Are the "pro gay" steps taken in the 90's being undone?

[Captain_BluTac]

More and more lately we have been hearing of stories involving homophobia and as much as people claim to accept homosexuality, we hear more and more news of "gay bashing" ect, so my question is, are people's attitude towards gay people regressing towards the state is was pre legalisation or are acts of homophobia just getting more publicity?

Some news stories for further reading.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a94610/singapore-fines-channel-for-homosexuality.html
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/a95158/cumming-hollywood-is-homophobic.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard15feb15,0,7663055.story

 

[SapphirePrima]

I wish I wasn't being pessimisstic but homophobia will always exist and so will racism.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Homophobia is just more present in the media. The media gets their jollies off talking about bad things

If there is any problem it is growing indifference. People want to accept homosexuals but they dont want to reference them either.

 

[Mee]

Haha "Is homophobia on the rise?"


I like "pro gay" too. How does one become a pro gay? Lifetime of training and dedication I guess. Practice practice practice.

 

[Captain_BluTac]

I wish I wasn't being pessimisstic but homophobia will always exist and so will racism.

I wouldn't call that pessimistic, I'd say it was realistic, what I'm wondering is "are people getting more or less prejudiced?"

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

It's starting to reverse. With the Baby Boomers retiring and being forced off stage,it's going back to the way it was. Racist,sexist and isolationist.

 

[The Senator]

I didn't know the 1990s were a good time to be gay, considering DOMA and DADT were signed into law and innocent kids such as Matthew Shepard were being brutally beaten and killed over their sexual orientation.

Whereas in this decade, one state has legalized gay marriage, several others have legalized civil unions between gay couples, and states are starting to thwart anti-gay marriage amendments in their own back yards. Not to mention a constitutional ban against gay marriage has yet to pass. Meanwhile, colleges are getting rid of gender markers on single-stall bathrooms, gender barriers are being broken in college dormitories, several states are in the process of approving domestic partnership benefits, and more homosexuals are being elected to public office than ever before.

I think that while incidents of homophobia are becoming more widespread, gays are becoming more empowered because these amendments and vicious attacks against homosexuals are being thwarted all the time. And the more gay people there are in government means the more likely it is progressive, pro-gay rights legislation will be passed.

So I think times are good.

 

[Captain_BluTac]

Haha "Is homophobia on the rise?"


I like "pro gay" too. How does one become a pro gay? Lifetime of training and dedication I guess. Practice practice practice.

Once again you say too much, yet contribute nothing.

 

[Mee]

At least I'm consistent.

 

[AndThePickles]

Hmm, tough one. I feel like in some ways, homosexuality is becoming more widely accepted with some, so at the same time, because gay culture is somewhat of a media darling, any act of homophobia is publicized. In the past, the homophobia would have been viewed as "normal" and not noteworthy.

 

[kainedamo]

You know it's weird, I have/had this gay friend I've known for years, we did the same course, and I thought he was a pretty great guy and stuff. But over the years he really started getting on my nerves. He had a very overly camp nature and always had these really sordid sex stories, and always had really bad sexual innuendos on the tip of his tongue. And sometimes he had a problem controlling the volume of his voice in public, so it was kinda embarrising. I haven't hung out with the guy in a long time. I do personally feel that some gay guys feel like they have to behave a certain way to fit in with the gay culture, and end up behaving like stupid stereotypes.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

You know it's weird, I have/had this gay friend I've known for years, we did the same course, and I thought he was a pretty great guy and stuff. But over the years he really started getting on my nerves. He had a very overly camp nature and always had these really sordid sex stories, and always had really bad sexual innuendos on the tip of his tongue. And sometimes he had a problem controlling the volume of his voice in public, so it was kinda embarrising. I haven't hung out with the guy in a long time. I do personally feel that some gay guys feel like they have to behave a certain way to fit in with the gay culture, and end up behaving like stupid stereotypes.

I work with somebody who personifies the bolded.

It's really annoying, to say the least.

 

[Leto Atrides]

Hmm, tough one. I feel like in some ways, homosexuality is becoming more widely accepted with some, so at the same time, because gay culture is somewhat of a media darling, any act of homophobia is publicized. In the past, the homophobia would have been viewed as "normal" and not noteworthy.

