From: bob@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU (robert s. richardson)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality
Subject: Re: A Few Questions
Date: 24 Dec 92 03:51:06 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Computer Science Outreach Services - Oregon State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: atlantis.cs.orst.edu

In article <1992Dec23.144203.17612@wam.umd.edu> aap@wam.umd.edu (Alberto Adolfo Pinkas) writes:
>In article <1h9qluINNjbv@leela.CS.ORST.EDU> bob@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU (robert s. richardson) writes:
>>Getting back to your question, I have given a lot of thought to this in
>>the past.  The only reason I would become straight, if I could, would be
>>to escape society's persecution of gays, but I wouldnt be able to live
>>with myself if I did that for "selling out" to the cause--It'd be like
>>a black person being offered the chance of changing their skin color to
>>white.  
[stuff deleted]
>However, you say something about "selling out". What would happen if a black
>person just likes to be white? 
>I know a lot of people who went through plastic surgery because they wanted
>a different nose, for example, or others who use colored  contact lenses.
>Did they sell out? We, people with big noses should call them traidors?
>This is as racist/homophobic as those who are saying that blacks/homosexuals
>are inferiors, because it closes the door for people to choose how they want
>to be.
>You are happy being Gay, so be Gay.
>Someone would be happier being haterosexual, so let him be heterosexual 
>(assuming there is a pill that allows you become one).
>Someone is happy being black, so let him be black.
>Someone would be happier beinh white, let him become white.
>    aap@wam.umd.edu

Please re-read what I said carefully:  "The only reason I would become
straight, if I could, would be to escape society's persecution of gays."
*I* would be selling out, because I would be changing my sexuality not
because I prefer to be straight but because I want to be politically
viable.  I did not mean to imply extrapolating that to anybody who
wants to be straight.  But, in the current social climate, I am skeptical
of those who claim to have converted and are happier and say its not
because of social approval.  There is TREMENDOUS pressure on gay people
from all sides of the political spectrum to have to conform to certain
ideals that straight people just dont experience.  It is a question of
being true to yourself.  To use your "nose" anology, suppose I had a big
nose and had it fixed via surgery.  This act is neutral because I have
not stated a context for my decision.  If I actually *LIKED* my big nose,
but reduced it to a smaller one that I *DID NOT* like just so people
would accept me, I would feel guilty for abandoning the "cause" for the
rights of large-nosed people.  On the other hand, if I woke up one
morning and though "I think it might be cool to try a new nose", then
this is an entirely different motive altogether.  Never have I advocated
preventing people from trying to change their sexuality, noses, hair
color, skin color, etc., but I am concerned about the damage that might
be caused as a result of improper motives.

Bob Richardson
bob@atlantis.cs.orst.edu
(503) 758-5018
Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality