From: heath@athena.cs.uga.edu (Terrance Heath)
Newsgroups: alt.flame
Subject: Re: Seven Prison Cells For Seven Dangerous Criminals
Keywords: Homophobic = Anyone Who Dares To Criticize A Homosexual
Date: 8 Sep 92 16:17:56 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

This post was not directed at me, but I felt the need to respond to it
anyway, so here goes.

In article <1992Sep7.231148.846@usl.edu> pssres12@ucs.usl.edu (Vignes Gerard M) writes:
>In article <95470@bu.edu> kane@buast7.bu.edu (Hot Young Star) writes:
>>
>>Homophobia is morally equivalent to racism. Just substitute sexual
>>orientation for skin color.
>
>	By your careless definition of the term "homophobia",
>	anyone who disaproves of the alternate-lifestyle preaching
>	is a homophobic and therefore a bigot and therefore a racist.

	I am not sure what is meant here by "alternate-lifestyle
preaching". I would assume it involves proseletyzing, which is a
stereotype commonly applied to the gay community (i.e. we just out to
recruit other people so that we can increase our ranks, etc.), which
sounds rather paranoid to me, not to mention incorrect.
	I do object to the word "lifestyle", because my life isn't
very different from anyone else's. I go to work, like everyone else. I
go to school, pay my bills, and do lots of other uninteresting things
in the course of the day. Looking for my idea of the ideal mate is
just one of them, and that's something that a lot of single people are
doing every day. It other words, I do not have a "lifestyle", but I
have a life which isn't terribly different from anyone elses.
	By "preaching" I assume that the writer means that the 'love
that dare not speak it's name' has lately become 'the love that won't
shut up.'  I prefer to think of it as the 'love that can't yet afford
to shut up'. You see, the only thing that makes my life different from
anyone elses is that other people would like to punish me for living
it as I see fit (and, I might add, not hurting anyone else in the
process). I, on the other hand, refuse to live my life in secret. I
simply assume that I am entitled to the same treatment that anyone
else is enititled to. I will stop speaking about my boyfriends and
relationships, when straight people stop wearing wedding rings, and
prattling constatly about their wives, husbands, fiances, children,
etc. In other words, I will stop 'flaunting' my 'lifestyle' when they
stop flaunting theirs, and not before.  I no longer ask to be treated
equally. I demand it, and I am more than prepared to force the issue
when necessary.

>	Your innuendo is the intellectual and moral equivalent of
>	*******************************************************
>	*			NAZIISM                      *
>	*****************************************************
>	a willful attempt to suppress, through intimidation,
>	any honest discussion about a topic you consider
>	to be beyond criticism and open debate.

	I have no problem with open debate. However, it is difficult
for me to detatch myself from the debate that concerns my life. You
see, when I hear someone assert that "Homosexuality should not be
tolerated," then I take that to mean that *I* should not be tolerated.
I must then ask "If I'm not to be tolerated, then what is to be done
to me?".  And the debate becomes much more personal, as happens when
listening to folk debate whether you should live or die. It is a life
or death debate to me, for if I'm not to be tolerated, then something
must be forcibly done with me, for I am not going to voluntarily go
away.

>	Who do you think you're fooling?
>
>	People like you don't give a damn
>	about African Americans or their problems.
>	All you want to do is use someone else's issues
>	to hide behind so you can get your own kicks for free.

	Well, I am one African-American, gay man who is not hiding
behind anything or anyone. These issues are my issues, and
inextricably connnected with my life. You can be sure I'm not in this
for kicks.  I'm participating in the debate because it is my life that
is being debated.



-- 
"Black men loving black men is THE revolutionary act!"
			-Joseph Beam_
Terrance Heath 
heath@athena.cs.uga.edu
Newsgroups: alt.flame,talk.politics.guns,talk.abortion