Text 10782, 60 rader
Skriven 2007-01-26 08:05:10 av Methuselah Jones (14219.babylon5)
     Kommentar till en text av rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Ärende: Re: My Presidential Pick for 2006
=========================================
Carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of
Vorlonagent of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain: 

> 
> "Angelika Tobisch" <kamyra@arcor.de> wrote in message 
> news:45b74dc3$0$30315$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
>> Vorlonagent schrieb:
>>
>>> I agree that there is discomfort with and even some prejudice
>>> against gays abroad in american culture.  What I can't understand is
>>> why the gay presentation of itself PLAYS to those stereotypes rather
>>> than seeks to dispel them.
>>
>> There is no one gay presentation. Parts of the gay community are
>> pretty much indiscernible from "normal" people as long as their not
>> with their partner, other parts are more flamboyant. As I understand
>> it you're asking why "normal" gays don't prevent the flashy ones from
>> being flashy. There's a two-part answer to that question.
> 
> Actually, I'm wondering aloud what the flamboyant gays are hoping to 
> accomplish by publicly playing to the very stereotypes that continue
> their alienation.

What they're hoping to accomplish is to be who/what they choose to be,
and to hell with what anyone thinks. 

A very good friend of mine is a lesbian, and we often go to a local gay
bar together. A few nights ago they had a drag show, and one of the
performers was just...different. He wasn't even particularly going for a
femme look; his head was shaved, he was wearing yellow contacts and had
some very bizarre design on his face in temporary tattoos. He also was
extremely funny, and I think had more money thrown at him than any of
the others.

It is a basic right for a person to decide who and what they are, to 
choose their own identity. At the same time, people want to categorize 
others, and people who won't fit into a category make them uncomfortable.  
But I think the compulsion to categorize stems from uncertainty about 
one's own identity -- people try to figure out their own identity by 
identifying what they're not. But the thing to do is just decide. Self 
confidence and self respect start with "I am."

> We're all human first.  Then these other properties attach themselves.
> Acceptance means gayness is another one of those properties.  It's
> another pigement in the pallet of how people are painted.
> 
> To embrace being "different" is to embrace your own alienation.  You
> aren't "different".  You're one of us.  You're human.  Come inside for
> a glass of tea and tell me how your day was.

Always remember you're unique -- just like everyone else.

-- 
Methuselah
"If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist,
it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing
standard of nonconformity." 
  -- David Meas
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32
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