Birmingham (Alabama) mayor denies gay parade permit

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

Thumbs up for PH's posts! I could not agree more.

[Heracles 417]

And no, homosexuality is not something you're born with. Children are not attracted to anyone in a sexual way.... it's something we learn as we grow. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out either. Just look at how what type of people are considered attractive varies from one society to another.... in one communtiy skinny woman are it while in others big women

Very interesting observation. I think if you got a group of girls from Poland, for example, and asked them to rank 10 guys in terms of how attractive they thought they are, the results would be quite different to having a group of Polish American girls rank the same guys. This is just an example of how where you live and are raised helps determine who you are, rather than genetics alone.

And in many ways it is the same thing as something being cool, being a fad, in one society / country and the total opposite in another.

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Ya, different people find different people attractive. Wow, well done for that amazing insight you two!!

People being stoned to death in strict religious countries should be told that if they would only snap out of this silly fad they are going through, stop trying to be cool, then they would be let live.

[SMB x2 0]

Reading this thread has been a startling insight into views I didn't realise were still perpetuated. It's quite interesting being a member of a large, international forum, sometimes.

Stu

[Heracles 417]

Ya, different people find different people attractive. Wow, well done for that amazing insight you two!!

People being stoned to death in strict religious countries should be told that if they would only snap out of this silly fad they are going through, stop trying to be cool, then they would be let live.

You missed the point.

Why is it okay for gay pride parades but whenever someone religious simply speaks up then they are made out to be some sort of snake oil selling idiot?? That is the million dollar question.

Edited May 25, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

In all seriousness, I don't think you understand human nature at all if you think children are sexually attracted to anyone There comes a time that children begin to become aware of sexuality and, yes, they learn from what's around them.

Really?

Then why is my brother gay and I'm straight?

you're still in denial?

Edited May 25, 2008 by charlesandnessa

[PlatyPius 5]

I have seen a couple of Gay Pride parades, and I can understand why the mayor doesn't want one in his city. The ones that I saw were essentially moving sex displays - complete with exposed genitalia. I can understand not wanting children exposed to that (in the US - we're rather repressed). Just as I can understand not wanting to expose children to KKK parades, "God Hates Fags" gatherings, or any other sort of traumatizing public display.

[Mark&Steph 0]

The Church of England - a major non-pagan religion - has openly gay ministers and bishops. And is happy to have them.

It's not just the Church Of England.

A few years ago, the Episcopalian Church appointed an openly gay man as a bishop.

[Peikko 1,575]

Ya, different people find different people attractive. Wow, well done for that amazing insight you two!!

People being stoned to death in strict religious countries should be told that if they would only snap out of this silly fad they are going through, stop trying to be cool, then they would be let live.

You missed the point.

Why is it okay for gay pride parades but whenever someone religious simply speaks up then they are made out to be some sort of snake oil selling idiot?? That is the million dollar question.

Your question doesn't make much sense. Religion is given huge amounts of airtime in the public arena it's not surpressed in any way.

The point of gay pride parades was to allow homosexual people to show the rest of society that there was nothing threatening or disgusting about being a homosexual and to allow them to be open about their sexuality as being just one of the ways that humans can express their love for their fellow human.

If some gay pride parades are little more than displays of public lewdity now, well I can actually understand people being wary of allowing them. I wouldn't want a parade where heterosexuals exibited themselves sexually either.

[Alex+R 0]

Reading this thread has been a startling insight into views I didn't realise were still perpetuated. It's quite interesting being a member of a large, international forum, sometimes.

Stu

Um, rofl. I was thinking that. Except I was more thinking, "Wowwww, VJ has actually become STUPIDER since last time I looked here. I have many times cited the stupid-### sh!t VJers have said as proof that America is not enlightened the way a lot of my friends think it is. Stu, your post really took me back to when I joined VJ. When I first came here, it opened my eyes to the idiocy, bigotry and general knuckle-dragging tendencies of a larger percentage of Americans than I could have ever imagined in my blue-state corners of the world. This thread's responses don't really surprise me. Either VJ members' average IQ has dropped in the months since my participation has kind of tapered off, or I have just gotten less cynical and angry by not frequenting VJ.

I think I like it better when I'm living in fantasy-land and imagining that VJ is not really representative of my fellow Americans. (And frankly, I still cling to the hope that it isn't.)

Cheers!

PS to Big Ag, does this explain it?

[jundp 191]

Homosexuals are not criminals nor should they be compared to them.

However, I understand that some religious people feel the need to sneer at others just because they might be different call them sinners and immoral. You might think that's nice behaviour, personally I think that kind of intolerance is sick.

Funny how when it is the other way around then anyone religious is told that how dare you force your snake oil beliefs down other people's throats.

But when it comes to ####### like gay parades then you are a bigot if you do not accept it.

Then this is indicative of stereoptypes. I am quite secure and happy in my Catholic faith and I'm not ashamed of it. However I also believe in social justice (as a human rights belief and as part of my Catholic faith) which means that I don't have the right to judge others. Unfortunately, not everyone believes this.

Also, I'd like to say that not every gay pride parade is full of public nudity or is a moving sex parade. Though, as Platy pointed out, some are.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Reading this thread has been a startling insight into views I didn't realise were still perpetuated. It's quite interesting being a member of a large, international forum, sometimes.

Stu

This is true.

There is no ideological or geographical or religious selection bias on VJ. The only things that we have in common are USCIS and a minimum level of comfort with the Internet.

Which is why I like reading the responses here so much. VJ is no echo chamber, except when it comes to hating USCIS.

[Fandango 1,439]

I would have thought that here, on an immigration forum of all places, people would be aware of the fact that America is not the only place in the world LOL

I'm not concerned with England... never been there... never plan to be.

now lemme read the rest of this thread, lolz..

[Fandango 1,439]

Really?

Then why is my brother gay and I'm straight?

Choose to be gay, my a$$. My brother knew he was gay since a very very young age, he knew something was different about him since as long as he can remember but he didn't know exactly what until about 8.

So, when did you pick your sexuality cause I sure as hell know I didn't wake up one day and choose to be straight.

I won't discuss this with you because it's obviously something you take personally as it affects your brother, making it difficult, if not impossible, for you to take my side of the argument as anything less than personal.

Personally, I don't care what anyone does in the privacy of their own home.... I'm talking about what is accepted in public. Two men or two women who want to boink each other in privacy have no affect on me at all..... just don't allow them to adopt, be artificially inseminated or influence any children with their corrupt lifestyle.

That is one of the most insensitive, insane things I have ever read. Two loving human beings being able to care for a child that has no home or family and you say OH NO!!! because you wouldn't want them to "become" gay. Who the hell do you think you are?

So cruel and heartless.

Again,

I won't discuss this with you because it's obviously something you take personally as it affects your brother, making it difficult, if not impossible, for you to take my side of the argument as anything less than personal.

Fine, discuss it with me then, cos I was just about to type the same thing.

[warriorprincess 0]

I may be playing devil's advocate here but my question is, if western societies are so corrupt, why do people from "non-westernised" countries want to come and live here anyway? Why would they want to be part of a corrupt and immoral society?

On another note, we have to understand that there are somethings we will never be able to change, no matter how much we may want it. Prostitution, homosexuality have been around since time in memorial. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and just because one person sees something as okay, it doesn't mean that another person has to accept it. That is what makes us individuals and not clones of each other.

It also makes for a hell of an interesting discussion.