AND you guys almost have me wanting to go to a Pride event so I can “be myself.” I think there’s a flamboyant (not in the “parading around with my ass hanging out” way) side to me somewhere.
But did it solve the problem raised in the OP? I dunno. I stopped reading the OP halfway through because it was getting silly and poor Dave was setting himself for problems. I don’t think so, though. Big however: Dave and gobear can be enthusiastic sometimes when they are defending their positions. I have every expectation they’ll be able to work out their differences.
My apologies jayjay (and mockingbird if you were also offended, I did like your “breeder” response ). It wasn’t meant as an insult as much as a lighthearted jab- it was supposed to read like “nigga, please*”. For the record, I’ve violated Virginia’s sodomy laws on many an occasion, so I guess I’m a sodomite as well.
[sub]*I’ll probably have to apologize for that now too[/sub]
See, this just proves my point that “sodomite” is not a good word to try to claim. It has established definitions, so using it to mean somthing specific just creates unnecessary confusion.
People with a religious upbringing will likely think of “sodomite” as meaning anyone who engages in bad and unnatural sexual acts like those in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
I don’t think of gay sex as bad or unnatural, so I don’t think it should be implied by the word “sodomite.”
People with knowledge of the laws may think of “sodomite” as meaning anyone who engages in (depending on where they live) oral sex, anal sex, bestiality, or others.
This is not specific to gay sex either, as many heterosexuals are also “sodomites” by this definition, and it lumps perfectly natural sex acts together with bad ones like bestiality.
Also, it causes more confusion when someone who is a sodomite themself is attacked for calling another sodomite a sodomite, while other sodomites are praised for calling other sodomites sodomites. Then you get arguments like “you aren’t sodomite enough to call me a sodomite, only true sodomites can do that”, and so on. Can’t we just let this out of date and imprecise word die already?
When I was growing up, being “a queer” in the eyes of others was a fate worse than death. I’m seeing it reclaimed and used proudly of themselves by folks like matt_mcl and jayjay.
Heck, I was raised a Methodist and a Christian, and never felt upset about being called by the insulting epithet that the good Jews of Antioch used to belittle those weirdos who followed Jesus, or by the term that good socially proper Anglicans used to make fun of John Wesley’s little religious club.
Or you guys might employ the Marquess of Queensbury Rules and say that you’re “posing as Somdomites [sic]!”
Polycarp, you have nothing to be forgiven for, dear, IMHO.
Guin, the worst you’ll see from me at the San Diego parade later this month is copyright infringement - I’ll be dressed in my Riddler costume in the marching contingent for my convention, Gaylaxicon. (And talk about acceptance - 3/4 of my staff is straight, and more every day ask, “Can I get involved and/or attend, too?” Can’t get much more welcoming than that, and it warms my little sci-fi heart.)
And Panzerfaust, who the hell are you and where the hell did you come from?
Guin I had the shock of arriving in Amsterdam on that cities Gay Pride day, (I had no knowledge that it was going to happen the weekend). Being a reckless traveller I had not pre-booked accomodation as it wasn’t the high holliday season. Needless to say, I couldn’t get a Hotel, and ended up staying up all night. The things that you could see in the parade would deffinately scare the horses ;). Most ‘harrowing’ was the bare-butt dancers on a canal barge and about 11.00 pm.
I’m going to have some very strange dreams tonight, thank you VERY much.
Re: Sodomy –
Er…legal definition of sodomy /= usual man-in-the-street definition of sodomy. I think that point’s been made.
As for gay PDA, it usually warms my heart more than straight PDA. It’s usually the thought that I live in a city where men and women can kiss any other grown-up they want, or hold their hand, or hug, or lie in the park next underneath a big tree and giggle…
Love is so beautiful, and people are so wonderful, that putting nigh-arbitrary boundaries on who can love whom how seems so unnatural to me.
Gosh, I’m getting all teary-eyed. But I’m also kind of sleepy and really hungry, so you can see why I’m light-headed.
). It wasn’t meant as an insult as much as a lighthearted jab- it was supposed to read like “nigga, please*”. For the record, I’ve violated Virginia’s sodomy laws on many an occasion, so I guess I’m a sodomite as well.
(And talk about acceptance - 3/4 of my staff is straight, and more every day ask, “Can I get involved and/or attend, too?” Can’t get much more welcoming than that, and it warms my little sci-fi heart.)
