Originally Posted By utahjosh <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/19/us/boy-scouts-sexual-orientation/index.html?hpt=hp_c3" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/19/...pt=hp_c3</a> I applaud this decision to include gay youths. I know when someone is struggling as a teen, the worst thing to do is ostracize them. Bring them in, love them, be a friend. Don't shun them.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan The problem with this new policy is that it will bring them in, love them, be a friend and then tell them to stay the hell away once they are adults. Once again, the Scouts seem to have no faith in their own youth protection policies, which if followed, would make this a complete non-issue.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Bring them in, love them, be a friend. Don't shun them." As long as they don't actually practice any sexual activity you disagree with, right? "The problem with this new policy is that it will bring them in, love them, be a friend and then tell them to stay the hell away once they are adults." Blatant homophobia and discrimination. GLAAD issued this statement regarding the possible ban lifting: "Yet again, the Boy Scouts of America has failed its members, corporate sponsors, donors and the millions of Americans who agree that the time to end discrimination in Scouting is now. By refusing to consider an end to its ban on gay and lesbian parents, the Boy Scouts have missed an opportunity to exercise leadership and usher the organization back to relevancy. We're living in a culture where, until every young person and parent have the same opportunity to serve, the Boy Scouts will continue to see a decline in both membership and donations."
Originally Posted By ecdc The infuriating message of "no gay leaders," is again the not-so-subtle message that homosexual=pedophile or at best, potential pedophile. It's beyond absurd and shows such a wrong-headed understanding that can only equate being gay with gay sex. That's it. If your gay, your entire identity to these people is who you have sex with.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Yep. After all the deliberating they've done and they still haven't figured out that the overwhelming majority of pedophiles identify as heterosexual?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>The infuriating message of "no gay leaders," is again the not-so-subtle message that homosexual=pedophile or at best, potential pedophile.<< Yes. What I am interested to know is how a Scout unit is supposed to deal with a member of the military, while visiting a base or having a military member be a guest speaker, if that person is gay. This new policy is not about youth protection. It is about fearing the massive flight from the organization by homophobes. In other words -- a loss of $$$.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I think they're trying to have it both ways. They also fear the flight from the organization and/or refusal of funding from NON-homophobes. So they're hoping this will look like a step forward to the latter, while still pandering to the fears of the former. There IS an unspoken "well, if they're just kids maybe they can't help it or maybe the boy scouts will even "man them up"... but if they're adults they obviously just want to have sex with boys" thing here. They're hoping both homophobes and non-homophobes will be okay with this; taking the risk that neither one potentially will be.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "This new policy is not about youth protection. It is about fearing the massive flight from the organization by homophobes. In other words -- a loss of $$$." Yup.
Originally Posted By planodisney Homophobe? Is this just a blanket term that realy stems from an enjoyment of disgracing someone who disagres with you. I realy dont understand it. I believe homosexuality is wrong. I believe it is sin and I believe it is extremely detrimental to our society. however, I have never been afraid of a gay person. Never hated a gay person. Love my gay cousin and my gay co-worker I have worked with for years. Would be far more angry at someone for mistreating a gay person because they are gay than for anyone being gay. no anger there whatsoever. My dad had an affair and left my mom and us kids for her when we were young. i believe what he did was wrong. i believe what he did was a sin and his actions are bad for our society. However, i have never been afraid of or hated my dad. not even for a second. Always have loved him with all my heart. I know its easier to dismiss people out of hatred an anger by trying to get them labeled negatively in society, but THAT realy IS evil. I dont know ANY people who fit the discription of what a TRUE homophobe would be. I know ther are some, but there are some of EVERYTHING. Stop labeling people negatively to simply defend justify what YOU believe in. Believe me, I know gays arent the only people doing this. We have a society FULL of anger and ready to verbally destroy those we disagree with. PARTICULARLY if they disagree with our lifestyle. NOT COOL!!!
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I have a few other names I can think of to call you if you dislike the word "homophobe" so much. Seriously, why do I ever even come back into any of these World Events sections? COMPLETE waste of my time.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Homophobe? Is this just a blanket term that realy stems from an enjoyment of disgracing someone who disagres with you.<< No, it's a blanket term that applies to homophobes. Some beliefs are wrong. Fundamentally, cosmically incorrect. Disagreeing with them is what decent people are supposed to do. If you hold those beliefs, then you deserve the criticism that will continue until the day you die, or shape up, whichever comes first. In any case it certainly won't be getting any better for you. If you think you're getting criticized now, just wait until a few years from now. Just sayin'.
