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Lately, I've noticed an abnormal amount of homosexuality on the theater and T.V. screen. Some titles that come to mind is Brokeback Mountain (duh), The Benchwarmers, House, Law & Order, etc. There's many more. Now, I don't mind much when homosexual things occur on screen like once a month, but lately, it's been at least one occurance each day. It's the gay parade on screen. I wouldn't mind homosexuality so much if they didn't try to put it on a pedestal.

I hate any pride parades, pride associations, pride etc. This is because they express pride, it's because they almost enforce it onto you (kind of hard for me to explain), or simply enough, it's just incredibly annoying. I don't go around all the time saying "Nerd Pride" or "Classic Rock Junkee Pride". The homosexual group just needs to stop their silly parades and focus on something else in their life. I don't care if somebody is homosexual or not, just don't blast your stupid pride in my face.

However, back to the enforcing part. Whenever any of this stuff happens, I try to ignore it, but then some loser tells me, "Dude, get liberal and be nice to the gays. Not accepting them makes you a poor-rounded person." Or some other crap like that. It's not that I hate gays and am trying to find an excuse to do so, it's that they're the most persistent on the pride and acceptence thing. Hell, if all the blacks in the world started doing as much "pridoganda", then I'd probably be just as annoyed with them too.

Just to get my point absolutely clear, I'm just sick of this month's rising gay pride.

I've seen so many shows with homosexuals in them that I'm starting to feel gay....
MAKE THEM STOP PLZZZZZZZ

I can understand the pride stuff being annoying, but this whole "there's so much gay stuff on teh tvs now, omg!" shzt is getting old. It's really, what, three movies every year, and maybe two or three episodes a season, and you guys start flipping out. Give it up, there's really not that much out there, and gays have as much right to be on screen as heterosexuals. I also don't get how featuring gay characters in any way is putting them on a pedestal. I suppose you'd prefer if all gay characters were effeminate, lisping stereotypes so they'd be less threatening and more of a joke, right? Seriously, shut up.

Hey, maybe I should start filing complaints about the everlasting bombardment of heterosexual media images...

So what? Besides a few not many of those shows' plots are not completely revolved around homosexuality except only a little reference to it. What's wrong with it if they do? You might not be turned on by them, but heck it doesn't mean you have to reject them. Oh, I forgot... if it matters so much... you can just not watch it.


I agree we're only as special as everyone else because. To say otherwise is extremely inconstructive for the fight for equality. Yet again if you dislike them on your screen so much, move your fingers to change the channel.


Okay, I agree pride is overrated. I hate it when people say "I'm proud to be black", "I'm proud to be American", or even when people say "I'm proud to be homosexual".
It is rather pathetic how people take credit for what they have no control over. Let's see, am I proud I like chocolate? Or simple enough, am I proud I have two legs?

In the end I think people are missing the point. There is a difference between not being proud and ashamed. I can not be proud of my homosexuality but not be ashamed of it at the same time. Again, there is another misconception between the two words homosexual and gay. Being homosexual is granted that you have homosexual attraction, but being gay is accepting and embracing this homosexuality. We are just a few decades away from generations which coming out wasn't an option and being homosexual destroyed a big part of their lives. The "pride" parades commemorates the homosexual people who died before us and lived miserable lives because of this "coming out and being gay" that was not approachable back then. Yet again, the connotation of "pride" puts people off so I'm hoping it would be a "Tolerance Demonstration" or "Sexual Freedom March".


Just be tolerant, you don't have to be accepting. Oh btw, the blacks had their parades decades ago and they ended up better off. The gay pride parades is to show we're here in the world, and to strive for equality - which if we don't speak up we won't get.


*Takes a breath*


You guys don't need to have parades to receive the same rights (e.g. marriage), and the same kind of awareness. Everything in the world is conditioned for the majority, and like I said before the minority have to speak out to achieve tolerance.

I have a solution: Stop watching TV! Or, at least most of it.