I agree, what with

1. Gay marraige, adoption, etc. becoming bigger hot-button topics and
2. 24 hour and online news delivering more news faster anyway

awareness is a lot higher for anything to do with the subject.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

I think, like most things, the media makes things look worse than they really are.

I've lived in 2 different states now, and known quite a few homosexuals. I've never once met a single person who TRULY felt disdain towards homosexuals.

Now, that's not to say I haven't known people to use the term "***", or "that's gay", or to even make anti-gay jokes.

But when it comes down to it, the feelings of these people aren't anti-gay. They don't dislike gay people.

Where I work, there is a lesbian couple who are very open (one is the stereotypical "butch dyke"), and they are some of the most well liked people there. And this is in a southern state... the aforementioned "butch dyke" (sorry, lack of a better term) is one of the coolest people there I know.

There's also a pretty open gay guy that works there, who nobody likes, because he's annoying and doesn't do any work.

Then there's another gay guy there who apparently had a crush on me when I first started working there, and there are 2 lesbian managers.

Not one of these people faces any problems because of their orientation. Outside of jokes, I've never seen one person ever actually say bad things about gay people or the gay lifestyle. In all honesty, I'm probably the most "anti-gay" out of everybody that I personally know, and my stance is really just that I don't -like- homosexuality, but even then I do believe they deserve to get married, be able to adopt, and have the same rights overall as anyone else. I don't like homosexuality the same way I don't like country music - not my thing, so I don't associate with it, but there's nothing wrong with the people that do.

What am I trying to say?

I think that on the greater scale, homosexuality is accepted. But the media blows incidents out of proportion to make them seem worse than they really are, which makes it sound like we're going backwards instead of forwards.

 

[The Senator]

I think, like most things, the media makes things look worse than they really are.

I've lived in 2 different states now, and known quite a few homosexuals. I've never once met a single person who TRULY felt disdain towards homosexuals.

Now, that's not to say I haven't known people to use the term "***", or "that's gay", or to even make anti-gay jokes.

But when it comes down to it, the feelings of these people aren't anti-gay. They don't dislike gay people.

Where I work, there is a lesbian couple who are very open (one is the stereotypical "butch dyke"), and they are some of the most well liked people there. And this is in a southern state... the aforementioned "butch dyke" (sorry, lack of a better term) is one of the coolest people there I know.

There's also a pretty open gay guy that works there, who nobody likes, because he's annoying and doesn't do any work.

Then there's another gay guy there who apparently had a crush on me when I first started working there, and there are 2 lesbian managers.

Not one of these people faces any problems because of their orientation. Outside of jokes, I've never seen one person ever actually say bad things about gay people or the gay lifestyle. In all honesty, I'm probably the most "anti-gay" out of everybody that I personally know, and my stance is really just that I don't -like- homosexuality, but even then I do believe they deserve to get married, be able to adopt, and have the same rights overall as anyone else. I don't like homosexuality the same way I don't like country music - not my thing, so I don't associate with it, but there's nothing wrong with the people that do.

What am I trying to say?

I think that on the greater scale, homosexuality is accepted. But the media blows incidents out of proportion to make them seem worse than they really are, which makes it sound like we're going backwards instead of forwards.

Of course, while people are accepted more because of their sexuality, there are gruesome incidents which prove homophobia still exists. Such as the eighth grader who was shot in the head by one of his classmates because the kid dressed in women's clothes and, when confronted by the assailant, the kid mocked him and pretended to have a crush on the guy.

I think that, in the workforce or any other professional environment, homophobia has decreased.

But I think that homophobia certainly exists, especially in schools across the country. Kids get ridiculed and mocked for their sexuality on a daily basis. And, in the case of the aforementioned incident, some of them end up killed for it.

 

[Bill]

I think, like most things, the media makes things look worse than they really are.

I've lived in 2 different states now, and known quite a few homosexuals. I've never once met a single person who TRULY felt disdain towards homosexuals.

Now, that's not to say I haven't known people to use the term "***", or "that's gay", or to even make anti-gay jokes.

But when it comes down to it, the feelings of these people aren't anti-gay. They don't dislike gay people.

Where I work, there is a lesbian couple who are very open (one is the stereotypical "butch dyke"), and they are some of the most well liked people there. And this is in a southern state... the aforementioned "butch dyke" (sorry, lack of a better term) is one of the coolest people there I know.

There's also a pretty open gay guy that works there, who nobody likes, because he's annoying and doesn't do any work.

