Will being gay ever not matter

[dsc]

I am half Irish. About 150 or so years ago that would have mattered a great deal. It would have determined where I could live, work, go to school, and whom I would marry. Now, it matters not one whit. Being gay is very different. It determines where I can work, where I can live, and if I can marry.

In 2050, will someone born gay be like the Irish where it pretty much doesn't matter to the outside world or will they be like someone born African American where it matters a great deal? I have no idea what will happen but it will be a hell of a ride to find out.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I hope it doesn't matter a whit

Perhaps it will happen like the prejudice of Protestants against Catholics--suddenly, a Protestant girl marries a Catholic boy--the family is aghast--and then they find the young man is just fine, doesn't have horns, etc, etc. As people come out of the closet to their families, their friends, and those folks suddenly realize gays aren't monsters, maybe it will change. I hope it does.

[Redstone]

2. Christ, I don't know. It doesn't matter to me now, any more thanif someone is, say,

left-handed.

It's just part of who they are.

But you ask a helluva good question, and the only thing I can contribute is that I fervently hope that time comes sooner rather than later.

Redstone

[Taverner]

3. God I hope so

I guess it depends where as well...being Irish might be an issue in some neighborhoods in Belfast for example.

But yes, I hope we reach a point where we are judged by our merit rather than our race, orientation or beliefs.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. The issue in Belfast isn't being Irish.

It's being Catholic in a place filled with Protestant occupiers.

[Taverner]

24. It's hate for hate's sake is what it is

Whether its orange on green or green on orange...

Hating someone because they're catholic, protestant or gay is de-evolution in my opinion

[jgraz]

4. One day soon, it will matter as much as being irish or italian matters today

I occasionally have to put up with stupid comments about relatives in the mafia (it doesn't help that some of my relatives actually ARE in the mafia), but none of that really hurts since I know that Italians are no longer discriminated against.

One day, being gay will be like that. We just have to wait for all these old evil homophobes to die off.

ETA: There are many places where it's like that today, at least as far as societal attitudes go. Nothing's cooler than seeing same-sex college couples walking hand-in-hand on the Cal campus and knowing that it's no longer a big deal at all.

[Ian David]

5. Well, you may be banned from signing-up as a space colonist

Unless you agree to go ahead and make babies as part of your obligation to the colony.

Other than that, I don't think it will matter much to anyone in 150 years.

[dsc]

13. I am scared of heights to the point of vertigo so not a worry

[pwb]

6. i am straight so my opinion is without gay knowledge

but i would say that you should be proud of yourself no matter what others might think. "judge not yest thee be judged".

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Yes

From what I can see: here in the very-blue commonwealth of Massachusetts, being gay doesn't really seem to matter. It's like being Irish or Jewish - people might now that you are, and be interested in it, but I don't think that it's a problem.

The Bluest states are usually on the cutting edge of this kind of stuff. It'll trickle out to the hinterlands in time.

[dsc]

11. Your governor seems to care a big amount

I take your point that we are clearly close to equality in MA but we got it by judical fiat and not legislative action or public vote. We could end up losing it the same way it would seem.

[MannyGoldstein]

14. I Think It's Here To Stay

It's true that it was initially won by judicial fiat. After that, the legislature was going to put it on the ballot for The People to overturn - but then they chose not to, because there was no way that people would vote to overturn it. Any pol that put it on the ballot would be in deep doodoo at this point. We the people want it.

My kid has at least two classmates with two mommies. It's such a non-issue - kids don't care, parents don't care. It would just be so weird if another parent was bothered by it, simply because everyone is so accepting.

[tavalon]

8. Gosh, that would be nice

I hope so.

[pretzel4gore]

9. something about morality....

other gay positive cultures have existed (ancient greece, early rome(?)) but they were non christian/judeo/islamic ...as a matter of fact, since it's evident homosexuality has always been fairly normal in terms of being a built-in aspect of human society ie we're designed that way, then homophobia is basically a moral response, where the failure, or flaw, is a moral one arbitrarily decided by some perverts ashamed of their lusty nature etc. Since homosexuality is intrinsic to all sexuality (after all, a person's xxx excitement is PERSONALLY physical, even when he/she doing it only for procreation! iow noone is revulsed by their own body, unless they're very stooopid) the moral basics of the idea of sin is the main feature of judeo christian muslimism-adam and eve's shame at their nakedness being, for example, one of the rocks upon which these 'churches' of monotheism are built...that two of them are now in a clash'o' cultures with the third maybe noticed by mr pig when he realizes he's a dead man if he don't fukkin respect nature and so on asap and fix this problem at its root :)
(btw i believe jesus pooh poohed the moral aspect of sin, seeing it mainly as a matter of pride, ignorance, hypocrisy and greed - all SELF SERVING!)

