Recently, an occasional, vitriolic commenter made another of his vicious verbal raids on my blog. His tiresome tirade included the following observations about me: "... can you see the hypocrisy in your homophobic prejudice, your ingrained hatred for oppressed homosexual communities..."
I found these observations curious given that I don't know the whereabouts of any oppressed homosexual communities. Do you? As well, some of the people who support my blog and whose blogs I support are homosexual. They'd hardly come to Seeking Utopia if it was a hotbed of homosexual prejudice, would they? And a few months ago, during a personal low point, two homosexual men were the first to offer me support which I gladly received. And I have owned an accommodation business and gays were among my repeat customers, etc!
Anyway, putting his incorrect observations aside, I wonder whether the issue of homosexuality is being put in the same basket as as Semitism? If you dare raised a question about the actions of the Jewish people in Israel or offer a criticism, the first accusation thrown at you is that you are anti-Semitic.
Does the situation now exist where any criticism or questioning directed at homosexual behaviour and say its relationship to the HIV issue, or the social impact of lowering of the age of homosexual consent, or the adopting of children by same sex couples, or whether gays should be able to marry in the full heterosexual sense, or making some mention of a few tasteless aspects of the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, etc, automatically earns you the title of homophobic?
If I said that most heterosexual couples were rather clueless about raising children should I rightly be called heterophobic? Should any group (race, gender, religion, age, wealth, political persuasion, intellectual ability, sexual preference, indigenous background, etc) be free from scrutiny, from comment? Surely all issues concerning society in a democracy should be able to be discussed openly and courteously without people resorting to name-calling and personal attack both as a weapon and a debate-stifling device.
But it also must be accepted that people cannot always see everything from another person's point of view. For example, I am not wired to be a homosexual so I cannot possibly understand how a gay man can feel the way he does about another gay man. All I can do is to be tolerant and accepting of our differences.
The commenter, to give him his due, did offer a slight slight about me being fallible (not himself of course). As a human being, that's something I freely admit to.
Only the Pope is said to be infallible. But I don't believe that!
P.S. Does that make me Popephobic?
7 comments:
Well, at least I got a run.
1.) And there is tragically an abundance of oppressed homosexuals around the world. In fact, according to the United Nations, "Millions of people across the globe face imprisonment, torture, violence and discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity," (2003)
http://www.amnesty.ca/resource_centre/news/view.php?load=arcview&article=582&c=Resource+Centre+News
Did you know that homosexuality is outlawed in Uganda, with life imprisonment as the punishment?
Did you know that legislation in Nigeria imprisons anyone who speaks out or forms a group supporting lesbian and gay people’s rights?
Did you know that Iran has executed gays for homosexual activity?
http://hrw.org/doc/?t=lgbt
Will you be standing up for these oppressed people, in accordance with your stance with the "underdog"?
No, of course you won't. We won't hear a word. Not even a sentence of support.
2.) But throughout this recount of your innocent "questioning" of gay related issues, as you've framed your views under the guise of community concern, you have seemingly forgotten to mention something:
What you'd do if a homosexual person made an advance on you.
You've previously indicated, quite clearly, that you'd slam one on his nose.
Now, go ahead and mention that to your new gay "friends" (ie..."But some of my best friends are gay!"). Tell them about your propensity for violence.
Hey, Pete, though you don't mean to be, sometimes you're quite funny.
Regarding 'not a sentence of support' slur, surely even you can see that I can't support every issue that needs it because there are simply too many. Why don't you start up a blog and make it a single issue one defending homosexuality across the world?
Regarding your claim about my 'propensity for violence', other than two fights, one in primary school and one in high school, I've never engaged in any form of physical violence. But if anyone came the heavy on me for any reason then I keep that option on the table!
Cheers!
Daniel, whenever anyone speaks of social issues or ways to improve the lot of the common man, there will always be someone else that raises issues totally not related to what you said.
There are those that lower themselves to name calling, be it homophobic or homo....all to take attention away from what you have to say.
Don't fall into their trap of answering to their nonsense... that's exactly what they want... to keep you away from the real issues you wish to write about.
Thanks, Desertpeace, for your wise counsel. I will file it away in the front of my mind.
Sometimes I use negative comments to make a point that I think is important and sometimes I use them to illustrate that this clearly is not a one-point of view blog.
Pete is playing a game, one totally unrelated to making the world a better place, but one that he thinks he is winning.
Hopefully his priorities will change soon.
Peace.
Hello All,
First of all Playful Pete! BRAVO, I enjoy your knowledge, your comittment and your passion, I seriously support you whole heartedly. We need more people like you in support of Gay/Lesbian Bisexual and Transexual rights.
However, to be fair, if Daniel is a Homophobe, than you would also call me (this proud, Queer alternative Homosexual) a HETEROPHOBE (I detest being called a homosexual).
I quite frankly must admit that I act quite agressively when a a heterosexual male makes unwanted, unprovoked, uninvited sexual advances towards me. I find it incredibly INSULTING.
I swear to the Gods I am going to hit one of them one of these days ....
and women ... lets talk about women who think its alright to touch me in a sexual way because I am Gay ....
I HATE IT ....
I don't women to touch me in that way ....
I think I perfectly understand how a heterosexual man would feel if a homosexual is making uninvited sexual advances upon him ... IT IS REVOLTING ...
who in their right mind makes unwanted unprovoked sexual advances on people?
I think that we should not support ANYONE making uninvited sexual advances towards anyone - it is HARRASSMENT.
NOW .... homosexuals and lesbians who are being murdered, imprisoned and oppressed all over the world because of their sexual orientation - that is a real issue that deserves all of our support.
However, we have a great deal of work to do in our own backyards before we attack the rest of the world.
Quite frankly, now that Gay and Lesbian rights are moving forward at a good pace in my own country ... I am more interested in environmental issues ...
To be quite honest I am switching my focus...
I DO support and am horrified by the state of Homosexual and Lesbian rights in Iran, Uganda ...etc.. but lets face it ... those countries need to start focussing on their human rights PERIOD, not just on minorities -
there is MASS OPPRESSION in those countries
In Canada and the US Gay and Lesbian rights have moved drastic measures but we are in a differnt culture and at a different phase of development. Although I believe it is important to fight discrimination on a global scale ... at the same time in my own neighbouring backyard I have Bush which horrifies me ...and in my own yard, the environmental issues need my attention.
Quite frankly I would prefer Daniel, a friend, to question GAy and Lesbian issues than a Ugandan president - at least we can talk openly to Daniel about it.
I think Daniel's conservatism has been misread as homophobia.
Peace and Blessings
Lil Sparrow
Lil, your insightful and mature comment may assist Pete (and a few others) to see that nothing is black and white but always shades of grey!
Thanks!
If someone questions the status quo there are those whose whole world is immediately turned upside down because what they need more than anything is certainty. Doesn't matter if the certainty is ridiculous or immoral: any certainty in a storm will do.
That's why I'm so against education because proper education should lead to uncertainty because everything should be questioned.
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