Originally Posted By mele Homophobia doesn't just mean you are afraid of gays, it is also the fear that their existence is detrimental to society and allowing them to live their lives will somehow destroy all morale fiber. So, yes, finding homosexuality sinful, and more importantly, feeling the need to blather on about it, does, indeed, make you homophobic. Besides, who gives a crap about what you find sinful? Who asked for your opinion?
Originally Posted By Dabob2 "Homophobia doesn't just mean you are afraid of gays, it is also the fear that their existence is detrimental to society and allowing them to live their lives will somehow destroy all morale fiber. So, yes, finding homosexuality sinful, and more importantly, feeling the need to blather on about it, does, indeed, make you homophobic." Bingo, mele. Perfectly stated. We tend to fear what we don't understand, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. And Plano, what you don't understand about homosexuality is a lot. You're entitled to your pinched interpretation of the Bible, and even to equate two people loving each other with your father leaving your family. But we are entitled to call you out on such nonsense.
Originally Posted By ecdc Statements about how "I respect and love all gay people, I just disagree with their lifestyle" are rapidly becoming the new, "Now I'm not racist, I have black friends, BUT..."
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< "I respect and love all gay people, I just disagree with their lifestyle" >>> I especially like the combination of: 1. All sex outside of marriage is a sin. 2. Gay people are sinners because they have sex outside of marriage. 3. It should be illegal for gay people to marry each other.
Originally Posted By planodisney That was the first time I think that I have ever posted any personal view on homosexuality. I am most definitely not some guy who goes around trashing gay people . I had no intention of getting into a debate about homosexuality but I realize the statements I made deservingly caused a reaction. I never comment on it because I honestly dont want anyone to think I have any ill-will against them because they are gay. mawnck, you think I dont know that extreme public ridicule will get even stronger for people who state the belief that homosexuality is morally wrong. I hate being called names. Everybody wants to be liked and most people, as I do, cringe at the thought of people labeling them hate-filled and ignorant, but understand if you make a comment in a free society, you have to live with the consequences. As much as I hate being ridiculed and labeled, I could never compromise on what I believe to be the truth. No matter the consequences. Also,mele,I dont think you could in any way make the case that I BLATHER on about gay issues or about homosexuality. Simply isnt true. If you want to define homophobia as the way you tried to spin it in your above post, then I guess you could label half the country homophobic. The problem is that isnt how pro-gay rights people use the term. They use it as a term to insinuate absolute hate filled ignorance and anger at fellow human beings. Which is quite simply a lie. I have no intention of ever speaking about this issue again on here as honestly, you may beleive me or not, i dont want to hurt anyones feelings or offend anyone on here. And it just serves no purpose. I dont talk about the issue in my daily life and dont intend to on here. I think trying to convince people that you can disagree with them, and even their lifestyle, while still liking, loving and befriending them, is useless on this issue. Im just not sure why this is the one issue upon which people cant grasp that concept. We do exactly that in all of our lives, every day.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<I think trying to convince people that you can disagree with them, and even their lifestyle, while still liking, loving and befriending them, is useless on this issue. Im just not sure why this is the one issue upon which people cant grasp that concept. We do exactly that in all of our lives, every day.>> WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! I hate, loathe, despise, and abhor smokers. I am deathly allergic to cigarette smoke, pot smoke, BBQ smoke, fireplace smoke... any aromatic hydrocarbon. Breathing in just small amounts puts my butt in the emergency room faster than you can imagine. But I never, ever, want to eliminate the civil rights of smokers. Yes, I don't want them smoking anywhere near me. I don't want them smoking in public areas where I'm forced to breathe their smoke. If they want to light up so badly, they can do it in the privacy of their residences. But unlike your kind who are against gays having equal access to government -- which includes marriage licenses and the dozens of legal benefits which come with the contract -- I do not wish to strip away the civil rights of smokers and make them second class citizens. I simply want to keep their smoking habit away from my fragile body and the bodies of other citizens who don't want to ruin their health by breathing in the second hand smoke. Just because you claim to like/love/befriend gays doesn't mean you actually do, given how strongly you defend the elimination of their civil rights. If you truly liked/loved them, you would never accept the second class status they've been forced to live with.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "I am most definitely not some guy who goes around trashing gay people." In light of your other ranting post in this thread, this is a blatant lie. All you've done here come out against something you quite clearly do not know anything about. It's either shameful, wilfull ignorance or homophobic. There are no other choices.
