gay rights right?

[IronOxide]

I'm a college student from kansas who is staying out in california with my sister and brother in law (devoted christians) for the summer. I just wrote an e-mail to some friends and wanted to see at's opinion. California is a different place, where people act quite differently than kansas. Oh boy, the other day a guy on the freeway had a leather jacket with a naked lady air brushed on the back. Crazy eh? That sure pissed off my sister. I was talking to my bro and sis about a number of topics and wanted to ask you guys what you thought. Back at kansas-state university we are taught to be "open" and "tolerant" and diverse. But what do you do with a person that decides that they don't want to be those things? For instance, the other day we saw a billboard right down the street (my sis lives in suburbs) that had two guys kissing on it and said something about aids. Now, we are taught to be "tolerant" and "open" to this lifestyle. But my bro's lifestyle choice (which he is free to make) is to openly be against homosexuality and to not be tolerant of it. But what do you do with that? If you were to tell him that he has to be tolerant of gays that would be to not tolerant his view. Thus, being non-tolerant, and not open. But that brings up other things. Suppose someone's view was to be able to kill and rape women in the street. Do we have to tolerate such a view? Personnally, I think that people who want to have crazy views are ok, but if they act in one, they're going to prison (that's right, prison, not a slaughter house). So, anyways, back to the main issue, what do you do with some one that's ideas are openly against others. Do the gays have right to put up billboards? Or do the christians have the right to fight back? Many times people base ideas off of what offends other people. You can't have prayer in school because it may offend some one. However, when my bro and sis see this billboard they get offended! But the gays want the right to express themselves and become part of society! So, I don't know, what do you guys think? Anybody who has read this far through this e-mail deserves a prize for real! So, I want to hear your responses! And thanks for listening to my rant you guys. It's fun.

Rus

 

[Kadarin]

"You can't have prayer in school because it may offend some one." That is not why we can't have prayer in public school. Rather, it's due to the doctrine of Separation of Church and State.

Everyone is entitled to whatever opinion they want to have, provided they act within the law. Sorry, you only get a 2.5 on the Rant-O-Meter for this unfocused rant..

 

[conjur]

/pops the popcorn and grabs a lawn chair


Seriously, your bro is a bit closed-minded. Granted, I don't really care to see gays (hell...anyone for that matter) openly flaunting their sexual preferences but, in the case of the billboard, I see nothing wrong with it. It's meant to be educational, to get people, gays in this case, to think about safe sex. What's wrong w/that?

As for your other question, well, if someone had the view that it's ok to kill/rape women in the street, well, I'd say that person has more than a screw loose. There's a difference between tolerating/accepting a sexual preference as opposed to out and out violent criminal behaviour.

 

[IronOxide]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
"You can't have prayer in school because it may offend some one." That is not why we can't have prayer in public school. Rather, it's due to the doctrine of Separation of Church and State.

Everyone is entitled to whatever opinion they want to have, provided they act within the law. Sorry, you only get a 2.5 on the Rant-O-Meter for this unfocused rant..

Yes, I know that it's due to the doctrine of Separation of Church and State. But where did that come from? An interpretation of the consitution (because it may offend some one that has a different religious belief thus achieving religious freedom). And supposively there is a difference between freedom of religion and freedom from religion

and a 2.5, ouch? out of what a three?

 

[Hubris]

Dude, the reason there's no prayer in school is, ostensibly, because it's not right to 'force' someone to pray if they're not religious or don't follow the particular religion being prayed to/for.

Gay rights, on the other hand, if about letting people be who they want to be sexually without putting your nose in their business. Your brother-in-law and sister hav every right to detest gay people with every fiber of their being. AS LONG AS they don't act on this by being violent or abusive towards gays. But it's still a free country and they can be prejudice if they want, so long as they don't infringe on the right of anyone else.

 

[0roo0roo]

yup, the comparisons don't fly if you look closer. as pointed out above, that one is church state.

rape is offensive because it is done against the will of another, it is a violent act. totally incomparable to homosexuality.


you could put up a racist billboard, or pay for a racist ad if you wanted to, sure. so what?


who you love is not a "life style choice". you frame the entire discussion incorrectly with that term. i can't choose to love another man, it just doesn't fly with my programing. thats why i know. frankly if you don't know that about yourself, your really really confused. its not a choice.

 

[IronOxide]

I didn't mean choice quite in the sense of, 'Oh today I chose women' so much as I meant a lifestyle that one precedes to have. I couldn't really think of another way to describe it. I guess I could've left it at lifestyle, instead of lifestyle choice. Sorry.

 

[0roo0roo]

frankly i don't know why religious people are so huffy about gays. maybe they should spend more time being angry at god if gays are so bad. i mean seriously, god makes retarded people, deformed, deseased, unbalanced, etc etc etc. maybe they should start persecuting the retarded for acting.. retarded its not like its contagous. if its a defect,its a a relatively harmless one.

thats the saddest thing about it all. many religious folk seem to think gay rubs off!

sometimes it seems people just turn off their minds.

 

[Heisenberg]

I think your sis and bro would have a hard time being tolerant anywhere. California doesn't own the patent on different lifestyles. They're just more out in the open there. You'll find all the same things if you look around Kansas hard enough.

<---- grew up a few miles down the road from Manhattan

 

[IronOxide]

I personnally don't have an answer for this question at this point, however, you don't think that gays rub off on other people?

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: IronOxide
I didn't mean choice quite in the sense of, 'Oh today I chose women' so much as I meant a lifestyle that one precedes to have. I couldn't really think of another way to describe it. I guess I could've left it at lifestyle, instead of lifestyle choice. Sorry.

