My revised outlook on racism in the gay community

[figjam]

It is always shocking to me when a discriminated group...long piece of text in the first post goes here... a fun experience and something worth sharing.

Nothing tastes better than black meat. It is simply delicious! Why would anyone deny him/herself this tasty treat?

 

[refujiunderground]

LMAO! Did I really just read that top quote? Ben, seriously, did you just imply blacks all carry Rastafarian hairdos and Indian guys all look like devout Sikhs or something, and they should stop if they want white dates?

i'm looking through some of his posts and that benvolio dude is a racist. probably a part of the kkk or neo nazis or some white supremacist extremist group. he sounds like it.

 

[hylas]

many people here: "hook-up sites dont represent the entire gay community."

the OP states that racism is rampant in hook-up sites. to my thinking, there are two possible explanaitions:

1) people using hook-up sites tend to be more racist than people that dont.
2) racism is a problem amongst gay people in general, and therefore also a problem on gay hook-up sites.

the second explanation makes much more sense to me. unless somebody has a really good reason why the first explanaiton is more likely. why would people using hook-up sites be more racist than people who dont? that correlation is counter-intuitive to me. hook-up sites may attract more people who are looking for one-night stands, nsa sex, are promiscuous... but why would it attract racists? not seeing the connection. if anything, that line of thinking seems rather sex-negative to me. "someone who likes having casual sex is generally trashy, therefore more likely to be racist." thats not something i would agree with.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

many people here: "hook-up sites dont represent the entire gay community."

the OP states that racism is rampant in hook-up sites. to my thinking, there are two possible explanaitions:

1) people using hook-up sites tend to be more racist than people that dont.
2) racism is a problem amongst gay people in general, and therefore also a problem on gay hook-up sites.

the second explanation makes much more sense to me. unless somebody has a really good reason why the first explanaiton is more likely. why would people using hook-up sites be more racist than people who dont? that correlation is counter-intuitive to me. hook-up sites may attract more people who are looking for one-night stands, nsa sex, are promiscuous... but why would it attract racists? not seeing the connection. if anything, that line of thinking seems rather sex-negative to me. "someone who likes having casual sex is generally trashy, therefore more likely to be racist." thats not something i would agree with.

My guess would be the anonymity. It's a lot easier for them to say it in text to a computer screen in the privacy of their own bedrooms, then it would be to say it face to face in public.

 

[Rolyo85]

many people here: "hook-up sites dont represent the entire gay community."

the OP states that racism is rampant in hook-up sites. to my thinking, there are two possible explanaitions:

1) people using hook-up sites tend to be more racist than people that dont.
2) racism is a problem amongst gay people in general, and therefore also a problem on gay hook-up sites.

the second explanation makes much more sense to me. unless somebody has a really good reason why the first explanaiton is more likely. why would people using hook-up sites be more racist than people who dont? that correlation is counter-intuitive to me. hook-up sites may attract more people who are looking for one-night stands, nsa sex, are promiscuous... but why would it attract racists? not seeing the connection. if anything, that line of thinking seems rather sex-negative to me. "someone who likes having casual sex is generally trashy, therefore more likely to be racist." thats not something i would agree with.

Racism is a problem EVERYWHERE, but it is ALWAYS represented more in the lower classes - poorly educated, isolated and ignorant people are 100% more racist than the rest of any country's population. Hook-up sites do tend to attract mostly that part of society, and especially GAY hook-up sites tend to attract a huge number of self-hating closet-cases. Those already hate themselves and the world, what's one more thing to be bigoted against?

 

[pat grimshaw]

^ Roly, Do you think gay hook-up sites attract more ignorant, low class people than the other hook-up sites?

 

[hylas]

rolyo: the part about less educated people being attracted to hook-up sites i only believe if i see some data, but the part about self-hating closet-cases is actually a good point.

borg: definitely. but that doesnt mean users of hook-up sites tend to be more racist. it just means they show their racism online more openly than IRL.

 

[xbuzzerx]

My guess would be the anonymity. It's a lot easier for them to say it in text to a computer screen in the privacy of their own bedrooms, then it would be to say it face to face in public.

Well if you're saying you just see it more because people have the freedom to say it, isn't that saying the same thing as #2, there's a lot of prejudice/racism in the community in general? Even if it isn't often spoken?

 

[Rolyo85]

rolyo: the part about less educated people being attracted to hook-up sites i only believe if i see some data, but the part about self-hating closet-cases is actually a good point.

borg: definitely. but that doesnt mean users of hook-up sites tend to be more racist. it just means they show their racism online more openly than IRL.

I haven't looked for that sort of data, maybe I will when I have more time later today. But my anecdotal experience in those is that even when I was looking for a hook up, the personalities of those people just put me off too much. I can't treat other people as a living fleshlight, and so I found nothing there.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

I guess my next question would be, how are you defining "Racist" ?? Truly by the color of their skin alone (genetics), or by cultural/ethnic differences/practices that might make someone unfamiliar with it uncomfortable to be around?

 

[pat grimshaw]

... how are you defining "Racist" ?? ....

He's using it exactly the same way our grandparents used the word 'Sinner'.

The Politically Correct Zealots are exactly the same as the old religions.

 

[blackbeltninja]

So, in summary: generally failing to be turned on by certain sectors of the population, especially for a hook-up, is racist. Agreed?

