September 30, 2010
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Are Gay People Picked On?
As I mentioned yesterday, a young man committed suicide after two people secretly tapped him having sex with another guy and then streamed it over the Internet.
There has been much discussion about gay bullying in the last 24 hours in the news.
I read a quote from a student from his school that said, “Had he been in bed with a woman, this would not have happened. He wouldn’t have been outed via an online broadcast, and his privacy would have been respected and he might still have his life.” Here is the link: Link
Others are suggesting than gay bullying is out of control. Now I think of blacks and the slavery issue (sorry about making you slaves). I think of Hispanics always being treated as if they are illegal. I think about endless Christian persecution on the Internet.
Are gay people picked on more than other people?
Comments (136)
At this time, yes. Those things you mentioned are history, and this is now. Those people don’t get bullied as much anymore.
But, kids find any reason they can bully others these days. Weight, height, sexual preference, family issues… etc. However, I do feel that the gay kids get picked on more.
this story is really crazy; although I didn’t know the two idiots who conspired to videotape this kid, they both graduated from my HS. it’s a bit of a shock, given how ‘diverse’ and ‘open’ my HS is.
anyway, yes, gay people are picked on more than other people. not to an extreme extent, and not as often as some would like you to believe, but it happens rather frequently, and besides, anyone being picked on or tormented for their race/religion/disorders/lifestyle choice is unacceptable.
i don’t know…sometimes, it seems like it.
I don’t know.
Does it matter which group is picked on more? Isn’t prejudice all the same? Instead of focusing on which group is more persecuted, we should be reflecting on what we can do to personally put an end to our own judgments of others.
It makes me super sad that you have to ask this question.
I don’t know if gay people are picked on “more” than other people, but the bias against them is certainly more institutionalized and more explicitly oriented than the biases against a lot of other minority groups. In general, bullying is wrong. Picking on people, especially for things they can’t help, is wrong. Doing it in a culture that already otherizes gay people as much as they do, well, that’s even worse.
We have the ADA for differently abled Americans. We have the EOE and a bunch of other Equal Opportunity acts to protect ethnic minorities. What we don’t have, in a LOT of places, is legislation that specifically protects those of quote on quote “alternative” sexual orientations. What we don’t have is even a pretension to equal treatment under the law for gay Americans. What we do have is blatantly prejudiced policies from the highest levels all the way down to the lowest levels of government.
So I don’t know if gay people are bullied “more” or “less” than other minority groups; what I do know is that they are certainly bullied by the nation as a whole, by our society as a whole, and in cruel and unusual ways by certain individuals.
Enough is enough.
Uh… yeah… exactly how many parts of our population have to endure public discussion as to whether or not their lifestyles are evil, abomination, lacking in some indescribable moral quality that is necessary for military services or public declarations of loving union?
I only know one gay man. At least, as far as I know. He works on my department and he is picked on, but no more than anybody else. It’s just that his sexual preference adds another venue for ridicule. Fortunately, he’s goes with the flow and it doesn’t seem to bother him. I think he knows that even though some of the guys poke fun at him, they respect his ability to do the job and, like me, would be glad to have him on the line behind them when they go into a fire.
it is only lately that it seems gay people are being picked on because people are noticing a pattern and that makes it to the news. i mean, if you noticed about black people scattered around being tortured to death, that would make news just the same.
Yes, more than the average person.
@crazy2love - I wouldn’t say they don’t get bullied as much. Getting pulled over because you’re Hispanic in Arizona? Having to have your “papers” with you everywhere you go just to prove you belong her even though an Anglo-Saxon immigrant could sneak over illegally and doesn’t have that problem? People seem to think that gays have REPLACED blacks and other minorities on the how bad they have it category. No, they haven’t replaced us. They’re just there right next to us. I think it was stupid for Dan to say blacks and slavery when he could have easily (and more intelligently and modern) have said “blacks and racism” as that is well and alive today. And so is homophobia. And that is why I believe gays and blacks need to stand together against these injustices. It’s the same reason I despise when I see homophobic black people. Gays are going through the same struggles that we face today. Still having to prove themselves as people worthy of the same rights awarded to everyone else. And it’s not right. They should just have it. We all should just have it.
Anyway, I think it’s stupid to see who is being “attacked more.” We are all being attacked unless you’re a middle class to upper class white male.
Yes, they are. And what those kids did was unconscionable. Regardless of what you think of the morality of homosexuality, they are still people and should be treated like fellow human beings.
@the_evil_tamica - Epically perfect response here.
Lesbian friend of mine tried to help an old lady load her heavy groceries into her car when she was out shopping once. Old lady screamed at her not to touch anything and basically told her she didn’t want her stuff contaminated with the dyke-ness, like it’s contagious.