Hey, it worked for me. I ONLY watch The Shield and The Sopranos, to great testosterone-laced dramas that don't glorify anything. I usually watch a little TV with my son too, but he only watches sexually neutral shows like Barney, Sesame Street, Noddy, etc.

I used to be bothered by it too, but I haven't really cared much over the last couple of years. I don't know if that's because I'm more tolerant, or simply because avoiding them has made me less edgy on the subject. Out of sight, out of mind?

Wilhelm:
Read my final point, it's mainly the gay pride thing that annoys me. And no, it's not just a small bit of the media that's homosexual. Ever since Brokeback Mountain came out, there's been a growing amount of homosexual content on the T.V. The pedestal isn't just featuring gay characters, it's just everything they do as to get their point across, for you see, the whole homosexuality thing is avoidable if gays and lesbians kept quiet about it. However, a racial issue cannot be kept secret. Sexuality preference can be just kept to oneself, no need to share the information with everybody. I don't "prefer" stereotypes, in fact, I want the opposite of that, so I'm not quite sure how you got that idea. I'd prefer people to keep their sexuality private.

Screwed:
It's pretty hard to find a channel that is homosexual-free. However, it's usually with the shows I generally enjoy watching. I usually would watch Spike T.V., but I also enjoy some of the primetime shows. And yes, I understand the part of heterosexuality. I'm actually quite sick of those meaningless sex scenes in movies. However, I don't come across any heterosexual pride content very often.

You can always turn back to cartoons, y'know?

Here are the cartoons I watch:
-Aqua Teen Hunger Force
-The Boondocks
-Family Guy
-Futurama
-Sealab 2021
-Simpsons
-South Park
-Stroker and Hoop
-The Venture Bros.

So yes, pretty much the [adult swim] cartoons and some others. Luckily, most of these have focused out of any stupid pride crap.

Since when is Sesame Street sexually neutral? We've all seen the HIV positive muppet.

Hehehe, my 2555th Null post.

Spike, Discovery, History, and adult swim ftw!

Screw you, man. I, and I believe most gays with self respect, don't honestly give a damn whether or nor we're "frightening" to you. The world does not revolve around you, people are free to do what they wish. If it bothers you, you can move to the People's Republic of China.

How is the Benchwarmers a movie about homosexuality? It's about baseball...

I assume he figures anything with a gay character is instantly "stained".

I sorta need to agree with that.



Is that even still on?

Anyway, I don't really mind homosexuals on tv, but pretty much every show now has some gay guy that's so proud of it. I can see how this pisses people off, I dunno, I just watch cartoons if anything.

Not too much to say, just I guess not get too pissed about it, avoid shows...=/

Just out of curiosity, could you give me an example of a movie or episode of a show that includes a character whose homosexuality is the focus of the movie for every day from now to when Brokeback Mountain was released?

-We already know Brokeback Mountain.
-Many homosexual references in The Benchwarmers (One of the adult "bullies"; and I didn't say the movie was about homosexuality, it just had a lot of references to it).
-Homosexual drama in House (Latest episode).
-Homosexual drama in Law and Order (Happens frequently lately).
-Homosexual innuendos in some cartoons (e.g. Meg in Family Guy).
-Homosexual references in most of the primetime shows lately (Such as small jokes, characters, innuendos, actions, etc.)
-Homosexual references in children shows (e.g. Spongebob, which is obvious; and a lot of innuendos in Fairly Odd Parents)
There's definitely more. However, I'm too lazy to go and search for the names of the shows.

Wilhelm:
Seriously, chill, you automatically target me as a person who flat out hates gay people, which only really proves true when I'm not sober. I simply stated that I wish people kept their sexuality more private. You want people to walk the streets saying, "I love sex with women!" or "I love sex with men!"? And no, I don't think everything that has a gay character is stained, in fact, sometimes the gay characters are the funniest ones, it just bugs me when they obsess every joke or comment about their orientation. So why do you think I'm "frightened" by homosexuals? I'm just tired of the amount of homosexual content in this month.

