Comments on: Conceptual gayness http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness For writers, readers, and independent thinkers--book talk for readers and writers, life chats when we need them, writers' motivational articles, secret behind-the-scenes stories from the publishing trenches, and more. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:47:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Barry http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness#comment-46 Barry Sat, 29 Apr 2006 21:59:30 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness#comment-46 Well, BJ, I agree with your gay friends, so there's that. And in case it wasn't clear in my original comment, the "Ick" was for "many instances" of "some hets," not for me. Personally, I don't care. Never have. My grandparents had a plethora of gay friends when they were a young couple in the 50's. When my uncle came out of the closet, they used to take him around to their friends -- many of whom had been together for DECADES -- as a way of showing him that there was nothing wrong with him and that he shouldn't feel ashamed of himself. That always stuck with me. Well, BJ, I agree with your gay friends, so there’s that. And in case it wasn’t clear in my original comment, the “Ick” was for “many instances” of “some hets,” not for me. Personally, I don’t care. Never have.

My grandparents had a plethora of gay friends when they were a young couple in the 50’s. When my uncle came out of the closet, they used to take him around to their friends — many of whom had been together for DECADES — as a way of showing him that there was nothing wrong with him and that he shouldn’t feel ashamed of himself. That always stuck with me.

]]> By: bj http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness#comment-44 bj Sat, 29 Apr 2006 21:33:48 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness#comment-44 FYI, my gay friends find Fundamentalism and its straitjacket attitude to be Ick to the nth degree . . . and most of them are much more monogamous and much more loyal to their significant others than most religious folks I know. I guess we all have some things to work on, huh? FYI, my gay friends find Fundamentalism and its straitjacket attitude to be Ick to the nth degree . . . and most of them are much more monogamous and much more loyal to their significant others than most religious folks I know.

I guess we all have some things to work on, huh?

]]> By: Barry http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness#comment-40 Barry Fri, 28 Apr 2006 22:45:00 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/conceptual-gayness#comment-40 I think you hit the nail on the head right at the end there -- homosexuality is disturbing to so many people because it strikes right at the heart of something that is almost rabidly personal and (by its very definition) passionately held: sexual identity. The mere existence of it is enough to make some hets question their own heterosexuality and they don't want to do that. And in many instances, they don't want to think about sex, period, because they've been told it's dirty, disgusting, whatever, so homosexuality -- to them -- takes that feeling of "Ick" and multiplies it. I think you hit the nail on the head right at the end there — homosexuality is disturbing to so many people because it strikes right at the heart of something that is almost rabidly personal and (by its very definition) passionately held: sexual identity. The mere existence of it is enough to make some hets question their own heterosexuality and they don’t want to do that. And in many instances, they don’t want to think about sex, period, because they’ve been told it’s dirty, disgusting, whatever, so homosexuality — to them — takes that feeling of “Ick” and multiplies it.

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