So I’m gonna say yes.
yes
Yes. Gay is the “new black.”
We, as a people, didn’t consider race when we voted for Obama. As a whole, we saw a candidate who was saying the right things and the right time and they resonated.
Do you think we would have voted for an openly Gay or Bi candidate as readily? I do not think so.
(PS I do believe we could have voted an Hispanic candidate into the office, or a Jewish candidate as easily….not a full/open Muslim at this time, however…that’s another post for Dan to write!).
@Momo_Wakahisa - You’re right, I’m sorry.
I think think it’s more so then any other group I just think because of it “coming out of the closet” it’s a big issue right now with a lot of back lash it SEEMS like people are picking on homosexuals more.
no, gay people’s suicides are just more flamboyant.
Well, what do you hear more? “Stop acting so gay” or “Dude, you are such a hetero”.
I don’t know if homophobia is more common than racism or other forms of discrimination. I do know however that it is still a major issue. Kids grow up using the term ‘faggot’ for anyone who is seen as weak or different. As a result many kids grow up with a deep rooted fear of being gay and homosexuality. Thus coming out is still seen as a really big deal and ‘outing’ someone before they are ready can be traumatic, like what happened with that kid.
I’d say yes. Think about the most common insults that school yard bullies use. Terms like “gay”, “fag”, and “queer” get thrown around liberally.
I don’t pick on gay people. This is something that is done in school usually. It’s natural to pick on odd balls when you’re young. So, if being homosexual is natural then getting picked on is natural. Right? But, I don’t think every natural impulse is good simply because it exist.
@nyfemme - A lot of people voted “for the black guy.” Not everyone gave a darn about what he intended to do.
Yep. You don’t hear people going around saying, “That’s so black,” or “That’s so Mexican.” They’re saying “That’s so gay.” (I’m guilty of using the word queer, but in instances where it’s appropriate to it’s definition of ‘odd’)
People are really just terrible -_-
@nyfemme - @quodmenutriut - although I completely agree that gays are, on the whole, discriminated against more than other people, gay is NOT ‘the new Black’, or comparable in any way to being disabled or being an ethnic minority.
@CelestDiggory - Exactly! Although some voters probably voted “for the black guy,” we won’t soon see a Gay president because a lot of people think it’s a great idea to have a GLBT running the country. The opposite is true on the whole.
@greenbird321 - awesome response, because it raises super interesting issues.
1. Is being gay compararable to being an ethnic minority?
I would say it is unarguable that the gay population is a minority, and like any ethnic group, there is a genetic factor.
2. I’m not sure you actually meant to suggest this, but, your comment hinted that being black or gay is comparable to being disabled? zoooom …. right over my head.
3. Is using the phrase “New Black” just stupid?
By using the phrase the “new black” most people, including myself, are referring to the fact that blacks faced discrimination and racism that was overcome only throught legislative changes and a (more difficult) change in thinking by the general population. A similar feat was achieved by women, who not so long ago were not able to vote. Are gays facing less difficult challenges? One could argue yes — they were never bought and sold as slaves, and they can vote. But the remaining challenges faced by women and blacks are very small compared to those of the gay population. Hence, the phrase, the “new black.”
@the_evil_tamica - yes there is a difference and it does matter, once you think about it! The main difference is that descrimination against some groups is still built into our system of laws. Sure, people might make fun of the boy with pimples, but there is no legislation in place that institutionalizes and validates some people’s negative feelings about pimply boys.
On the other hand, recall that women once couldn’t vote or play highschool football. Now they can. Blacks couldn’t go to the same schools as whites or live freely. Now they can. Gays can’t serve in the military and can’t get married. Will we be able to say “now they can” sometime down the road?
@nyfemme - 1. yes, homosexuals are a social minority, and yes, there is a genetic factor. but the genetic factor is more akin to the genetic factors of eating disorders/alcoholism/addiction. being gay is not genetically comparable to being Black/Indian/Chinese/etc.
2. I was actually quoting the commenters to whom I responded, one of whom brought up the ADA, and the EOE.
3. I can understand that. glad that you pointed out that homosexuals are not facing the challenges Black people have faced.
I don’t think so. I’m bi-sexual and some people consider me a slut for it. (Apparently, it means I will jump in bed with anyone at any time to some.) But I’m also thin, so that must mean that I hate fat people and spend my every moment judging them. I’m white, so that means that I think I am better than everyone else. I don’t feel the need to rub my accomplishments in anyone’s face, so I must be dumb and not have any. These are just the things that I know have become fodder for some of my adult co-workers since I re-entered high sch-…I mean, the “work force”. (I am blonde, too, so I forget that HS never really ends… Teehee!) If someone else is miserable enough in their own life, they can and will pick on the first person they happen to have the opportunity to do so to.