I'm getting mixed messages by you holysin, you seem to say you do not have an opinion towards the gay community, yet you are sick of them expressing themselves. I personally have not noticed any change in the media's presentation of the gay and lesbian community.

And another thing, people like to show off when they can, the average person would not really walk down the street expressing that he was simply average. (Well he wouldn't be average by expressing it sorta.) If your willing to put up the fight, you could just as well argue that the black community is trying to push their own agenda forward. But why should they not be allowed to help each other out when there is a common ground between the two that is a anomaly.

You would think about the subject differently if you were gay, and realized the lives they live and the suffering many go through. People have the right to speak freely.

I'll lay out my thoughts clearly:
-Keep sexuality secret.
-None of the pride stuff.
-I don't get annoyed by gay people unless they obsess their lives over their homosexuality.
-Lately there's been a lot of homosexuality on television to the point where it bugs me.

That's pretty much it. The problem is that families are still offended by sexuality on television, especially homosexuality. I'm sure it's not every family's dream to have a homosexual child. I just wish that television went back to other subjects besides sexuality.

Why do they have to keep their sexuality secret? They can be open about it if they'd like, there's no harm in it being known on the show that "Hey he's gay, we're fine with that, let's move on with the show". I understand where you're coming from with the obsessing they do, and it's mainly a gimmick on these shows. This keeping it secret nonsense is stepping over the line, though. I've given you my suggestion, if you don't like it, move to China.

Except that I don't like communism nor do I speak Chinese. Yes, I did overextend my thoughts with the complete secret part, but I was trying to make it more clear that I don't like people obsessing over their homosexuality.

Yeah.

And it's not the FOCUS of the show...it's just a little joke added in.



I don't go around like "HELLL YEAAAAAAA THANK GOD I'M STRAIGHT!"

Don't joke about sex in general! I don't care if its straight, gay, bi, "pansexual" or whatever the fark else. I don't need to know what the fark the characters did in the bedroom the other night. Unless the show is purely about that, in which case, have your fun, theres my cue to flip the channel.

Hmmm... You have a point. Plus, there's the whole Bert and Ernie living together thing...

And bathing together...

And I was watching it the other day and Grover was singing about short hotdogs and long hotdogs.

One thing I think we can all agree on, Bert is the butch and Ernie is the femme.

Hold on a second, what "point" are you saying that they are doing everything to convey?



Okay let's recap from what you have expressed.
1. Only predjudice from publicly noticeable traits are worth discussing and for individuals to express self opinion.
2. Race is publicly visible
3. Homosexuality is publicly invisible
4. Race is victim of racism. Racism is predjudice.
5. Homosexuality is victim of homophobia. Homophobia is predjudice.
6. Hence racism is worth discussion and indivudual expression and homophobia is not.
7. Predjudice-free is should be promoted
8. Portrayal of homosexual media should be demoted

Assuming the above statements are true-
The problem comes back to statement one - public awareness and noticibility is the independent variable. From statement two, we can conclude race can be observed so racism is not acceptable. From statement three, we can conclude homosexuality cannot be observed so homophobia is acceptable. Therefore if homosexuality can be publicly observed homophobia shoudn't be acceptable. Hence the expression of it on media would make homosexuality publicly aware. Yet you seem to say you dislike homosexuality being portrayed on media but say you don't hold an opinion of predjudice against them at the same time. That seems contradictory as rantent has already pointed out the "mixed messages".

On another note, just because homosexuality can be hidden why do they have to be? We deserve as much right to be ourselves as heterosexual people.



How does not preferring gay stereotypes have equivalents to homosexual people keeping their sexuality private? You're assuming that every gay person who had come out will suddenly change to fit a narrow-minded socially construcuted definition?




