I love gay people.
Seriously.
Let me tell you why.
The "gay pride" movement is a stellar example of how people can miss the point by so much they're not even in the same county.
Ever notice that gay people - who actually are discriminated against - make their own situation far, far worse?
Maybe you haven't.
So let me ask this.
When was the last time you saw a "men who screw girls" parade?
Or a "heterosexual pride day?"
Or a political action group pushing for the rights of straight people to be straight?
Like I said, there is legitimate discrimination against gay people; they really do have some complaints that are valid. You've no doubt seen my fairly extensive blogging about gay marriage before; there are legitimate issues out there.
But here's the thing.
Most Americans, for all their obsession with sex in their entertainment media, believe that sexual matters that are PERSONAL should remain where they properly belong - in the bedroom of the people involved.
No political candidate feels obligated to stand up in front of a crowd and say "I just want you all to know that I am straight; I screw people of my opposite biological gender, and dammit, I'm proud of it!"
The political candidates of the opposite orientation sure aren't shy about it, though, and that's the point.
A good example is Houston's recently elected mayor, Annise Parker.
I will say up front that like most politicians - or, hell, most people - I agree with some of her platform, and think other bits are flatly retarded.
But explain to me why she has to say "I'm proud to be Houston's first openly lesbian mayor!"
Maybe it's because a previous mayor - the well-liked and respected Kathy Whitmire, in the late 80's and early 90's, was a lesbian and everyone knew it, but she never said a word about it publicly until she was out of office. She was a very popular mayor, and no-one held any illusion that her orientation affected her behavior on the job.
I suspect this was true of many past political figures. Contrary to the beliefs of the Westboro Baptist "church" wackos, gay people as a demographic aren't growing as a percentage of the population; it's just that a lot more people are willing to admit that they are homosexual than in times past.
See, being homosexual doesn't affect someone's competence - or lack thereof - in their chosen profession one tiny whit. What CAN affect their job is the simple fact that most people consider lavish recounting of bedroom exploits - with ANY gender or partner - to be too much information, to an embarrassing and uncomfortable degree. If you're in an office, and some male there is telling stories about all the girls he's bagged, he can get sued by the women in the office for sexual harassment - "creating a hostile work environment," they call that.
And nobody loves a double standard. Gay people need to be aware of this; the time is not likely far off when they, too, will come under fire for sexual harassment, under the very same sections of the law, just because they believe they're supposed to talk about...
...Something that most straight people don't talk about that openly.
Guys, I'd bet there are an awful lot of heterosexual people out there who honestly don't care who you screw, so long as you shut up about it.
Maybe you'd make more headway in your quest for equitable legal treatment if you didn't create so much of your own opposition by embarrassing people until they want to strangle you.
I totally agree; you shouldn't have to be ashamed - but that only goes so far as the prevailing cultural mores, which say that talking about your personal sexual encounters at work, and having parades to celebrate them, is unacceptable and unprofessional behavior.
I totally agree; you should be treated equally under the law; there's no part in the Constitution that says "except for gay people," and considering openly homosexual behavior goes back at least as far as the ancient Greeks, I'm pretty sure the Founding Fathers were aware it existed.
But I think you're an idiot if you honestly believe that a parade celebrating your sexual orientation will draw anything but contempt, embarrassment, and disdain from the average American citizen.
Seriously, give it a rest.