I don’t think it would have been any different had he been in bed with a woman. Truly. He still had a larger-than-average nose, pale skin, glasses and a unique smile. I’m not trying to be “mean”; just pointing out what no one else wants to. Clementi wasn’t a model. Add to that everyone is saying he kept to himself and was a “band geek”? The poor guy had a target painted on his back no matter his sexual preferrence. (Also? None of the messages that I read said much about the fact that he was with another guy. I don’t recall seeing the *looks around suspisiously* “f word” used.)
I do wonder if he stopped to think about the attention that this would get in the wake of his death and the fact that most people wouldn’t have had a clue that he was gay if he’d have just carried on instead of jumping. Now it’s practically everywhere.
@crazy2love - persecution of Christians, both online and off, is NOT history. That happens every day. It’s no longer “cool” to be a bible-reader. People get picked on for that all the time. Hispanics, especially in California, ARE always treated as if they are illegal, or the member of some thuggish gang. They are picked on just as often, if not more, than Gays and Lesbians.
Holy crap, people. NO. Gays are NOT picked on more than anybody else. First of all, no gay person walks around with “Hi I’m Gay” tattooed on their forehead. If you’re hispanic? It’s evident immediately. If you’re black? It’s evident immediately. If you have a physical deformity? It’s evident immediately.
Being gay gives you LESS of an opportunity to be teased until you yourself reveal your sexual orientation, or act on it. However, because it is a popular issue, the only stories about prejudice that are currently aired are about gays, and in some small part, “illegal immigrants.” [most people immediately think MEXICAN even though we have illegal immigrants from all countries.]
When the homophobia craze dies down, the prejudice will continue, but the stories will stop making headlines, and some new prejudice will be raiding the front page and the ‘nightly news.’ They feed you what they think you want to hear because there is no time for EVERY story to be heard. =/ It only appears they are teased more often, when in fact, it’s just as much as everyone else, if not less.
A saying from the thirties, originating I believe after a Hollywood scandal involving an actress who died at a party: “Never be caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.”
Are gay people picked on more than other people?
Does the pope wear a silly hat?
@RaeChan77 -
Being gay gives you LESS of an opportunity to be teased until you yourself reveal your sexual orientation, or act on it.
You’re absolutely right. How dare those queers and faggots be honest about their sexuality! They have it coming.
absolutely
@RaeChan77 - …
Gays are picked on, and it’s not right. That’s all we need to know and fix.
as someone said, “It makes me want to bullying the bully.” i would have defend those who are being bullied. it hurt to watch them suffer.
@Teufels_Hofnarr - Why, hello there, Sergeant Sarcasm. Lovely to see you today.
Even most BLACK people don’t like gays. Since LGBT individuals are a diverse group that can be made up of Latinos, women, asians or even just people who dress outside of the gender norm, yes.
I got picked on quote a few times for being butch.
Yes, they are. Even more so in Hong Kong.
No.
We’re just allowed to be much more open about hating gays because, well, fuck, they’re not as universally liked, nor tolerated. I’m hated for being white, was picked on for being ‘the only white shit on the bus’, beaten for being female, molested by a black guy [and charged with hate crimes for beating him up] and so on.
With everyone else, we must hide behind corners and behind cameras. With gays, you tend not have to do that.
@greenbird321 - So, I’m not arguing that its a disability or anything. I’m simply saying that other minority groups who face discrimination are protected by legislation, while gays are not.
@Morgann - Clever comment. No, really.
Yes. Heterosexual people consider homosexuals to be “different” and anything “different” is not understood and is something to be afraid of, ridiculed, and shunned. As more and more gays come out openly it will cease to be something to be feared. The only cure for predijuce of anything is exposure and time. Two boys were obviously caught on this tape, One committed suicide, we don’t know the affects it had on the other.
what a fucking stupid question. and i’m so damn tired of hearing about blacks being slaves. YEAH, it fucking sucked that that happened to them, being slaves and all, but really? most of those slaves aren’t alive anymore, and blacks these days just freak the fuck out about being enslaved anytime someone says shit about them, when in actuality those people probably don’t know ANYONE in their family that were slaves, they lead the same lives as every fucking other person. and for the motherfuckers who are still racist towards blacks(or anyone that isn’t their skin color) are just idiots. Also, a lot of hispanics ARE illegal, and YES there are legal hispanics too, obviously. so just stfu. this whole entry is just stupid as hell.
@RaeChan77 - you’re stupid.
The gay issue is a big one. And in my opinion, socially it’s bigger and more prominent then the illegal immigrants, racism against blacks, and internet bashing Christianity.
