h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

its true for factual reasons as well

Are you suggestin Caleb's a repressed homosexual? A certain lack of panache would suggest otherwise...

Give him a few years to develop his dress sense and bingo!

Come on, I think that's a bit out of order....

Call me a liberal, but I think that we should tolerate other kinds of views. Particularly given that Caleb is (I think) only 16.

How responsible are people for their beliefs at 16? I certainly didn't have things right at 16, and more than likely don't have them right now. Caleb's already shown a shift of view since arriving at H2G2 in a more tolerant direction.

I'm not (deliberately) homophobic because I was brought up not to be, and have many gay friends including an ex-flatmate and several work colleagues. Are my views on homosexuality the result of my upbringing, plus life experience and a bit of reflection - very probably.

How many people have all their views sorted out by aged 16? I certainly didn't. From what Caleb's said, I would imagine that his family is also very religious. His posting here looks to me like an attempt to do some thinking about things, albeit maybe not in the most constructive or eloquent way. If his views are still offensive, then there's the chance for constructive dialogue and argument, which many people here have tried to do. I think some comments can be counter-productive, though.

On the other hand, my sexual preferences mean that I'm in the majority, so I don't feel threatened. So perhaps I would feel different if I were gay and had experienced homophobia....


Best wishes to all, and offence to none (I hope)

Otto.

Come on Otto, it was no more than a wee dig. Out of order would describe the pr entry that kicked this one off.

And Ste - stop stereotyping - we don't all like bingo

Yeah, sorry. Bingo is *definitely* a straight thing.

The day when all races, sexualities, and sexes can take the p*ss out of each other freely with wild abandon, knowing it's all a big laugh will be a great day. Y'know, the way you know you've made a good friend when you happily extract the urine out of each other all the time .

Ste

And golden showers ain't my thing either...
But I tend to agree...

You know what I mean!

I had read the previous article (opinion, whatever...), then this one. Don't see where the first of Caleb's arguments would inspire suicide, or self-hatred...boredom at an unenlightened attitude and the urge to go read elsewhere, maybe. Certainly couldn't bring any "lost lamps" back to the fold...

Keep working on it, Caleb...you're at least getting closer to enlightenment.

SC

P.S. -- Just a thought, but isn't confessing ones sins to God redundant? He's supposed to be omniscient, you know. Omnipresent too, so I guess He was there, as well?

That omnipresence thing. One of the reasons I could never live in a converted chapel; I would feel he was more omnipresent there than elsewhere. Illogical I know, but so are imaginary friendships.

Ben

How does your "friend" feel about the converted chapel idea Ben?

dont start a God conversation here, please. they go nowhere.

what i think is that stuff like rights movements are part of the problem. as long as tht insidious tatchell bloke keeps annoying people, and as long as there are these 'look at us arent we different' parades, people will know the difference.

the point is not to hide or to repress your sexuality or whatever, but not to flaunt it as something else either.

i mauy not have expressed that well...

Ther start of the gay rights movement in America was the stonewall riots, when gay people stood up to be counted and refused to be repressed. The reason for the "hey look at us we're different marchs" is to remind those in power that we exist, and of our numbers. After all for the other 51 weekends of the year we do blend in so well that you hardly notice us. It also gives us a chance for a party, which is never that bad.

Oh and they're really good fun, heterosexuals are welcome as well, you never know you just might enjoy it!

I have a sort of friend who is obviously gay but goes to astonishing lengths in company to not raise the issue, perhaps he's had a bad experience at the hands of the unenlightened and intolerant. Anyway, he appears to have gotten into the habit of saying 'my other half' instead of boyfriend/partner etc and also refers to him in gender non-specific terms. For instance: me and my other half went to a pub and I was going to have the fish but they wanted to have the chicken. It's just so effing mean that people grow up in a society where they have to do such tortuous linguistic acrobatics just to tell you what they did at the weekend. If Heaven is full of people with these sort of views, I'll be glad of my place in Hell with the queers, the spellcheckers and people who eat pork on a Saturday.

According to The Bible laying down with another man is a sin, but repopulating the race with your daughters is fine.

So Uncle "rights movements" are the problem?

So the suffragettes were misguided? they didnt improve the lot of women and for that matter men? Black rights activists should have just shut up and carried on being oppressed? Feminists are barking up the wrong tree in demanding equality with men?

I dont think so!!!!!!!!!!!

The reason we still have to have Gay Pride marches is because we dont get the same rights as heterosexuals and thats all we want. We dont want special rights we want the same rights.

I want to be treated as my boyfriends next of kin - at the moment if he is critically ill I have no rights to visit him in hospital (you know relatives only), to take over the tenancy of our flat (not legally next of kin) even though we have lived together 10 years. The law doesnt recognise our relationship so if I named him as a beneficiary in my will my blood relatives could challenge it and would win in a court of law.

So until we treat all people irrespective of gender, race, religion sexual orientation and disability exactly the same and give all of us the same rights (and of course corresponding duties and responsibilities) gay men and women will carry on having Gay Pride marches to try to make people like you understand the problem.

I was thinking about the next of kin issue today because there was a news announcement on the radio about the first registry for gay relationships in the UK outside of London has been set up.

I really cannot see the problem with changing the legislation so that gay couples can have the same legal and economic rights as couples that marriage gives to straight couples. Personally, I would call it marriage, and be done with it. But if using the word 'partnership' got it passed parliament, surely it would be worth it.

Not to be next of kin is particularly cruel. Can't you lie to the hospital, and say you are half-brothers?

Ben

Ben, of course you can lie to the hospital - but its all the other areas where being deemd to be the legally recognised next of kin as well and you cant lie there.

This applies to anyone in a same sex relationship and to a lesser extent to unmarried het couples.

An example - your partner is involved in an accident - who do the police contact? what if your partner doesnt have any next of kin contact details on them who do the police contact then?

I think what Ken Livingstone has done in London is a good start but it is not a formal legal recognition of co-habitation and does not confer any rights as such.

I don't want to rain on your parade, and I fully sympathise, but male/female couples also do not get those rights. If we all fought for them together, then maybe we could change that. I'm never getting married again - ever. But I don't want to be refused a vist to my partner's deathbed, nor would I want to be refused a double bedroom if I end up in a residential home. Currently only married couples are allowed this.

I'd also like the right to whip the crap out of a consenting partner without risking a prison sentence, but that's not likely to change very soon either.

Sorry Ross, that was a simpost.

Mina you aint raining on my parade hun.

Hence my comment about unmarried het couples - I know you are in the same boat.

Re BDSM - I couldn't agree more

What we do, or have done to us in the privacy of our own homes to/by another consenting adult SHOULD NOT be of concern to the police or the state in any other guise.