The people who organise the Gay Mardi Gras surely are filled with good intentions but I'm not sure they achieve their goals.
How does filling the streets with gaudily and/or scantily dressed men, women, transvestites, bi-sexuals, etc, who wilfully trespass over the boundaries of good taste promote the objective that gays demand that they be treated as normal members of society?
How can cross-dressing and obscenity and the ridiculing of societal conventions ever be accepted as reasonable by mainstream society? And how can what happens after the parade at the bacchanalian bash ever be considered appropriate?
If gays want acceptance then surely to behave acceptably would be a good start!
Just a thought.
13 comments:
I know I NOT the only gay man who reads your blog Daniel, but I may be the only one who will take up the challenge to post a comment to this post and other comments you have made regarding Homosexual behavior.
First, I have never been to a Mardi Gras Parade, I saw them on TV though and have been told tales. Seems to me to be rooted in Christian suppression from the start. Christians would go out the night before Lint and tie one down before going to confession to relieve themselves of their debauchery and sad lives by relinquishing a 'sin' for the coming year. Good idea in theory?
Anyway, singling out gays for this post is only helping to divide and make one crowd more 'deviant' than another. Yes I know what they most likely did, 'parade around and 'flaunt' their 'deviance', but my point presses deeper.
First, I believe homosexuality to be a boon to humanity. First we DON'T procreate (most of us) and thus lessen the burden of population, NATURALLY. Most of us are the MOST ALTRUISTIC (I will find the anthropological research done here and do a post) of persons you could ever meet, and my belief is that MANY of the HEIGHTS of CIVILIZATION could NOT have been attained without our contributions.
In fact I maintain, you would NOT have Western Civilization without us,, you would still be in mud huts most likely,, believe it or not.
We are the 'Last' group it is OK to BASH and stigmatize. Yes their are many gays whom I personally have no desire to socialize with, as their are many other People whom I steer clear of, but as a group we have our pluses and minus's just as any other group. The point being not to generalize character by group, I don't HATE Individual Christians, because of all of the pain they cause the world, as the Jew,Muslim or Hindu or for that matter Republican!! Ha! HA!
Another thing, Societal Conventions NEED to be Flaunted to Change, and Sexual Puritanical views being one area in my mind. Others being Radical Ecological ideas, my Religion, which is science based Shamanism , my political views which are VERY RADICAL and not of Societial norms,,, i.e. Republican.
I am NOT a NORMAL member of Society, THANK WHATEVER DIETY or NONE, but I deserve the rights, and respect due any Human who is a Citizen of the Planet Earth.
I am glad that I am not a "Normal Member Of Society" or I would NOT CARE about recycling, my Vegatarianism, my view of Earth as A Living System Entity, among other things which you post so eloquently about here.
Personally I don't give a hoot if I am accepted as a "Member" in good standing with society, why, because this society really sucks,, just watch TV and see what NORMAL people are doing. I am glad to be outside the stream, and will fight vigorously for Understanding that I am a HUMAN FIRST, before all else I am a HUMAN FIRST,, sometimes I daydream I am not human,, but I am, and No Label, queer, faggot, homo, or deviant will stop me from fighting for Acceptance of THAT FACT ALONE,,
In reality, that is what these gays, trans, and all are fighting for,,, they just don't know how to do it constructively,,except they can and do throw lavish parties very well,,,
Like so many on this planet. They need to be taught other ways of being, like us all,
Again, I hope they had a good time and if no one was hurt, then more power to them, just as when Jews gather peacefully and throw a party, and Muslims gather at Meeca, or Christians at the Vatican,, or Naked Bush(not the republican variety) People in the jungle throw down and have a kickass ritual,, more power to them,, Difference is what makes Earth so Interesting,, causes alot of trouble ONLY WHEN SOMEONE WANTS EVERYONE TO BE LIKE THEM..
Viva la differance
again,
as long as No one was hurt, or Forced to dance naked or in a dress, How did this really hurt you? Only your sensibilities where rattled, which might cause you to think differently, if you take another view.
Respectfully,
Scott
I think the statement the Gay Community are trying to make is "LOOK AT ME, I'M HERE!"....honestly I think they enjoy the scrum....Mostly young and as such will act irresponsibly whether Gay or not, when surrounded by their peers and alcohol.
More importantly I believe is the right to "marry same sex couples" which I believe should be permitted in law. Gays have as much chance of making their union a success as hetrosexual, I feel, because there is no Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus type issues. Wholeheartly two guys or two gals are going to understand each other intuitively.....well, except when it is time to hang out the washing...the usual married stuff....
Thanks Scott and Mary for putting forward those perspectives. I am well pleased that my blog is a place where people from across the societal spectrum feel comfortable expressing different points of view.
My brief post, if read carefully, presents my view about what I see as some negative aspects of the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, nothing more, nothing less!
Cheers!
Which is how I read it, Daniel.
Thanks, ninglun. Coming from a gay man, that is comforting to know.
Cheers!
I don't have any strong views or opinions about homosexuality, one way or the other, but ..
Which would you prefer to see.
A Gay Mardi Gras parade .. or long lines of soldiers disciplined into columns of four, all dressed drably alike, all marching in step. Left right, left right. Weapons tucked neatly by their side.??
And yer, I know, one extreme to the other. Being human, society, IS a range of options, a kaleidescope of colour and interest - and some of it may not be particularly comfortable.
But would you - really - have it any other way?
'Being human...is a range of options...'
That's an interesting observation, Davo. When I was brought up (some might say, dragged up) there were no real options. This was right, that was wrong, go to Church, choose a career that matched your talents (if any), buy a house, get married, have kids, get promoted to your level of incompetence, retire, then babysit your granchildren.
Where were all these options? Did I miss out again?
Scott's lengthy comment was...interesting. I also find it interesting that both gays and straights alike, will say "will you look at what those dumbass rednecks did in _____?" and nobody breaks out in screams of outrage.
It really does make a difference who's ox is being gored.:) And this PC B.S. makes an even bigger difference...for the worse. Your post was 100% acceptable, imo. There are so many "factions", that you can talk about all day - as long as it's "positive" in their eyes. But...let an observation be the least bit critical...(:
Loosen up, World. Really. You're entirely too full of yourself.
The list of DON'T-DISCUSS topics seem to be growing by the day, FWY.
Soon there'll be nothing but the weather to talk about and even that topic will probably generate bitterness and blood in the streets. It reminds me of the time in history that books were burned.
Surely every topic should be able to be discussed fully and completely, warts and all. Do people really want 1984 to become their norm?
this could be an oversimplification- but here goes- folks complain about the 'p.c.' movement here in america. they complain and moan about how they can't speak up or out for fear of offending someone. my guess is- if these 'speak outs' didn't include name calling ala ms. coulter, et. al. in the name of humor in this instance- perhaps we wouldn't have needed a pc movement to start and folks wouldn't be as afraid to talk about taboo subjects. calling names is what ignorant, ill informed, frustrated folks do when they feel insecure. perhaps we as humans need to grow up.
Hear, hear, Betmo! Not only grow up but open up every subject for frank, respectful discussion. There should be no sacred cows!
Hey Daniel!
I believe .... if the heterosexuals were allowed to get away with such debauchery ... one time a year .... they would probably act in the same way ....
sad isn't it?
No matter what the sexual orientation it is pushing the envelope... however I guess that is what mardi gras is all about?
Peace and Blessings
Lil Sparrow
Probably a fair observation, Lil. I think the main problem with mankind are the humans. Cheers and Peace.
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