? so is heterosexuality a life style choice?


i have a brain, i think, its my life style to think? it gets rather silly.

as for freedom from religion or freedom of religion? if you don't have freedom from religion in state institutions, you have tyrany of the majority. which is... nice for the majority

 

[IronOxide]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
I think your sis and bro would have a hard time being tolerant anywhere. California doesn't own the patent on different lifestyles. They're just more out in the open there. You'll find all the same things if you look around Kansas hard enough.

<---- grew up a few miles down the road from Manhattan

Ya, I know what you mean. I know a couple of gay guys, they're cool and all. But here in cali it's much more different. Where were you from Lawrence?

 

[IronOxide]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: IronOxide
I didn't mean choice quite in the sense of, 'Oh today I chose women' so much as I meant a lifestyle that one precedes to have. I couldn't really think of another way to describe it. I guess I could've left it at lifestyle, instead of lifestyle choice. Sorry.

? so is heterosexuality a life style choice?


i have a brain, i think, its my life style to think? it gets rather silly.

as for freedom from religion or freedom of religion? if you don't have freedom from religion in state institutions, you have tyrany of the majority. which is... nice for the majority

I'm a little confused on the point you're trying to make. I was saying I did not mean it was a choice.

 

[Hubris]

Originally posted by: IronOxide
I personnally don't have an answer for this question at this point, however, you don't think that gays rub off on other people?

Oh please. Being around gay people does not make you gay.

 

[0roo0roo]

btw, not all ca is the same. northern ca has some areas that are pretty conservative.

san francisco is obviously very out there. and the bay area follows slightly behind.

 

[Hubris]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
btw, not all ca is the same. northern ca has some areas that are pretty conservative.

san francisco is obviously very out there. and the bay area follows slightly behind.

No pun intended, right?

 

[IronOxide]

are you 100% sure it doesn't rub off on anyone? Have you ever noticed that if you hang out with some one you start to use some of the same sayings as them very quickly? I know that doesn't translate into becoming gay after hanging out with some one for 3 days or anything, but can you honestly say that no one ever has become gay 'cause they hung out with some one who was a lot?

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: IronOxide

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
I think your sis and bro would have a hard time being tolerant anywhere. California doesn't own the patent on different lifestyles. They're just more out in the open there. You'll find all the same things if you look around Kansas hard enough.

<---- grew up a few miles down the road from Manhattan

Ya, I know what you mean. I know a couple of gay guys, they're cool and all. But here in cali it's much more different. Where were you from Lawrence?

No, but I went to school there for a while. Then I decided I'd rather go someplace where the prof's actually knew my name.

Anyway, everyone should be entitled to the same rights. The gay rights groups are free to advocate their position, as are the fundamentalists.

 

[FrogDog]

Originally posted by: IronOxide
are you 100% sure it doesn't rub off on anyone? Have you ever noticed that if you hang out with some one you start to use some of the same sayings as them very quickly? I know that doesn't translate into becoming gay after hanging out with some one for 3 days or anything, but can you honestly say that no one ever has become gay 'cause they hung out with some one who was a lot?

I thought it wasn't a choice...

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: IronOxide
are you 100% sure it doesn't rub off on anyone? Have you ever noticed that if you hang out with some one you start to use some of the same sayings as them very quickly? I know that doesn't translate into becoming gay after hanging out with some one for 3 days or anything, but can you honestly say that no one ever has become gay 'cause they hung out with some one who was a lot?

Of course it doesn't "rub off" on people. A person's sexuality is a fundamental part of who they are. It would be roughly akin to having someone's blood type "rub off" on you.

 

[IronOxide]

So nobody since the beginning of time has chose to be gay?

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: IronOxide

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: IronOxide
I didn't mean choice quite in the sense of, 'Oh today I chose women' so much as I meant a lifestyle that one precedes to have. I couldn't really think of another way to describe it. I guess I could've left it at lifestyle, instead of lifestyle choice. Sorry.

? so is heterosexuality a life style choice?


i have a brain, i think, its my life style to think? it gets rather silly.

as for freedom from religion or freedom of religion? if you don't have freedom from religion in state institutions, you have tyrany of the majority. which is... nice for the majority

I'm a little confused on the point you're trying to make. I was saying I did not mean it was a choice.

i'll make a slightly different point then. say i think that god doesn't want the races to mix. i have that right to that opinion, however pathetic it may be.

say you have a fetish for black women. if you acted on this impulse you'd be "sinning" in my eyes. your act hurts no one and involves consenting adults. just like in the case of homosexuality.

would racist me like you any more if you just suppressed your jungle fever? probably not. its pointless dealing with irrational thought. people are entitled to opinions. what many don't realize is not all opinions are valid. if it doesn't face up to critical thought, it is worthless.

 

[Hubris]

Originally posted by: IronOxide
are you 100% sure it doesn't rub off on anyone? Have you ever noticed that if you hang out with some one you start to use some of the same sayings as them very quickly? I know that doesn't translate into becoming gay after hanging out with some one for 3 days or anything, but can you honestly say that no one ever has become gay 'cause they hung out with some one who was a lot?

The only reason people might think it rubs off is because sometimes like chooses like. Someone who's too afraid to admit to themselves and others that they're gay might hang out with gay people as a sub-concious desire to live openly. But as for gay people converting non-gays to their caue?

 

[rommelrommel]

Originally posted by: IronOxide
are you 100% sure it doesn't rub off on anyone? Have you ever noticed that if you hang out with some one you start to use some of the same sayings as them very quickly? I know that doesn't translate into becoming gay after hanging out with some one for 3 days or anything, but can you honestly say that no one ever has become gay 'cause they hung out with some one who was a lot?

You're not serious right?

 

[0roo0roo]

lol, considering that 90+% of the population is heterosexual, any chance of sexuality rubbing off would have erased all traces of homosexuality long ago.