Hating on gays tends to be more socially acceptable. Christianity is almost untouchable in “real life” and because it deals with ones beliefs even on the internet you have to be careful with looking too intolerant or ignorant. Racism has long been seen as unacceptable.But gays are still okay to hate on. You’d never see a politician talking against blacks or Hispanics without serious backlash. But if they were talking about the gay community you’d have half the country agreeing with them.
Of course gay people get picked on! If you’re a gay man you’re way more at risk of being the victim of a hate crime, just look at crime statistics. If you’re a transgender individual you’re even more at risk.
Its awful what they did to this man, and its something that I think should remind people that bullying anyone, gay or straight, has serious consequences.
I’ve only encountered prejudice a few times and it definitely didn’t make me feel good. Getting called a genetic anomaly by a “Christian” woman was about as low as its gotten.
@sojealoussrvs - Care to explain why, or do you not have a reason for thinking that?
@sojealoussrvs - troll.
@quodmenutriut - I see what you mean. but, some aspect of being gay is a choice. even if there are genetic roots, it’s not genetic in the same way that being Black(for example) is genetic, and there is no choice involved in being disabled. often, being disabled is the result of genetics, as well. that, or an accident, war wounds, etc.
@sojealoussrvs - why so angry?
They might be teased and harrased, but they aren’t being beaten and mistreated like the slaves, or burned alive as Christians have been. Gays need to grow a spine and realize there are farrr worse persecutions out there than being video taped and ridiculed.
Before my transition I stood out like a sore thumb, being such a feminine male, and got slurs all the time. Unless you’ve had complete strangers walk up to and say “you F-ing Hetero” I am going to have to say, yes, gay people are picked on a lot in our society.
@greenbird321 - really? Because the minute you can tell me why someone would choose to be a member of a discriminated group when they could choose not to be, the minute you can tell me why someone would choose a life dealing with hate and heartache when they could choose to be a member of a privileged minority, the minute you can tell me why someone would ever make that choice, then you can make the argument that it is a choice, and I will take you somewhat seriously. Until then, I see no compelling reason to believe that its a choice to be gay. Especially since I’m gay, and I didn’t choose to be this way, I just am.
yes. but not cause of ‘being gay’ it is being gender-queer that is frowned upon.
it would be interesting to see how racial attacks compare to gender based attacks…. you can’t persecute someone on the internet, it isn’t physically possible… the ‘best’ you can do is kill their computer, no bodily harm though.
racial and gender minorities do get physically assaulted though. i thought, until one of the comments, that caucasian on minority crime had fallen below that of gender based assault. if anyone has relevant stats, link me if you do though.
Gay people will never understand true discrimination. I’m sorry. Almost every ethnic group has experienced terrible times. First, you have the blacks with slavery (which is horrible and disgusting, and we will never understand it), and segregation… not to mention, constantly living in fear that you’ll be called “nigger!” or have your church set on fire, sitting at the back of the bus, or any of the other things that happened during the 60′s. Next, you have the Jewish… starvation, beatings, rape… the Holocaust… words can’t describe.. The Japanese during WWII were placed in internment camps simply because of the events prior. Let’s not forget the Irish who came to America, or the Christians who were burned alive.
I don’t mean to give a history lesson. But let’s face it, the gays have it easy. Nobody is throwing stones at them in the street. They’re not being hanged, or beaten by the police. The things I just mentioned still go on today, maybe not on your street, but in other parts of the world… and it’s 2010. Whether you think being gay is a choice or a disease, doesn’t mean it compares. Are gay people made fun of? Absolutely, because they’re different; it’s sad and unfair, and people need to wake up. But more than others? Absolutely not.
Toughen up. I get made fun of almost daily because I’m black. And you know what’s sad? I’m only half black. So…
@quodmenutriut - why would someone choose to have an eating disorder? be an alcoholic? be a junkie?
and yet, in some tiny way, they usually choose to take the first step, embarking upon a destiny prompted not only by familial genetic history, but by upbringing and experiences. it’s hard to grasp, and even harder to accept(especially when homosexuality is a lot more socially acceptable than EDs/alcoholism/drug addiction).
and I’m speaking as someone who has dealt, personally(as well as with friends and family), with all four.