Okay, since there's meaningless heterosexual sex scenes in movies and homosexual pride content that annoys you but since we have absolutely no control over it being displayed let's just overlook it and leave it there for people who enjoy that part of the television.



You're agreeing with demaris saying there isn't any heterosexual pride parades so there shouldn't be any homosexual pride parades.

Let me say this again, but clearer. Homosexual people are not granted the same rights heterosexual people have. We parade to say we are not ashamed, we are here and we want equality and not be a second-class citizen. If we don't do that we won't get that attention from the government. We are demonstrating for things the heterosexual people already have which they do not need to demonstrate for.



Okay, go watch cartoons.



Hold on, you just said before you don't "prefer" stereotypes, yet you have to realise gay characters in media/television are funny because they follow a convention that can often be false or even degrading to some homosexual individuals. You want us just to be on television to be some kind of joke? What's wrong with a allusion to their sexual preference in a more serious and genuine way?



^Agrees especially with how the second paragraph is written.


-You know why people are closetted? Why should it be a secret? If you are seriously fine with it then if I talked about boys in front of you it would just be like any other normal everyday conversation. There's really no big deal about it. One thing I would like to emphasise - besides maybe during those pride parades which are there to show our existence and protest for equality to the government, gay people don't orientate everything they're doing around their sexual preference. Sexual preference is really only one part that is different which makes up a person. People who completely revolve their lives around it really need to find better things to do. However, because of biased treatment in some way or other you would find a gay person develop some kind of argument they have to demolish the predjudiced thoughts one has towards them.

I'm gay, I don't run around screaming out to everyone that I'm gay. One thing homosexuality is different from heterosexuality is that heterosexuality is pre-assumed for everyone. When I say I'm gay I'm not trying to get attention or trying to shove my sexuality into someone's face. I say it so people know this part of me. If you're gay you'll know coming out is a life-long process. Throughout your life you continue to do it - it doesn't end when you tell your parents, your group of current friends or your co-workers. Let's say when I've met someone new, my least intention is to tell them I'm gay immediately. First it may freak them out, but most of all being gay isn't just what a gay person is and we don't want premature judging based on it. Only if people ask questions like "do you have a girlfriend" and a person who is perfectly fine with their sexuality would without hesitation say "no, but I have a boyfriend". That to few may be already going too far and seem like its imposing their sexuality onto someone else, but really if it is not said someone would never know it. If they find it so disturbing and dislike a gay person for that very reason of being gay, then I doubt any out-gay person with a sense of self-worthy and dignity would value any kind of relationship with that person.

-If you meant pride demonstrations, I would understand striving for equal rights between homosexual and heterosexual people wouldn't affect you so you would only just want them to stop. Yet, if the government stop suppressing us as second class citizens we will stop.

Let's imagine a scenario to see maybe why gay people should be a little proud. I'm not going to tell you to imagine you're gay but instead imagine yourself in a world which almost everyone in the world is homosexual. Your gay parents (which for the sake of this scenario let's say homosexual people can reproduce children) want you to grow up, marry another sweet guy and have a family. Your church makes you develop controversial beliefs inside you about your spiritual support and the heterosexual attractions. Your friends are all gay, and they speak derogatively about straight people. Your country forbids straight couples to marry and takes away many of their rights. You turn on television and every show, movie or MTV portrays homosexual content. Then there's some straight guy being the joke in these shows and you are glad they are on media except they confirm a stereotype that you don't conform to. Your gay parents point to these characters and say they have issues, problems, they are sick people, incapable of love, paedophiles and errors in nature but you know you are none of these things. I can really go on forever. You seem like the only straight guy out there and you feel terrible. However, if you break out of that shell, accept who you are nonetheless of the rather harsh conditions... you grow to find support from a few other straight but also gay people out there who don't judge you because of your heterosexuality. Maybe in the end there are some things to be proud of.

-Oh, also I admit its not a family's dream to have a homosexual child. Are you saying families with homosexual children are offended by the stereotypical content or the majority of families being offended?