Then there's another gay guy there who apparently had a crush on me when I first started working there, and there are 2 lesbian managers.

Not one of these people faces any problems because of their orientation. Outside of jokes, I've never seen one person ever actually say bad things about gay people or the gay lifestyle. In all honesty, I'm probably the most "anti-gay" out of everybody that I personally know, and my stance is really just that I don't -like- homosexuality, but even then I do believe they deserve to get married, be able to adopt, and have the same rights overall as anyone else. I don't like homosexuality the same way I don't like country music - not my thing, so I don't associate with it, but there's nothing wrong with the people that do.

What am I trying to say?

I think that on the greater scale, homosexuality is accepted. But the media blows incidents out of proportion to make them seem worse than they really are, which makes it sound like we're going backwards instead of forwards.

I am in a slightly older category, and I tend to associate with the parents of kids. We have friends that don't accept the lifestyle and don't like it, but I notice that they don't verbalize that as much when we're around or when they are around others who are like us and more open-minded. I think the homophobia is still there and acceptance is being feigned because of social acceptance being more prevalent. Some don't want to be the odd one out.

Incidentally, the husband of the couple in question is also racist and is more verbal when those of like mind are around. I notice his racism is like his homophobia, he will make the jokes and comments when people are around that will appreciate them.

 

[Mister Sinister]

Gay rights has come a long way, but there's still much further to go. There's too many people out there who still use the phrase "I've got nothing against gays, I just don't want them anywhere near me". If you say something like that, you're homophobic, end of.

 

[dolfan55aj]

Hey, to be honest, I think everybody should be just a little big homophobic, I don't want to get too comfortable. Personally I'm very conservative on the issue. I don't care if people are gay, just keep it on the down low please. And I'm against gay marrige, it just dishonors the true union of man and woman. Anyway, no I think homophobia isn't on the rise because the media and everybody on the more liberal left is letting things like gay marrige go, and people who insult homosexuals in any way in the mainstream media are always severely punished, and if not they're at least scolded. We're basically making it completely normal, wich i don't think is a good idea. Anyway don't care if you don't like my opinion, and likely i won't come back to this topic, but there you go.

 

[cerealkiller182]

you hear this excuse way too much. Gay marriage doesnt dishonor "true union between man and woman" hetero-marriage dishonors marriage all by itself. Im willing to put money on the fact that gay marriages will last longer than the 51% divorce rate US has now.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Gay rights has come a long way, but there's still much further to go. There's too many people out there who still use the phrase "I've got nothing against gays, I just don't want them anywhere near me". If you say something like that, you're homophobic, end of.

See this is the thing I always have a question about. My stance is somewhat like the quote you mentioned, only I wouldn't say "I just don't want them anywhere near me". More like just "not going to actively hang out with them", I've known a few gay guys and got along with them, I have no problem with the lifestyle, it's just not for me. However, there have been times when people will ask me to go to the gay pride parade in Chicago with them and I'll always decline and always get the "What are you homophobic?" I truly don't think so, they can have their parades, even have their neighborhood in Chicago, but I'm interested in going to the parades or that area of the city. Is this homophobic? To be fine with the lifestyle, but not interested in their life. If you're a friend and I find out your gay that's cool, but I'm not going to actively try to find a token gay friend to prove I'm not scared of gay people.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

No way in Hell is homophobia on the rise. Before they didn't even mention gay-bashing, because it was so widespread, ignored and accepted.
Now, it's NEWS.

There was a time where you could be fired for being gay.
You can not be fired for being gay.

There was a time where you couldn't be gay in the army.
Now you can.

There was a time where no one would ever dare have a gay character on TV.
Now there's one per show.


I'd have to guess that threadmaker is pretty young, because the whole world is a fabulous gay explosion of gayness now compared to just in the 70's.

 

[Erzengel]

 

[knowsbleed]

There was a time where you couldn't be gay in the army.
Now you can.

The "don't ask don't tell" policy isn't exactly non-homophobic. Though some military leadership is hesitant to kicking out people who come out of the closet due to a shortage of personnel. They just tell them to "turn down the flame"... hehe.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

Of course it's homophobic. It's just a lot better than it used to be and is definitely not devolving into it's pre-d.a.d.t homophobic state.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Technically wouldnt they be justified in telling you how to act and how what to say during duty since they are your employer, and you are representing them.