Everyone is picked on no matter what group is being focused on at the moment. Geeks, gays, straight white skinny guys, black women, white women, Indians, Mexicans, everyone….Its sad when someone feels there is no other way to deal with the bully or pain but in the end everyone loses because of suicide. The dead person will never have to deal with the pain that is left behind.
so many people are picked on for one reason or another (race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.) and i’m not sure if gays get it the worst, but i’m gonna go out on a limb and say they do, but only at this moment in time compared to other races at this moment in time. i think other races and religions have gone through much worse things in the past that can’t be compared to what gays go through today, but gays today compared to races/religions today i think are treated worse. i think so because race and religion are things people have been bullied because of for so long and i think it’s starting to decline. discrimination against race i think has declined the most because of the milestones our society has achieved, and they’re even teaching kids in school at young ages that every one is equal, has rights, etc. no matter what race.
but sexual orientation is something that didn’t even come into consideration until the 20th century, right? before that if you were gay, you kept that to yourself and led a heterosexual life. now gay rights have come into affect and more people are open about it, but i think it’s something that many people aren’t used to. if some one makes an inappropriate comment about someone’s race, most people think it’s wrong immediately and think the person is a racist. if someone makes in inappropriate comment about someone that’s gay, most people would laugh or think the comment is true and agree. i’m not saying all people know racism is wrong and hate gay people, but i’m going off of what i believe to be a general estimation of the attitudes or our society. i also think it may have something to do with where you live. gays would be treated much worse where i live than people of minority races because there are so many minorities here and not many people are open about their homosexuality, but if they come out, people aren’t used to it and treat them badly. so i guess my whole sense of perception is based on how people where i live act.
and for the record, i love gay people despite how people in my area may feel.
@greenbird321 - where? where did gay people take the first step? when we decided to be honest? because that’s the only choice I remember making.
conversely, is it a choice to be straight?
@quodmenutriut - is it? I’d say it isn’t; seeing as the abnormality in sexuality is homosexuality. and, you may not know when you made the first step into your lifestyle. many with EDs don’t know where they truly began. same with alcoholism. the binding link with all of these addictions is the genetic propensity toward addiction.
@mangiarelamerda - well said.
When I was a public school teacher “gay” ridicule was common in my classes. Even if the person wasn’t gay, he or she was smashed over the head with the gay billy club.
Yes, I think gays are bullied. It’s absolutely disgusting that human beings behave that way towards other human beings, whether it’s about sexual orientation, gender, financial status, religion, or race.
@greenbird321 - that’s like saying that the abnormality in eye color is blue eyes, so it must be a choice to be blue-eyed. That’s preposterous. People can tell you why they are eating disordered. They can tell you why they are alcoholics; what day they chose to fast, when they chose to purge, when they had their first drink.
@greenbird321 - It’s also ridiculously insulting to say that being gay is somehow an addiction.
@quodmenutriut - total straw man argument, first of all(about the blue eyes).
bottom line: addictions are an amalgam of nature and nurture. as with many alcoholics and drug addicts, those who are caught up in addiction are often in denial that what they’re doing is part of an addiction/spiritual bondage. with homosexuality, the social acceptability feeds that denial.
good night, hun. we’re going to agree to disagree.
“
Endless Christian persecution on the Internet.” Hahaha, most Christians I see getting “persecuted” are looking to start a fight.
I haven’t noticed gays getting picked on excessively, but I don’t exactly try to figure out who’s getting picked on.
No, any minority is at-risk. The old trick of disturbing until psycho is nothing new. They’ve done it to me forever. If they can inspire a negative reaction, then it’s my fault. It’s very difficult to get out of some boxes.
I have no redeeming qualities.
I’ve been tortured too by multiple parties including Putin. If you have a problem with someone, you should be direct about it and explain why. Create something against the whole group of someones, not individuals. Politicians have made an error and created a “personal” fight, but it’s not personal. Chances are that if one person is one way then another is to, to take his or her place once he or she leaves.
I don’t like when older people mess too much with youth or if the levels are too unequal. How am I going to battle that, fuckers? If they don’t think it’s “right” then they should contact the parents, group.
Compromise moves us along.
i think gay christians are picked on the most because they are both christian and gay and those two words shouldnt be put together but they are. i think it is horrible that people get picked for the way they were born
It seems like everyone is picked on to some extent. Picking on gay people is just fashionable atm, and it pisses me off. It’s not OK to call black people niggers, but it’s ok to call gay people fags. How is that right?
@DarklyLitWords - And now I have an obscenely urgent need to pick a fight with someone and lob “Quit being such a hetero” at them.
@greenbird321 - Right. ‘Cause you can be gay AND Black or Hispanic or Asian, which makes you TWO MINORITIES.
Hmm. Wait. That’s exactly like being an ethnic minority. What were you saying?
I feel a “being gay is a choice” argument coming on, but I’ll read the rest of these comments first.
@Automaton_Emotion - just read my prev. comments. I have nothing else to say. I stated the facts already; people can choose to deny them if they wish. we’ll probably agree to disagree, so good night.
@RaeChan77 -
I really think you have the right idea. Gay people definitely deserve to be singled out for being who they want to be. Have they no shame?
@greenbird321 - Breathing is also a choice in many cases, but it would be counter-intuitive to choose to cease. When you face the choice of being who you are and completely denying who you are, it isn’t much of a choice, is it?
