Are you ok with people being gay?
By Yatayee
@Yatayee (117)
Australia
July 12, 2007 7:22am CST
No, really! I think every person who replies will have a very strong feeling one way or the other. But I don't think everyone is totally truthful when they say it doesn't matter. It probably shouldn't matter, but the fact is, a lot of people suddenly feel they have to treat someone differently once they know.
Why is that exactly? If we never plan to sleep with them, should we even care? Should it matter to us? For an example, if a colleague one day told us he was 45, single and had only ever made love twice... would we step backwards in horror? Probably not. But if he told us he found men attractive, suddenly people think that things between us have changed. Why is that? Is it just that most of us never discussed "those people" as kids, so we don't understand them and don't understand how to relate?
And does a person become a different person once we know what happens in their bedroom? If the lady over in the accounts department likes to use toys with her husband while in bed, would she look any different? Talk any different, or dress any different? So why would most people react in shock if they found out she had a girlfriend and not a husband?
I am keen to hear your opinions on this one...
9 people like this
11 responses
@oldiebut (859)
• Canada
12 Jul 07
Twenty five years in business and I have never found the need to discuss my colleagues sexuality. Maybe because I simply do not care. Nor would I care about the 45 year old virgin or the woman who wants to use toys. What business of it is mine?
On a side note, be careful with Read Revenue, they are quite the little scam outfit.
3 people like this
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
13 Jul 07
Why do you say that about read revenue? I heard they pay you if you request payment at small amounts but not big amounts; is that true?
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38208)
• Philippines
12 Jul 07
In my case I do feel the same way shock when I see people that is not unusual but then suddenly showed a different side of him/her. I think that is a normal reaction for people to be shock because we follow certain standards when it comes to seeing other people. So if one goes a little bit out of the standard expectation it is just but a normal reaction that people will get shock from their discovery especially if it is not shown immediately.
1 person likes this
@Yatayee (117)
• Australia
12 Jul 07
Well I don't think it is necessarily horrible that you do react with shock, because a lot of people do. :)
But I am wondering why people think it really matters? Would you react the same to learn that someone collected model trains? :)
It's just another side of him or her in the same way. Funny that we think bedroom antics are so important to the way we relate to people, even if we aren't going to be in the bedroom with them at all! We are a strange species of animal aren't we?
2 people like this
@inked4life (4224)
• United States
12 Jul 07
I have absolutely no problem with people being gay. To me it's really not that big an issue. I like people for who they are and how they act towards me rather than who they choose to sleep with. I really can't understand why some people are so hung up on the whole gay community.
1 person likes this
@Yatayee (117)
• Australia
12 Jul 07
I agree completely, and I suppose it goes both ways. I know a few gay people who hate heteros with a passion, and they see the gay community as their sanctuary. But who made them feel unwelcome in the hetero world in the first place, and why do we have a gay and a hetero world instead of just a world? To me it's a silly waste of time to get so riled up about what someone else does in their spare time. Surely we have other things to do, like worrying about whether we will have orange juice or apple juice with our lunch. You know, the really important things in life :)
@snookumsnort (313)
• Philippines
12 Jul 07
I don't mind. I have gay friends, gay cousins, gay uncles. They're fun to be with and sometimes it can be quite enlightening chatting with them. I don't think I treat them differently. Although I do have a bit of difficulty watching lesbianism in movies or guys kissing each other like in Brokeback Mountain. But the gays I know are very discreet with their relationships. I just treat them as regular people and with a lot of respect. Life isn't always easy for gays who have to constantly explain themselves to others.
@Yatayee (117)
• Australia
12 Jul 07
I think you have been very fortunate in your upbringing, and probably exposed to all sorts of people and discussions about relationships of all kinds. I hope my children grow up to be as open minded as you. It is still natural to not want to watch those scenes - a gay person might find it uncomfortable to watch a straight scene. Why should any of us enjoy what doesn't interest us? :)
@vonn1378 (706)
• Philippines
13 Jul 07
Gay people for me are unique and wonderful individuals. I don't rate my friends based on their sexuality or gender. Because no matter what they are what is more important is their whole being. They might be on the wrong side of their personal preferences but still there are a lot of qualities that you may like about them. We are only humans and I don't think its right to have racial discriminations about their sexuality.
In fact, I'm sharing a flat with my gay friend and I'm a girl. I find it comfortable with him around, murky days he makes it less gloomy. We enjoy each other company and confide problems with each other.I just find them easy to be with. No pretensions and they're often frank on what they think or feel.
@Meatballsurgery (140)
• Sweden
13 Jul 07
To me sexuall prefenses are not a problem since I am bisexuall myself.
But yeah alot of people starts to treat people diffrent just because they are homosexuall.
If I would treat a friend diffrently if he was gay? nope I would still be an evil git. but sure my jokes would be difffrent since you can't make fun of the girls a gay guy dates.
1 person likes this
@beyonce03 (2331)
• Canada
12 Jul 07
I have no problem with people being gay. I always had friend who were. I don't act differently with them. They only thing that will change, is that we will look at men together lol
1 person likes this
@Perspectives (7131)
• Canada
14 Jul 07
Interesting open topic...I like that.
To me every person has a unique spiritual/energetic imprint within their inner being...regardless of their outer personna. Race, creed, culture, gender...is all secondary to who they are and what they do.
Lifestyle choices, attitudes, beliefs, genetic predispositions are just a 'form' shaped around the inner self. My perspective is that we are all spiritual beings going through human experiences. If a person is gay or straight, black, white, red or yello...that is the 'cloak' they present as they go through their earth walk.
Every great religion talks has a few common threads..Love..acceptance...non judgment...free choice. How people decide to live is based on their FREE CHOICE. It is not up to us to judge them...unless they cause harm to others.
In my view consenting adults can do whatever they want within the privacy of their own space. I mean who really cares? Those who invest so much energy sticking their noses into the lives of others and judging it....need to get a life of their own.
Free choice...causing harm to none...love, honor and respect for each other, even when we disagree...what a lovely world we'd have if we could only do that.
Just my perspective of course!
