# As if there's not enough racial tension in a gay chat room... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 24, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922 "2003-06-24T02:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/1 "2003-06-24T02:13:24Z")
…somebody laments the “horrible” Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in the least appropriate setting. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/2 "2003-06-24T02:23:34Z")
oh. ok. I see your point. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/3 "2003-06-24T03:00:23Z")
Since when does racial tension have thing one to do with gays? And since when does being gay have anything to do with affirmative action? Unless you’re talking about black or hispanic gays in a chatroom? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/4 "2003-06-24T03:09:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Since when does racial tension have thing one to do with gays? You’ll find more “whites only” signs in a gay chatroom than in a Jim Crow town cira 1940’s. > [@](#): > > And since when does being gay have anything to do with affirmative action? Exactly! I don’t know why it was brought up. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/5 "2003-06-24T03:12:52Z")
Since we’re not, IIRC, allowed to cross-post, I’ll make my request here: Could you, **pizzabrat** , or someone likewise knowledgeable on the subject, please explain the situation referenced in more detail? I’m intrigued by this. It reminds me of a flyer for some kind of talk or presentation about racial stereotypes among gays I saw in my girlfriend’s building. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/6 "2003-06-24T03:24:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Could you, pizzabrat, or someone likewise knowledgeable on the subject, please explain the situation referenced in more detail? There really are no details. Somebody lamented the SCOTUS decision in their temporary “bio line”, which led to a discussion. And I was just like “Ugh, why here”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/7 "2003-06-24T03:34:44Z")
I think what **CzechMaster401k** is trying to say is could you maybe supply a _few_ more details so we all know just WTF you are talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/8 "2003-06-24T03:37:56Z")
Why is a gay chat room any better or worse of a place to lament a SCOTUS ruling about affirmative action than any other. There were two rulings on affirmative action today, one upholding and one striking down. Which one was being lamented? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/9 "2003-06-24T05:30:24Z")
And, though I may not understand the environment in which the sig was used, being for or against the recent ruling on affirmative action at U of M does not mean one harbors or does not harbor any negative racial attitudes. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/10 "2003-06-24T06:04:20Z")
Seems I could have asked my question in better detail. What **Otto** said. Why is the bringing up the topic referenced in the OP a bad idea in gay chat rooms? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/11 "2003-06-24T07:47:58Z")
Why the hell is a gay chat room racially charged or a “whites only” thing? Are you high? Gay bars are the most racially integrated bars in any town. Interracial gay dating is a non-issue in gay communities. The majority white gays understand (somewhat) the prejudice that racial minorities are subject to, and they go out of their way to be racially P.C. For gay chat rooms to be practicing racism is absurd. ## So, let me repeat, are you smoking crack? Of course, the fat and the old are discriminated against in gay bars, but that’s true for anyone old or fat in a gay bar, regardless of skin color. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/12 "2003-06-24T10:20:47Z")
**moriah** your assesment doesn’t correlate with my personal experience. I’m gay and a racial minority. I have had the following things happen to me repeatedly at gay bars: 1. Men want to sleep with me just to see what it’s like to sleep with an Indian guy. 2. Men reject me because I’m Indian. 3. I’ve been told to go back to where I came from. 4. I’ve been told that I must have a really big c\*ck because I’m Indian (I suppose this isn’t so bad, but it is technically racist). 5. When I’ve been speaking Hindi or Spanish to friends, we’ve been told to go back to where we came from, or groused at for not speaking English. 6. I’ve been told that Indians are smelly. Personally, I don’t feel that gay people are any more racist than the general population, but gay people will say things to me that only the most redneck straight person would have the gall to say to my face. Plus, I think that gay-themed shows such as “Will and Grace” and “Queer as Folk” are racist, and I stopped watching them because of this. As for gay chat rooms, I don’t hang out in them much, but on the few occasions that I have, I have seen quite a few racist comments, especially directed at Arab chatters. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![RussellM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@RussellM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RussellM)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/13 "2003-06-24T10:52:31Z")
**BrightNShiny** > [@](#): > > Plus, I think that gay-themed shows such as “Will and Grace” and “Queer as Folk” are racist, racist ? According to Merriam-Webster > [@](#): > > Main Entry: rac·ism > Pronunciation: 'rA-"si-z&m also -"shi- > Function: noun > Date: 1936 > 1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race > 2 : racial prejudice or discrimination Doesn’t seem to mention gay Russell ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/14 "2003-06-24T10:56:47Z")
Doesn’t specifically mention people with blond hair either, but that doesn’t mean blonds can’t be racist. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/15 "2003-06-24T11:07:03Z")