@Teufels_Hofnarr - Nice to know you completely missed the point of my post. Makes me feel accomplished at being confusing.
@mangiarelamerda - You remember the Holocaust, but seem to have forgotten that homosexuals were persecuted during the Holocaust as well. They were made to identify themselves with inverted pink triangles sewn on their clothing, held in concentration camps, and gassed just like Jews were. I also think you need to do a Google search on “hate crimes” and maybe toss “homosexual” in as a key word. Apparently, you are unaware that homosexuals, transgenders, and transsexuals have been beaten and murdered simply for being who they are.
@Automaton_Emotion - well, it really depends upon who you “are”, and the pros and cons of that lifestyle. also, it depends upon whether you define yourself by the lifestyle you live. I am NOT my eating disorder, and I am NOT my borderline alcoholism. I won’t let them define me, and although I may fight those urges all of my life, I’d rather live a full, joyful life than be defined by those addictions. it’s the same with any spiritual bondage.
@quodmenutriut - Why do people choose to be Muslim in the united states knowing many people will hate them for it? Your argument is weak…People choose what they feel is right for them, regardless of the ridicule they may face.
@quodmenutriut - I have asked so many people that question. “At what point did you choose to be straight?” “Oh, you were born straight, but gay people CHOOSE to be gay. Thanks for clearing that up.”
@greenbird321 - So, you are equating homosexuality with alcoholism. Essentially, you are calling homosexuals mentally ill. Lovely. In spite of the mountain of empirical evidence that children as young as three years old exhibit gender disphoria, I suppose? Do you choose any other lifelong characteristic at the age of three?
Homosexuality is not a “spiritual bondage.” It is not a mental disorder. If you go to a psychiatrist, he can diagnose you schizophrenia. He cannot, however, diagnose you with homosexuality. I repeat, it is not a mental disorder or disease.
@Automaton_Emotion - *shrug*, as I said–people are in denial. the fact that homosexuality is more socially acceptable than, say, alcoholism and EDs, feeds that denial. like I said, the truth is hard to accept when many have been taught the contrary. agreeing to disagree is the only way we won’t go round in circles.
@greenbird321 - Why, then, doesn’t the American Psychological Association recognize homosexuality as a disorder or addiction? In fact, is once was considered such and has since been removed from the DSM as a diagnosable affliction. It is, clearly, not a disorder, disease, or addiction according to psychology. I suppose the members of the APA are all in denial as well.
@Automaton_Emotion - as I said–social acceptability is behind much of this. it’s clearly something gays struggle with, just as those trapped in other addictions struggle with them. as I said–accept the facts, or deny them. it’s your choice, and we’re not going to change each others’ minds.
@greenbird321 - It’s funny that you’ve mentioned facts. I’ve offered them to you, but I have yet to see any from you. I see your recycled opinions about homosexuality, but I don’t see any offering of actual fact. I offer you empirical evidence and you give me… reiterations of your opinion. I give you the APA and you give me… reiterations of your opinion. On what is your assertion based? Where is your experience grounded?
@Automaton_Emotion - you’ve offered facts, yes, but they were all based upon other peoples’ opinions. what’s the difference?
Nope.
@greenbird321 - There is a process by which the APA determines whether or not something is a mental disorder. It is a scientific process and, by definition, cannot be an opinion. Therein lies the difference. Again, what do you have to offer in the way of facts?
That isn’t a very easy question to answer. How would you answer this: Do women get picked on more than black
people? A person may belong to one
social group and also belong to another.
A person may be picked on by a social group they belong to because of an
affiliation with another social group. If
you’re gay and you belong to a certain ethnic group, you can be ostracized by
both groups. It’s not fair to compare an
ethnic group with a group based on sexual orientation or based on gender or
based on beliefs. So I don’t know how to
answer this question. Are we talking
about numbers—gay people picked on more than other people by statistics. Are we talking about what group is oppressed
more?
@Automaton_Emotion - riiight. it can’t be based upon opinion…
okay. as I said, we both have viewpoints, based upon opinions. good night.
@greenbird321 - Actually, you said yours was based in fact. (You said, “[as] I said–accept the facts, or deny them.”) If you’d said that you determined in your own mind that homosexuality was an addiction with no evidence of any kind to back it up, I would have immediately dismissed the discussion. Instead, you argued as if you had some sort of evidence hidden up your sleeve. Now, you would reduce the scientific study of the human psyche to a matter of opinion. Clearly, the conversation was pointless from the start.
@Automaton_Emotion - well, the fact is that addictions are based, partially at least, in genetic factors. the term ‘spiritual bondage’ is just a faith-based term for addiction. it’s not quite a disease, but it’s not something that, like race, an individual was born into, with no choice and no way to change it.
that’s the bottom line, and the truth.