By extrapolation, then, I'm clearly racist. And in-shapeist, age-range-ist, stupidist, religionist, wilfully-and-persistently-ignorantist, effeminist, daddyist, bear-ist, marriedist, cheaterist, dishonestist, overly-muscularist, smokerist, scene-ist and non-readerist.

This is not an apology.

-d-

 

[xbuzzerx]

I guess my next question would be, how are you defining "Racist" ?? Truly by the color of their skin alone (genetics), or by cultural/ethnic differences/practices that might make someone unfamiliar with it uncomfortable to be around?

I already said in my opening post that I don't think this experiment is a proper yardstick for "racism." I do however think there's a big difference between not showing interest and responding with a racial slur and it probably is telling you something about the individual's strength of prejudice.

Racism has two wildly different meanings, one is the one being used in this thread: ANY sort of distinction being made, particularly any negative one, amongst different groups. I'd actually say that's the most superficial end of it and the one upon which people make ridiculous claims like "white people suffer racism too; it goes every direction!" True/academic racism is a belief in racial superiority or hierarchy to the extent that one feels it justifies widespread or institutionalized inequality in society, by de facto or de jure. "Well we shouldn't do anything about x group having less access to reasonable homeloans or education, it's not like they'll do anything with it anyway.."

 

[pat grimshaw]

^ I wish you specify which of the "two wildly different meanings" you're using each time you accuse others of 'thought crimes'.

 

[xbuzzerx]

^ I wish you specify which of the "two wildly different meanings" you're using each time you accuse others of 'thought crimes'.

Quote me making an accusation dear. Btw, you personally are covered by both types. Full racist mode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiMHTK15Pik

 

[bankside]

I think people who have experienced discrimination based on ethnicity should be angry about it, but then I think we all should be angry about it whether we are targeted or not.

How that anger is directed however is absolutely critical. If that anger is misdirected, it can be absolutely counterproductive. Complaining that "white people are racist" is not true for all white people. If a white person who considers other ethnicities to be equal is lumped in with racists by default, it pushes the white person toward disengagement rather than active anti-racism.

I have a theory that in a context of continuing racism, people subject to it will stick together and form closer communities, based on ethnicity, than is generally the norm in the larger society. It may cause people who identify strongly with an ethnic community to assume that others do as well. However my experience is that the majority does not have a strong sense of ethnic community. It's not how people identify or perceive themselves. In their minds, "people are people." Failure to recognise this results in lost opportunities for engagement, and it explains a lot of the miscommunication even in this thread.

I've even seen that fact acknowledged before by some anti-racists from minority ethnicities, but then trivialised and dismissed with "pffff. No big deal being wrongly accused of racism compared to actual racism. That's just white people's problems." That kind of response just leads to a white person who doesn't care about the problems caused by racism. It's a message to be avoided by anyone serious about anti racism.

 

[BrimstoneAndTreacle]

So, in summary: generally failing to be turned on by certain sectors of the population, especially for a hook-up, is racist. Agreed?

By extrapolation, then, I'm clearly racist. And in-shapeist, age-range-ist, stupidist, religionist, wilfully-and-persistently-ignorantist, effeminist, daddyist, bear-ist, marriedist, cheaterist, dishonestist, overly-muscularist, smokerist, scene-ist and non-readerist.

This is not an apology.

-d-

I dunno... it's always been strange to me when guys categorically say they aren't attracted to an entire ethnic group. I mean, there are certain para-ethnic parameters (personality, intelligence, height, weight, muscularity, hairiness, political views, etc.) that you can be drawn to. These parameters extend across ethnic lines. I don't understand how people can overlook such variability within groups. Not to be trite, but I've been attracted to men of all different ethnic backgrounds and I've always thought there were attractive and unattractive men within all ethnic groups.

To some extent, biology may play a role, but it's hard for me to understand the people who will just outright ostracize blacks, Asians, Hispanics, etc. It makes me wonder to what extent the racial preferences are socially-conditioned; that is, to what extent (unconscious) internalized racism filters its way into people's sexuality. The fact that interracial relationships are growing more common with time and among younger generations suggests whatever biological predispositions are at work are fairly limited.

 

[rareboy]

I wonder what Medusa thinks about this?

But since it's the struggle that some gheys face involving racism I'm sure it doesn't matter

The opposite of whatever we think.

 

[rareboy]

I could write a book on this topic, but sadly I doubt it would change anything for most gay men.

Indians (South Asians) fare the worst in the gay community, even worse than Black gay men & other Asians...

Some of the worst hypocrites are some white gay men who call themselves "liberal." They usually love to talk about how they voted for Obama (twice), they praise Black civil rights leaders like MLK & Rosa Parks, and these white gay men often come from small towns in the South & Midwest. They move to places like San Francisco & New York & Chicago to be more "accepted" and in a place with more "diversity." They're always politically correct, and are quick to call other people "racist".

Yet, if you notice who almost all their friends are, who they chat with online & at the gay clubs, who they hook up & date, and who they take to brunch on Sunday morning..........they're all white gay men!!! Where is this so-called "diversity" they love?

Interracial dating is still rare for white gay men. Gay men of color are much more willing to date outside their race, and often do.

This load of crap brought to you by some dude who only wants to date white guys.

Puh

Fucking


Leeze.

And I can tell you that I have burned down buildings with the sex I've had with Indian guys.

 

[Rolyo85]

Evelyone is a rittre bit lacist!