Anti-gay abuse

[EqualsThree]

Yay! Love and rainbows and unicorns!

... In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a civil rights struggle. I think a LOT of good came out of the personal suffering I went through. It made me a stronger person and it gave me a sense of values. Some things are worth suffering for. What good comes out of it? Oh, just having dignity, not being in denial, standing up for yourself, etc. Basic human qualities.

You also failed to address my point that staying in contributes to the problem in that you protect yourself by becoming a part of the very system that destroys you.

Self acceptance is for the individual to accomplish. Once that occurs feel free to lay on the guilt trip.

My feelings on the matter.

 

[Ryuusei Boy]

I think no one needs to go through that kind of suffering, especially if that suffering has some pretty big psychological consequences later on. There was a quite 'different' kid in my class back when I was 10 or something (I can't say if he was gay, really, he was just effeminate and we were barely adolescents) and he was bullied because of that. I simply couldn't help but think I was really lucky because I didn't have to go through that.

 

[fetaby]

I don't think it has anything to do with self-acceptance. You can accept yourself and still remain closeted out of fear and not wanting to deal with the pressures of being openly gay. The two are not mutually exclusive. Therefore, I stand by the comment I wrote.

I would think that accepting yourself would remove the fear of being yourself.

If there is still fear of being yourself, can one truly say they have accepted who they are? No.

Remaining in the closet for what you deem convenience also carries the effect of self-imposed subjugation.

We want that same thing, I think. I won't chastise or insult a person for coming to that decision at their own pace of development.

 

[Ryuusei Boy]

I don't think it's fear of being yourself (unless you avoid doing things you'd like to do because of that), but fear of unnecessary and potentially very harmful conflict. There will always be stupid, ignorant people, and no one should have to experiment that kind of abuse.

 

[Críostóir]

As someone who came out in high school, I don't recommend it. Wait until after graduation.

On the other hand, that was 1977. Maybe times have changed. Make your own judgements.

 

[Shepherd 2]

No I have not, and I will not and would not put up with it.

In addition, I have been present when people gave verbal abuse to others, and I took the abusers to task and put them on notice. I had a couple of occasions when I threatened them with physical violence.

Shep+