Gay kids get picked on a lot… especially at school.
@greenbird321 - WHERE is the assertion that homosexuality is an addiction to be found?
For the record, stating something is true because it is true is an extremely weak position to argue from. Heh.
@nyfemme - I never said that there aren’t certain issues that need more working on than others, just that all prejudices are across the board irrational and toxic, so it isn’t worth it to compare.
Yes, I believe they do. I also wonder why straight males beat up gay males. It’s SO wrong and SO childish…. it’s like they feel threatened by gays.?? Not sure. But I have never heard of females getting beat up….. I know that the percentage is way lower, I will say that.(almost 40% lower in 2008)….and most of them aren’t even reported. These childish pricks that are beating up gay males have more respect and major boners for lesbians, I guess.?? Totally not saying they should be getting beat up either, I just find it perplexing.? Or they might just be afraid they wouldn’t stand a chance with a lesbian in a fight. LOL!
I believe anybody that picks on anybody else… has some mental problems. They do/did not get enough love as a child??… Something is definitely wrong with them. Normal, mature people do not bully other people….. that’s just all there is to it…. in my opinion. You may think they’re normal, but I don’t think they are.
i’ll admit, in the back of my mind i’m racist and a homophobe. The reason for this is terrible encounters with gangster blacks and mexicans who picked on me as a kid. As for gays, i have a problem accepting them but as long as they don’t impose they beliefs on me, i won’t become hostile. (same method goes for door-to-door salesmen/preachers). I cope using my philosophy which is: if they don’t bother me, i won’t have a problem. That’s the way i like it.
@Automaton_Emotion - as I said, reject or accept the truth; it’s nothing to me, in your case. you can hold fast to your opinions, if you wish. au revoir.
I’d like you to give your opinion for once, it’d be a damn sight more interesting.
@chadwilly - That’s like asking Switzerland to declare war.
Question worded to vaguely to answer.
But does being gay exponentially increase your probability of being bullied in a lot of areas of this country and on this planet? Absolutely.
this kind of brainless, irresponsible, immature behavior goes on all the time at college. some kids take being at college an excuse to do all kinds of assinine crap. i think this is getting blown out of proportion. yes, the students should be punished, but i think much ado is being made over typical college idiocy.
@crazy2love - I agree except I don’t think gays get picked on that much more.
@trapperhoney - I agree with you too. It’s really only college idiocy and I’ve seen a lot of it as I lived in apartments with college kids. College kids getting drunk and shattering things and destroying thing..just because they are in college. That’s probably why I don’t really want to go that much..because I wouldn’t be able to stand the college kids.
@Daithi - True
Honestly, I wouldn’t know myself.
@greenbird321 - Please quit peddling your opinion as “truth.”
Gays are one of the most picked on/bullied group of people out there. And as long as there are homophobes and religious nuts – it will never end and we will never have acceptance as equals for them.
Disgusting.
@Automaton_Emotion - once again, *shrug*. you can choose what to believe. free will, and willful ignorance, are the inherent rights of human beings.
Certainly here in the UK practicing Christians are far more discriminated against than gays are.
we have had 7 kids KILL themselves in our state in the last year because of being teased due to their homosexuality..In the Anoka school district two teachers were “disciplined…” but not fired for teasing a kid about being gay….
No.
@greenbird321 - thank you my dear!!
Your post bothers me. You have started the “who is more repressed” game and I refuse to play along.
Of course they are… by narrow-minded idiot. People can be so cruel.
@Automaton_Emotion - I know damn well who else was affected by the Holocaust. I do not need to Google search anything. I know that the mentally handicapped, homosexuals, gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and blacks were also in concentration camps. However, I am talking about the extremes of each event. When you think of the Holocaust, you think of Jewish people, not homos. When you think of the Ku Klux Klan, you think of blacks, not Italians and Republicans. Don’t try to reprimand me when you can’t even see the blatant point I was trying to state.
Gays never had a long, consecutive period of time in which they were treated horribly. Instead, they’ve always been picked at some point, simply because homosexuality makes people uncomfortable.
yea.. anything with a stigma.
@the_evil_tamica - win
If one knows any gay people well, they would never have to ask the question. The question shouldn’t be “Are they mistreated?” but rather, “What should we do about their mistreatment?”
@mangiarelamerda - Always. And that is the point. Homosexuals have definitely experienced discrimination and your initial claim that they did not was ignorant and irrelevant. You cannot quantify suffering. You cannot compare suffering. And your attempts to do so are pathetic.
@Automaton_Emotion - We don’t have to agree, my original post was not an attack on anybody. You, however, from reading, love to justify everybody else’s opinion. I don’t plan on running for office in the future, so your views are respected, but I don’t need them. Goodbye.
