From: cf379@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (J. Alan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: More on Homosexuality in Japan
Date: 12 Nov 1992 05:54:07 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


 
 
Greetings, and thank you for the enthusiastic response
to my inquiry about homosexuality.  As many people have
asked follow-up questions, I will provide a bit more 
information about what I am looking for.
 
If you are a person with a same-sex orientation, you might want
to consider some of the following points:
 
     *How do you think of your orientation?  Does it fit into the
     standard Western categories of gay/lesbian/straight?
 
     *How do you think of yourself?  How do you feel about
     yourself?  Pride? Shame? Good? Bad?  and why do you feel
     these things?  Do religious ideas play a role in your
     feelings?
 
     *What is your relationship with your family, friends,
     co-workers (or co-students), and with your society in
     general?  Are you "out"?  If not why not?  If yes, with
     what reactions?  Do you have a support community?  Do
     you have places you can go and meet others?
 
     *What about your personal experiences?  Have you fallen in
     love, and have you been able to pursue your relationship
     (even if in secret)?  What was your relationship like?  How
     long did it last (or has it lasted)?  Are you experiencing
     pressures to be straight, to get married?
 
     *What about sexual experiences and roles?  Do you have an
     idea what safer-sex is, and do you practice it?
 
If you have a predominantly opposite-sex orientation, you might
address any of the questions you want above, as well as some of
the following:
 
     *How do you feel toward people with same-sex orientations? 
     What about your society's views?  What are they, and do you
     support them?  If so, why?  If not why not?
 
     *Do you know people who are gay or lesbian?  Are they close
     friends or family members?  What do you think of them?  And
     they of you?
 
     *How would you react if a brother or sister told you he or
     she was gay/lesbian?  What if it was your son or daughter? 
     How would you react?  Shocked?  Supportive? Rejecting? 
     Would you still love him or her?  Would you try to change
     him/her?  Would you still hope they would keep it to
     themselves and follow the marriage pattern?
 
     *If you are supportive and accepting of same-sexual persons,
     what are the prospects in your society for full acceptance? 
     Good?  Very bad?  Why?  If you reject or fear or dislike
     homosexuality, why do you have these feelings?  And what do
     you think should be done about homosexuals?
 
As people have asked some questions about me, I will supply some
answers.  I am a scholar, male, and predominantly same-sexual in
orientation.  This inquiry is part of a broad study I am doing on
same-sex orientations around the world.  On people's views,
conditions, experiences, etc.
 
I give a 100% guarantee that I will not use anyone's name in any
way.  I do not seek to hurt or embarrass anyone, and will make
every effort to avoid doing so.
 
If, by the way, you want to write flames or hate messages, I
don't mind and won't be hurt or insulted by anything you choose
to write.  I will simply incorporate what you say into the data I
am collecting.
 
Thanks for your kind assistance.
 
J. Alan