I’m very happy for them, and even happier to read what the commanding officer aboard the USS Oak Hill had to say about it:
Apparently the ship’s crew held a raffle, at $1/ticket, for the right to have the first kiss when they returned to port, and Gaeta won after spending $50. Her CO said that
It’s good to see that the doomsayers appear to have been wrong (again).
Congratulations to these 2 women, to the US Navy, and to all of America for being able to live peaceably (at least as far as this is concerned) in the 21st century!
The fact that it’s two women definitely diminishes its significance to me. Most straight people seem to be far more tolerant of two women kissing than two men kissing.
On the other hand, its a point for female equality. I used to help run a GLBT film festival and a common complaint from lesbians was that they were apparently fighting for “gay rights” but “lesbian rights” were somehow just - not important (and go get me coffee). Got to see it in action. It was - disappointing - that you get rid of the sexual politics and men were still treating women like second class citizens with second class concerns.
This was back in the dark ages (the 1980s) - but your comment was reminiscent of why “the concerns of gay men” were more important than those of lesbians. (And granted, it was when AIDS sending the community to a lot of funerals. There, they had a point).
And purely outside of the realm of gay vs. lesbian rights, it’s darned rare that women make a first anything before men do. To have a lesbian couple beat a gay couple to this is a strong point for female equality even beyond sexuality.
Well, it’s definitely a significant event, and nobody’s rights are any more important than anyone else’s, but I do think that society is just more tolerant of lesbians than gays. Part of it probably has to do with the fact that “gay culture,” for lack of a better term, seems more overtly sexual than “lesbian culture.” Men are, after all, hornier, and when you think of the gay sex scene, the image is lots of random, casual sex with many partners (think hundreds or thousands of partners.) There doesn’t seem to be the same scene for lesbians; if anything, the lesbian stereotype is two women settling down forever - often to the point where they don’t even have sex anymore. Now which of those two things is more palatable to Joe and Jane Average American in the Bible Belt?
There were young kids - toddlers - on the dock, waiting for their. parents to arrive. Homosexual public displays of affection trigger uncomfortable conversations with your children. If I’m not ready to explain to my 4 year old that there can be “two princes” or “two princesses”, now I have to. This is a problem for me.
That is such a lame argument. There are a million issues that are uncomfortable to talk about with kids. Death, for instance - I think that’s a hell of a lot more uncomfortable to discuss with a child, but you’re going to have to do it anyway. Suck it up!
My kids (now 13 and 16) have been hearing about it since they were 4 or 5. It was only as uncomfortable conversation as I was. Which wasn’t very much, so all went well. It doesn’t have to be a big deal at all.
Agreed: children of any age will only be uncomfortable about men kissing men, or women kissing women, in public if their parents show that they are uncomfortable with it.
I suggest you consider joining an Amish community, if two people expressing love and affection with a simple kiss is going to irrevocably taint your sweet, innocent little lambs o’ God.
That’s pretty much it. Children are resilent and open right up until their parent reacts and teaches them how they should react. From things like this to getting knocked on their ass and seeing their parent overreact. It isn’t something you necessarily do with intent, it is all about what your children observe from you.
