprisoned/executed just for being straight? Have you ever been hated just for being straight?
No? Then be glad you don't need to have a straight pride parade.
I certainly understand, and agree that gay people have been mistreated for a very long time, but I just don't see the connection with the parade or announcing your sexual preference publically to all within ear/eye shot.
To my way of thinking (and obviously it's ok for others to have other opinions), living a quiet successful life of your choice while just being who you naturally are might be the best way for others to eventually realize (and I think this current generation of young people has turned the corner in a big way) that gays are no different than anyone else. Some are wonderful people, some are not...just like the general population.
I just think there are a large percentage of straight people who are more turned off by the public parades than anything else. It's anyone's right to have a parade if they wish...but what's the real purpose of the parade ? I'm just now sure how to link the benefit of a pride parade to solving the problem of gays being mistreated, which they certainly have been. People's opinions change slowly, and for good or bad, that's just the way humans typically are. I'm just now sure what that parades have much positive effect on the rate of that change.
You seem to be very willing to understand. Usually if someone who thought I was straight, then finds out I am gay, they then restrain their heterosexuality in front of me, where as before they knew I was gay and assumed I was straight, would wolf whistle at girls or women in front of me, make comments about what they would do etc. Its funny, some will late do something like see a man walk by and ask me if he is my type. I really don't care either, but if someone wants to talk about their family, their kids, their pets, what ever, matters not to me, I am a listener, not a judger. Well, as to that behind the closed doors thing, I find out way too much from some of my straight friends what they do behind closed doors or wish to. WOW, I can tell you some things, but I won't .
I have been aggressively approached my both straight men and straight women that wanted to convince me that having sex with a woman was the only way and that they could set me up, flattering, but I was not interested. The agression towards gays, from straights, telling them that they chose to be gay and with it the condemnation and laws against us, again from straights. STRAIGHTS that seem to know that gays chose to be gay, SORRY, but with the gay community the consensus is that we did not make a choice. Is that fair? You are not questioned about your heterosexuality on a daily basis or have to hide it. And the aggression I have been exposed to from people who find out I am gay and use their bible to thump me over the head with, is that fair. I do not care what one god, multi gods or demi gods anyone believes in, but dang it, stop using it as a sword to smite your enemies.
I have been around all guy groups gay and straight, more of the latter and they are all pigs, Sorry guys I let the secret out. Men are pigs, at least most of them, gay or straight. If they are straight and think I am too, phew, the things they say about women. Gay men act really proper if they think I am straight, but, Phew, the things they say about men if they find out I am gay. This is just my observasation. Women I get along with all around, straight and lesbian. But I had issues with men when I was young that led me to women as a source of trust and protection. But I have met some women too that are quite open and expressive about their sexuality. It does not bother me, but I can see how it could bother others. I think it is that since the majority of people are straight, they do not see that straight is advertised everywhere and when it is gay, it seems as if it is in your face. We are here and we are gay and we are US citizens too, much of the dissent and in your face that people are seeing is because we are still fighting the issue of full equal rights in the US, equal rights that should not be based on anyones religious beliefs or because they are straight, they should be a given. This marriage issue based on sexual orientation should not be an issue in the USA, our rights are not based on any bible, but on the Federal Constitution. Is it fair that we gays have to keep fighting for equality, when the majority, as in straight people, want to deny it to us?
Thank you and this is a very fair post.
I also accept the fact that I can only speak for myself, I don't expect others to live based on what I believe.
My sister is freshly divorced, and has been called by her cheating husband that she was one of those vanilla folks. My sis is a great wife, always has been, she was willing to try at least anything once with her husband in order to save the marriage, all failed. I am inclined to believe that the "vanilla folks" is nothing but an excuse. If the love and attraction is no longer there, the marriage would be doomed even if she turned herself into Madonna. Moral of the story, we all have our struggles, straight, gay, married, single, we are all judged in one way or another. I think it is how we deal with unfairness really matters.
I am all for gay marriage, and if gay people want to go to church, go ahead because the God I believe is all about love. I don't judge.
The reason I created this thread is because I am sick and tired of CEO uses media to gain publicity right before Midterm election. (Of course this is nothing but an opinion). Only a few posters seems to get the message I am trying to send out, this thread unfortunately, turned into a Gay / God debate.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy as many beautiful men as you can. If you are in an exclusive relationship, I wish you are happily ever after. As for me, I am always attracted to men, and I am definitely not threatened by gay life style because all love is beautiful. I have three baby nephews, as an overly protective aunt, I wish they grow up and have kids. But if one of them decided to love another boy, that is fine by me too.
The reason that you've never had to announce it is because everyone assumes you are straight. People don't treat you like **** because of it.
That's the reason why we have pride parades. People used to (and still do) treat us awful just because we aren't straight. You mention not having a parade for you, well I have some questions for you: Have you ever been denied the right to marry the person you love because you are straight? Do you have to worry about being fired for your job just for being straight? Have you ever been disowned for being straight? Have you ever been beaten for being straight? Have you ever heard of people just like you in countries being murdered/tortured/imprisoned/executed just for being straight? Have you ever been hated just for being straight?
No? Then be glad you don't need to have a straight pride parade.
I have been discriminated against when I was single with no children. Who has to work late at a factory when overtime is needed? Well Tom has kids, he needs to get home. Memphis is single, no kids, guess what, he has to stay and work. What if I had plans? Maybe Tom should have to stay late from time to time.
