'Immoral' homosexuality

[flexibeast]

i just posted an entry in the pleasureact community LJ about research which has found that one in three Australians think that homosexuality is 'immoral'.

Comments

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

One in three doesn't really bother me: one in three probably think the Earth is 4004 years old, that Howard is a darling, and so on, and it is a minority. It's seventeen percent short -half its actual number- of a bare majority.

I'm more interested in clueing up the two thirds who don't have Stupid Ideas about us.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Well, i think we need to know more details about the research - for example, did half of the remaing two-thirds think that homosexuality, whilst not 'immoral', is completely disgusting and that, for example, men shouldn't partner-kiss in public?

Also, that one-third figure is an average - as the article says, it's higher in certain areas of Australia (reaching around one-half in Queensland, for example), and lower in other areas. Certainly the fact that it's lower in Melbourne would explain why so many male queers from Melbourne seem to be under the mistaken impression that queerphobia is not so much of an issue any more . . . . they need to spend some time living in rural areas, as i have.

Finally, it would be interesting to know just how influential those people in that one-third are - are most of the people who control the mass media and who formulate and implement policy in that group?

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

You're quite right, of course.

I do think it's pointless squabbling with dyed-in-the-wool enemies like religious kooks though: it's easy enough to make them look bad to others.

Yes, I'm sure it's still terrible in many rural areas. It's terrible for women, Aborigines and migrants, too, I expect.

Outreach!

I've given up on the major political parties, by the way. They can't even be shamed into behaving decently.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Yes, there's many groups for whom living in regional and rural Australia is most unpleasant . . . . i wish people would stop for a moment and consider that even thoug things aren't so bad for /them/, other people not might feel the same way. Empathy Deficit Disorder again. :-/

i strongly agree with the notion of outreach campaigns, of course . . . . see, for example, the comment i just wrote in response to one of Rodney Croome's recent blog entries (http://www.rodneycroome.id.au/weblog?id=P1801).

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

Yes.

People hate easily, and bad guys tap into that, and moderates here have become more weak and more hungry for votes than they are in favor of decency.

Being more out will help. A while ago some GLBTI American persons of colour in lj were saying: "Queers, get Black. Be always visible. Make sure they can't pretend we're rare, timid, or about to go away". and they were right, in my view.

Gay men are often very out out, but not the rest of us.

Yes, it means some of us will get hurt :::shrug:::, we're not playing tiddly-winks here.

I'm thinking of joining PFLAG and becoming a speaker.

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

*nod* "Silence = Death".

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

Gezackly.

I guess it's easier for me to say this as I already have been badly queer-bashed and survived it: I know I'm not a wuss!

As my latest lttle effort I came out right away at the BDSM club. It has a number of queer members, but I believe in being Blatant! And outrageous :-)

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Heh, cool - good on you!

As for it being easier for you . . . . i think quite the opposite: i think it takes courage to proudly proclaim one's sexuality despite having been assaulted by people who think that people with a non-heteronormative sexuality deserve violence.

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

I don't know...to a certain extent one can rely on decent-minded others to tone down ugly reactions behind one's back, I think, so ordinarily it seems better to me to get the crap over with.

And I've experienced violence because I'm female...some people just do that, attack those they see as disempowered.

I don't get submissive though, I get *angry*!

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Yes, you don't seem to be the submissive type - outside play contexts, at least. ;-)

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

I can submit in play :-) Don't know how long this will last: will I still be able to do Trainee when I'm not???

Possibly, possibly :-)

Politcally and academically I can be fairly hyperdomme...oops!

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Heh, well, i'm pretty much the same . . . . i don't respond well to ignorance or naïveté masquerading as knowledge.

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

What I loathe is wankers who don't mean well.

:::brings out violet wand:::