dcnovice
Posts: 37282
Joined: 8/2/2006 Status: offline
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quote:
Why is he defining himself by which gender he wants to sleep with, and why should anyone care in the first place? A few thoughts from a gay man: --Hetero folks have defined themselves by whom they sleep with for thousands of years. They celebrate their pairings with elaborate weddings and wear rings signaling that they're married (to someone of the opposite sex). And even in this modern era, women often take the name of the man they've married. -- Society regularly defines and, in many cases marginalizes, people who sleep with others of the same sex. According to the Center for American Progress, "Studies show that anywhere from 15 percent to 43 percent of gay people have experienced some form of discrimination and harassment at the workplace." And the Human Rights Campaign notes that workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians is perfectly legal in 29 states. Meantime, federal law prohibits recognition of same-sex marriages, meaning that a couple may have one status at the state level and another at the federal. -- Marginalization of gay folks sometimes crosses the line into outright violence. I've been gay-bashed myself, as have friends. And gay people of my generation will never forget Matthew Shepard. -- The widespread assumption that everyone is straight can leave young gays and lesbians feeling alone in an alien and even hostile world. Watching popular figures come out, queer kids learn that they're not alone, not aberrant. As Harvey Milk observed, "[L]ast week I got a phone call from Altoona, Pennsylvania, and my election gave somebody else, one more person, hope. And after all, that's what this is all about. It's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power — it's about giving those young people out there in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias, hope. You gotta give them hope." By coming out and being proudly honest of who he is, Jason Collins is giving hope to young (and perhaps not-so-young) people he may never meet. I know what it's like to need that hope, so I salute and thank him.
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No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up. JANE WAGNER, THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
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