Dang, I always end up hijacking threads. ☹ What I mean is that these particular gay-themed shows do have racial prejudice and discrimination (which is definition #2). Also, I’m talking about the US version of QAF (I’ve never watched the British one). My intended point was that racism exists within the gay community, and I used these shows as an example. Perhaps TV shows are not a good choice for this, though, since Hollywood usually drops the ball when it comes to racial issues, and this might be more reflective of Hollywood attitudes than those of the gay community. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/16 "2003-06-24T11:25:31Z")
Gays can be racist. Yes, you would think they would be more progressive than the general population–and perhaps this is true in general–but there isn’t anything magical about gays that prevents them from being racist. I understand your frustration, **pizzabrat**. Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the AA discussion in a gay chat room is inappropriate, I would find it exasperating since it’s a topic being bandied about all over the place. But it IS news, so I 'spose it makes for interesting small talk. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/17 "2003-06-24T11:36:01Z")
There is most definitely a strain of racism in the gay community. As much as one would think that we would eschew all forms of discrimination, there is most definitely racial division. Witness the anger among non-white gays at their neglect by mainstream gay organizations, especially the HRC. The here has also been longstanding contention over the relative availability of AIDS funds in the white and black sectors of the gay community. Moreover, gay bars in most communities (at least every city I’ve lived) are racially segregated. In metro Washington DC, for example, white gay men stick to bars in the Northwest section and black stick to bars in Southeast. Even at the Fireplace, a bar that caters especially to men interested in interracial partners, the whites stay mostly on one floor and blacks stay mostly on the other. And don’t ask me about Asians or Latinos because you just don’t see many in DC gay bars. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/18 "2003-06-24T13:15:15Z")
enowe: > [@](#): > > And, though I may not understand the environment in which the sig was used, being for or against the recent ruling on affirmative action at U of M does not mean one harbors or does not harbor any negative racial attitudes. Yeah, but it presents an annoying opportunity for someone who does have negative racial attitudes (which many people there were bound to have) to bring them up. moriah: > [@](#): > > Are you high? > > Gay bars are the most racially integrated bars in any town. Interracial gay dating is a non-issue in gay communities. The majority white gays understand (somewhat) the prejudice that racial minorities are subject to, and they go out of their way to be racially P.C. For gay chat rooms to be practicing racism is absurd. > > So, let me repeat, are you smoking crack? Err…whatever I’m smoking, it’s not nearly as strong as what you’re on (unless, of course, you live in an entirely different dimension than the rest of us where what you just described above is really an actuality. If that’s the case, than I apologize, but you should have provided a disclaimer). ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/19 "2003-06-24T15:19:04Z")
The bars in SE DC are actually pretty well racially integrated, especially those that have drag or strippers attached to them. The ones on the SE/SW side are definately seedier but that has more to do with the location. There used to be a bar in the SE off Pennsylvania Avenue that catered to Latino drag queens and lesbians but it seems to be out of business. Also, Remington’s (the country and western bar), Sheridans (when it was still in business), and Li’l Pub are all in the south east and cater to mostly white clientel. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922/20 "2003-06-24T15:41:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, Remington’s (the country and western bar), Eastern Market doesn’t count because it’s bring gentrified with a large white influx, but I’ll give you Ziegfield’s and Wet. However, I can count on one hand the number of black men I’ve seen at the Eagle, the Green Lantern, and Omega. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-theres-not-enough-racial-tension-in-a-gay-chat-room/183922.md?page=2)