[BattyDem]

10. As far as some of us are concerned, it already doesn't matter

It will take other people a while longer to "get over it" but eventually, it will happen. :-)

[Warpy]

12. Take heart, some cultures took it in stride

and recognized it was a normal variation of human sexuality. One I can think of offhand is the Lakotas.

In the meantime, this country is full of good people who really don't give a shit who you sleep with and what you do with him/her. You may have to look for them, but they're here. When you find them, treasure them, no matter who THEY sleep with.

Don't forget also that we are a culture in transition. My grandfather was most likely gay, had a series of intense relationships with men and was married off to my grandmother at the age of 47 because people were starting to look at him funny. I think he'd have been a very different man if he'd been allowed to be "out." He was amazing enough in the closet. Men were jailed for long terms on the mere suspicion of being gay during his time, as he was born in 1870. Thanks to the Stonewall riots, that's no longer the case.

The loathing of homosexuals is inextricably tied to the loathing of women, IMO. Closeted men despise what they perceive as feminine within themselves and project that onto all women. J Edgar Hoover was a prime example of that, refusing to allow well qualified and educated women into the FBI. If somebody's a raging phobe past the age of 25, you can bet he's in the closet. Freud was right about that one.

There is nothing harder to kill than an idea whose time has come, and the notion that both gays and women are completely normal human beings with full civil rights has come. It will take time and some utter fools will resist forever, but I feel confident that progress will continue.

The problem is that it won't come today or tomorrow, nor not in our lifetimes. I feel confident it will come eventually.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I believe that someday it won't matter, but it will take time. Like

any other prejudice, i.e. race, religion, etc., there will be those who will never accept it, but as more and more people teach their children to look for the similarities in people instead of concentrating on differences, things will gradually change.

[monmouth]

16. Two issues I would like to see totally removed are gay rights and abortion.

It's pathetic these two subjects would be of such importance to the voting public. Gay is fine and they most certainly are entitled to their rights. You'd think being "gay" was a new thing invented by hippies or something. Abortion is another thing. After all arguments pro and con, it still comes down to the decision of the female doesn't it? Why is this still on the table, it's an uncomfortable topic, I don't blame politicians for wanting to avoid it, there's no right or wrong here.

[Don_1967]

17. As far as some are concerned

if you are gay you don't matter

[brer cat]

18. I'm straight so my "cheers" for the progress made so far

would be different from a gay living with daily discrimination. But I do look at the changes during my lifetime, and I feel heartened that the "end" is near. I used to belong to a church (in very conservative GA) with largely older congregation, and we had many gay members who were accepted. I'm sure that some of the older members were simply clueless, and a few left the church in part because they didn't accept gays. The young-to-middle age were absolutely on board, and I knew dozens of older members who absolutely knew and considered it a non-issue.

I'm an early baby-boomer, and I know that a large number of us raised our children with different values: what we believed Jesus actually taught and lived. Discrimination is not found in the Beatitudes, and it is not in our life. We are not Catholic, but my daughter attended Catholic schools, and she received the same message there. It may not be church policy, but in the real world it does happen.

Now sometime when you need a chuckle, try and get your mind around this. My daughter and I attended a wedding& reception in Atlanta several years ago. The bride was my cousin's daughter, Southern Baptist from a very redneck rural county in Ga; the groom was Italian Catholic, a school mate of my daughter's. Unknown to the parents of the bride and groom when plans were made, the wedding was held during Gay Pride weekend, and the reception was held at a hotel that was booked to the hilt with gays. I could write a very funny book about the wedding and reception, but just know this: everyone, including the priest who arrived very nervous, left with a big smile on their face. :D

[NMMNG]

20. I hope so

I can't imagine people can keep up this level of hatred forever without imploding.

[hyde]

21. here in texas it will always matter

Unless you happen to live in Dallas or Austin, and then maybe you can get away with some same sex hand holding.

[Tyo]

22. Not matter to whom?

Us or them? There are a lot of gays who are not interested in assimilation and don't care whether straights accept us or not. I'm not one of them, but I have some understanding and sympathy for the position of those gays who think that way. Over the years a culture has been built up. Maybe it's kind of like the debate that I understand is going on among deaf people now that it is in many cases possible to "cure" deafness with implants and other surgical and techno means.

[dsc]

23. that is one thing to think of

Acceptence comes at the price of losing uniqueness. Irish are just like about any other group of caucasians now. If being gay ends up not mattering in how we live our lives we will be less different. Gay ghettos may no longer exist. Gay bars might close or at least significantly downsize.