Discrimination comes in all shapes, forms and sizes. I have no issue with homosexuals, do as you please. If you want to get married, I support that. I don't think you should be fired for being Gay, but other people get fired for lots of other reasons, some far less then their sexual connotations. Thats just the reality of the world, its not a pretty place.
What bugs me about homosexuals is that, like when I worked cellular in Florida, people were afraid to go to the damned beach because homosexuals would take it over during the "southern decadence festival". You couldn't even walk down the beach without seeing all kinds of depravity. Hell I don't want to see people having sex on the beach when they are straight, especially when I have my kids, but guess what, theres two guys under a towel going at it. Hey, I'm very open sexually, I like to find a dark corner with a girl I like as much as the next guy, but I'm not openly having sex on the beach.
That is what people have an issue with. You have parades, show off your sexuality, and try to make a big show out of it. Just be normal people living in a house. I don't care if I see my gay neighbors have sex. If I'm over for a BBQ and you want to grab your boyfriends butt, good for you. It doesn't mean I want you to start having sex in front of me, or going around in a banana hanger with nothing else on flying a rainbow flag.
There is a person in this very thread saying "straight people shove their straight sexuality down our throat on daily basis by mentioning pregnancy, family life, or whatever."
I have news for you. Lesbian women get pregnant on daily basis. To assume a pregnant woman = straight is down right ignorant. When I see a pregnant woman, I just see a pregnant woman, period. I don't think she shove her sexuality down my throat, I don't assume she has vaginal sex because I don't give a damn what she did several months ago. It doesn't concern me.
You have never answered my question. and I am going to ask again. Plus, I was asking a gay guy that question, but since you believe you can answer my question for somebody else, then I am going to ask again.
I have been approached by three lesbians, and I told them "NOT interested." One told me, "everybody has bisexuality tendency, you are just denying or lying to yourself." I am asking you, Is it fair to me? Did she shove her sexuality down my throat?
you may want to re read your own posts. in your last one you said straight people when talking about their families was NOT shoving their sexuality down your throat. I asked how then can a gay person talk about their families and NOT be shoving it down people's throats?
I asked you several pages back a question that you ignored. you gonna ever answer that one? I did not answer your question, which you posed to another poster because it was not asked of me. now that you are asking me would I think a member of my own sex who comes on to me, shoving their sexuality down my throat? no I think it is a pass/flirt the same way I think about it when an opposite sex makes a pass at me.
"While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now," writes Cook. "So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."
Cook says he's been open with others about being gay, but felt compelled to publicly come out to help others. "I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others," writes Cook. "So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy."
The tide of public opinion and laws in this country has already turned in favor of gay marriage. Maybe Cook's coming-out can help turn the tide more decisively against workplace discrimination, too. As Cook noted, it's bad for business.
Your thoughts?
what does him liking Men have to do with my Iphone? Who cares
I certainly understand, and agree that gay people have been mistreated for a very long time, but I just don't see the connection with the parade or announcing your sexual preference publically to all within ear/eye shot.
To my way of thinking (and obviously it's ok for others to have other opinions), living a quiet successful life of your choice while just being who you naturally are might be the best way for others to eventually realize (and I think this current generation of young people has turned the corner in a big way) that gays are no different than anyone else. Some are wonderful people, some are not...just like the general population.
I just think there are a large percentage of straight people who are more turned off by the public parades than anything else. It's anyone's right to have a parade if they wish...but what's the real purpose of the parade ? I'm just now sure how to link the benefit of a pride parade to solving the problem of gays being mistreated, which they certainly have been. People's opinions change slowly, and for good or bad, that's just the way humans typically are. I'm just now sure what that parades have much positive effect on the rate of that change.
The definitive word is "eventually" do you realize that some of us want equality in our own lifetime? It is not fair to make us wait for equality, when everyone knows it is the only fair thing to do. Why should we wait for eventually? Do you think that blacks should have just waited till soceity eventually wanted them to have equal rights. They fought for their rights as citizens, same as gays are, we are just as much in your face as they were. If the rights we wanted were not so important for us to fight for, then what is the US about? Freedom and equality is not based on sexual orientation.
Adam and Eve.... bites Apple
People say its not Adam and Steve.
Steve Jobs makes Apple
Cook loves Steve
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I can tell you some things, but I won't 
. 
I let the secret out. Men are pigs, at least most of them, gay or straight. If they are straight and think I am too, phew, the things they say about women. Gay men act really proper if they think I am straight, but, Phew, the things they say about men if they find out I am gay. This is just my observasation. Women I get along with all around, straight and lesbian. But I had issues with men when I was young that led me to women as a source of trust and protection. But I have met some women too that are quite open and expressive about their sexuality. It does not bother me, but I can see how it could bother others. I think it is that since the majority of people are straight, they do not see that straight is advertised everywhere and when it is gay, it seems as if it is in your face. We are here and we are gay and we are US citizens too, much of the dissent and in your face that people are seeing is because we are still fighting the issue of full equal rights in the US, equal rights that should not be based on anyones religious beliefs or because they are straight, they should be a given. This marriage issue based on sexual orientation should not be an issue in the USA, our rights are not based on any bible, but on the Federal Constitution. Is it fair that we gays have to keep fighting for equality, when the majority, as in straight people, want to deny it to us?
I have three baby nephews, as an overly protective aunt, I wish they grow up and have kids. But if one of them decided to love another boy, that is fine by me too. 