@quodmenutriut - you make a good point but i’m thinking the opposite.
i think that gay people are harassed more on a face to face. at school they’re probably picked on more than whatever the minority race is at their school. and they’re disowned by their families often for being gay. and saying things like “fag” and “that’s so gay.” are ok things to say in our society where racial slurs are not. (as in: you can’t really say racial slurs at school in front of a teacher but you could call someone a fag or say “that’s so gay” [usually]). so on a personal level i believe that they face more.
on an institutional level: a gay white man is more likely to get a job than a gay black man. we can say that there’s affirmative action and all that shit but it doesn’t really matter. a gay white man is more like ot get a job and be promoted to the top than a straight black man or black woman.
so who gets “picked on” more? i think it depends on the situation.
@filtered_sunlight@momaroo - i don’t think it had ot be said. it was implied.
@mangiarelamerda - Your original comment began with this: “Gay people will never understand true discrimination. I’m sorry.” You continue later in the comment, saying, “But let’s face it, the gays have it easy. Nobody is throwing stones at them in the street. They’re not being hanged, or beaten by the police.”
While you may not have intended to attack anyone, you certainly dismissed their experience and quantified their suffering by comparing it to the suffering others have endured. It is not up to you to judge who has actually suffered. If you had constructive comments, I wouldn’t have jumped on you. Instead, you chose to tear homosexuals down in a comment on a post asking if homosexuals are more discriminated against? You could have spoken from experience and offered either encouragement or solutions. Instead, you basically said, “Pfft. Your pain doesn’t matter. I KNOW REAL PAIN.” Bravo for being a part of the problem and nothing at all like a solution.
@mangiarelamerda - you clearly don’t know history as well as you pretend to. during the holocaust, gays were put in the concentration camps as well. during the cuban revolution, gays were the ones targeted for the “labor camps” (aka concentration camps). during every period in history gays have been persecuted. they don’t have a country. they are not an ethnicity who is safe where they’re from. mexicans don’t get picked on for being mexican in mexico. jews don’t get picked on for being jewish in israel. gays are harrassed in EVERY COUNTRY THAT THEY LIVE IN. and yes, gay people do have ot walk around in fear of being beaten raped and killed. you should look up their history. it will be eye opening to you.
I’m not too sure if I would say they are picked on more, it may look it because “gay” people are an outcast to “straight” people and there are so many people out there who have different outlooks on homophobics but in the same aspect, goth and nerds get the same amount of put downs as anyone else who is picked on.
@bodyheartmindsoul - I see your point, and I thank you for raising it respectfully; some of the arguments going on here aren’t really constructive at all and its making me kind of sad. That little aside aside, I wasn’t trying to say that ethnic minorities don’t face discrimination within institutions; just that its not codified and supported by legislation anymore.
Wow you are stupid.
I don’t know; however I do believe that gay bashing is an especially painful type of bullying because of the extremely sensitive areas in the victim’s life that are exposed to public ridicule! It is especially dreadful when it ends in the death of the victim. Tragic! Almost akin to murder!
Not so much before than now maybe because now a days there are so many sources, like the internet that have helped to expose the matter.
probably more than any other group but the group of friends gays have tend to be large and friendly so there is a bit of insulation but if you go out alone, the harassment continues
unfortunately, even in this day and age, most religions, who may not even agree on each other, would rather put their differences aside and come together in order to banish the existence of “gay” lifestyle all together if they can. this is what our society is like. it’s sad but true.
I think, if you’re a gay teenager, you will likely be picked on moreso than other minority groups your age.
I say this because, as a kid growing up, I didn’t know too many other gay people. (I knew maybe 2 at the most in a school of thousands) And those that I did know, I didn’t want to be friends with. So I was often alone and became the target of bullies because of the way I acted and my lack of friends.
From what I’ve know of other minority groups, they almost always have a community for each other to fall back on, clearly established by things such as their families & neighborhood friends, religious organizations, kids who are look like you, etc.
In my experience, gay teenagers don’t have this support group because they’re either ‘in the closet’ or shunned by others for fear of also being perceived as gay. And since bullies are predators who attack the weak & defenseless, the odds are they will pick on the lone kid rather than one who has the support of other kids like them.
Depends on the location. I don’t know if I’d say more so, but certainly the same as others, though they have an added bit of stress if they’re in the closet or would rather be more private about themselves. I’ve literally seen kids (teenagers and preteens mostly, but younger children sometimes too) pick on each other for EVERY reason under the sun. It’s unfortunate that some kids (homosexual or not) get pushed to the point of such severe depression that suicide looks like the only solution. We can change this, but it needs to start with parents.