# Brokeback Mountain: Will It Have Any Carry Over Effect On Homophobia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 25, 2006, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537 "2006-01-25T09:47:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/41 "2006-02-01T05:26:29Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > Huh? The movie shows exactly the opposite, it is a story of forbidden love, hidden away. Societal expectations are what keep them from being able to be together except on “fishing” trips. Yes, but they continue to love each other, despite all of that. In other words, homosexuality is not just a bad choice they made one summer, or a phase they went through. It’s just who they are, and nothing can change that. > [@DMark](#): > > P.S. to **TJdude825** , I always capitalize the word Gay and Lesbian, just as I would capitalize American, German, French and British…maybe not grammatically correct, but I consider myself a part of a Gay nationality. Interesting. I’m gay, or at least, I think “gay” describes me better than “straight,” “bisexual” or any other word. I just came out less than a year ago, so I’m still kind of figuring out what it means to me to be gay, I suppose. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like the way to get homosexuality to be accepted is not by _overcoming_ differences, but by noticing that there aren’t really that many huge differences. That it’s not a whole different lifestyle/nationality/community, completely different from straight culture. It’s just one single aspect of some people’s personalities. As **Regardie** said: > [@Regardie](#): > > A better way to do this would be a movie which wasn’t obviously about gays, but had some sympathetic characters. People would go and see it, and, if it was good, could become more aware of gays as just other humans. Anyway, this is getting off-topic. I’m glad there is an explanation for your capitalization habits. It makes my mind feel as though the universe is a bit more organized. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/42 "2006-02-01T06:14:00Z")
> [@Regardie](#): > > No, there are a lot more witches nowadays. You can’t keep people down. Can’t keep witches down either; they float back up 'cause they’re made of wood. I thought I’d mention that [CBC radio](http://www.cbc.ca/) this morning had a reporter in [Fort Mcleod](http://www.fortmacleod.com/) (where much of the movie was filmed), and he went around asking pretty much the same question of the local townsfolks. I only recall two people’s answers (but they were pretty much all the same) - one lady said she hoped it wouldn’t affect people’s opinions of the town (ok…), and an older man said he didn’t have a big problem with those people, but he felt they should get their heads checked out. (heh). No cite, but I imagine this would be typical of any town of \<3000 people in Alberta. ([Map](http://travel.yahoo.com/p-map-481830-map_of_fort_macleod_al-i), and [link to Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_MacLeod)) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/43 "2006-02-01T07:48:41Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > Societal expectations are what keep them from being able to be together except on “fishing” trips. Since they really didn’t catch any fish (or even try), perhaps they should actually be called “phishing” trips? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/44 "2006-02-02T07:16:48Z")
> [@Regardie](#): > > No, there are a lot more witches nowadays. You can’t keep people down. Great rejoinder, **Regardie**. You said the truth. > [@Nanoda](#): > > Can’t keep witches down either; they float back up 'cause they’re made of wood. Ha ha, I happen to be made of human flesh and blood. I don’t care if you joke about my religion, there are Baptist, Episcopalian, and Unitarian jokes in abundance here already. Fair is fair as long as there’s equal opportunity mockery. Did you hear about the two atheists who… wait, that joke needs more work… atheists aren’t very funny… ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/45 "2006-02-02T08:10:13Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Did you hear about the two atheists who… wait, that joke needs more work… atheists aren’t very funny… Well I have been trying to work on my timing…about 4 of the 20 members of my dance class laughed at a comment i made tonight…thats pretty good isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/46 "2006-02-02T13:55:28Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > atheists aren’t very funny… Are you kidding me? Didn’t ya hear the one about how two atheists walked into a bar, but the third one ducked? Seriously, though, I don’t see his comment as a joke about your religion but as a joke about what the damned fools in history thought were facts. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/47 "2006-02-02T16:09:14Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Ha ha, I happen to be made of human flesh and blood. I don’t care if you joke about my religion, there are Baptist, Episcopalian, and Unitarian jokes in abundance here already. Fair is fair as long as there’s equal opportunity mockery. Did you hear about the two atheists who… wait, that joke needs more work… atheists aren’t very funny… **Johanna** , I think you got whooshed, here. **Nanoda** isn’t making fun of witches, she(?) is making fun of the idiotic reasoning attributed to the people who were responsible for witch-burning. (ala Monty Python’s _Holy Grail_, I believe). I don’t think it was meant as an insult to Wicca. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537/48 "2006-02-03T00:23:02Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Ha ha, I happen to be made of human flesh and blood. Thanks for clearing that up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brokeback-mountain-will-it-have-any-carry-over-effect-on-homophobia/341537.md?page=2)