Pride celebrations: Your thoughts?

Try to think about it as if it were the other way around. What if being straight and wearing "normal" attire was only reserved for specific, limited spaces and people felt free to call you a freak or gross because you want to wear khakis and a T-shirt. Now imagine those same people professing that they were actually being tolerant of you.

 

Just so you know, I am not saying tolerance is good or the goal, I am just pointing out that he isn't even being tolerant.

 

It's how I feel, I don't particularly like being around gay people but I tolerate them. Hence, tolerance. You may not be satisfied with it but in many cases the best you can hope for is tolerance. Not just among gay people but in all walks of life.

 

As a masculine, senior (celibate) gay male, let me just say that I inwardly cringe when Pride Month rolls around.

Why the need for all the flamboyance, freaky costumes, and in-your-face behavior is totally beyond me.

"Pride"?

I certainly do not see any.

When you see what Pride spectacles portray, it is small wonder why so many straight bigots look at gays as freaks.

IMHO, all "Pride" events do is to continue to perpetuate the same old tired stereotype about gays being flaky, cross-dressers, ultra-flamboyant, and limp-wristed.

In this sense, they gay community is indeed its WORST enemy, giving the straight community MORE than enough ammo to further degrade and deride gays.

Am I proud of being gay?

No.

But then I would not be proud of my sexuality if I were STRAIGHT.

Yes, my sexuality is WHAT I am, orientation-wise, BUT, what I AM proud of is my dignity, my decency, my values, and my desire to always help others less fortunate than myself.

If I were to talk to someone on the phone (sight unseen) and revealed I was gay, I shudder to think just what kind of image they are getting of me,

Just because a man is GAY, does NOT mean he also must relinquish his masculinity, nor his sense of dignity and self-respect.

I'm as far removed from any and all demeaning and insulting gay "stereotypes" as is possible.

"Pride"?

It is what is INSIDE you, what makes you the decent, honest man you ARE, and the kind of man you hope others see you for.

Thank you for allowing me to share my opinions here...............

 

No matter what, I truly believe that it will NEVER be easy for a man to be gay (or bi) without having to constantly be on the alert.

This is especially an issue if a fellow is not "out"; as we all know, all hell can break loose if his "secret" is exposed.

That being said, be who you are, BUT, at least, do so with dignity and self-respect, and, of course, discretion.....

 

Papa:

Sort of like: "ANY revenge is all the sweeter?"

Maybe it's because I'm such a quiet, conservative, "fade into the background" type of guy, who never wished to be in ANY sort of spotlight.

In any event, we certainly DO NOT need ANY more HATE or INTOLERANCE in the world; man, there is already FAR too much of it running rampant today as it is.............

 

I figure that every day I'm alive, it's a PRIDE celebration of my bisexuality...

 

KDaddy23:

VERY well said!!

An EXCELLENT way of thinking, for certain!

 

Hey, be yourself. If you're gay, live it. But save the drag for the privacy of your own home or a gay bar. If you dress like that in public I won't attack you and beat you up like some others would. But pardon me if I roll my eyes.

 

I would not even want to dress "flamboyantly" in my own home; being 100% a man, I, again, see no reason to relinquish my manhood, nor do I wish to call atention to myself, just because I happen to like men instead of women

Simple as that....................

 

Another important point I'd like to bring up here........

If you come across to others as someone who does not respect HIMSELF, than how can said person expect OTHERS to show RESPECT to HIM?

Think about it...............

 

We have always held true that in order to get respect, you must give respect. Do you need to have great self-respect in order to give it? I don't know because I've met people who didn't have lot of self-respect but they knew how to give it so they could get it. Now you're getting into "eye of the beholder stuff" because if you deem that someone has no respect for themselves, do you assume that they are incapable of giving respect and, as such, undeserving of your respect and now begging the question of do you (not you) know how to give respect in order to get it? It's a backhanded bitch slap to tell someone that they cannot be respected because they have no respect for themselves and in the face of what we've always held true: You want respect? Give it. If you can't or don't give it, you won't get it and you're not entitled to respect.

 

KDaddy23:

VERY well said.

Your response indeed speaks many volumes.

Respect, indeed, IS a "two way street"........too bad that more people don't seem to be able to grasp this concept, despite its utter simplicity...............

 

Always easier said than done. You don't get respect thinking that you're entitled to it or that it's owed to you and when you've done nothing to earn it from someone...

 

KDaddy23:

Again, well said.

No one is ENTITLED to RESPECT; RESPECT is EARNED!

And, again, if someone refuses to respect himself, or respect others, in NO WAY is he entitled to ANY respect.

Many do not realize that getting respect is NOT a given........you must STRIVE for it, along with your OWN self respect.............

 

Regardless if someone is gay or straight, everyone should be allowed to wear whatever makes them happy! I would probably walk around all day in Renaissance garb if I wasn't conditioned by society that it wasn't appropriate outside of certain venues. Luckily, I raised my kids so that they don't have the same hangups that I do. One of them just wears cargo pants and tshirts because that's what he likes, the other goes out dressed in whatever "crazy" outfit they are enamored with that day. They went to the beach dressed as a clown the other day just because it made them happy. They have worn a bright green suit and a hot pink vest to go hang out at the mall with friends. When they go to work, they still manage to put a lot of flair into their outfits, albeit a little toned down. They get smiles and compliments everywhere they go because they have an infectious, upbeat attitude and that comes from free expression. They very much respect themselves but still dress extremely flamboyant. It's 2024, just let people be themselves and stop trying to fit everyone into the same cookie cutter version of what you think they should be, how they should act or what they should wear, ffs!

 

Whatever. I say women's clothing is designed to be worn by women and looks ridiculous on men.

 

These simple, yet profound words ought to be BRONZED, or, at least, framed.

101% right on the mark, my friend!