Gays and the St Patricks Day Parade

[spence]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

The agenda is, "I'm gay, and you better accept that or else". Not many advocacy groups are as in-your-face. And as you can imagine, it bothers me when they sue folks who are simply practicing their religion, when they can easily use another baker/photographer/whatever. It would be nice if the militant activists would display a little bit of the tolerance and empathy that they are demanding from the rest of us.

I love it "militant activists"

One of the groups that wanted to march was comprised of gay veterans. Yea, really...

There is no reason, none whatsoever, for them to be in a tizzy over the St Patricks Day Parade. Why must they express their sexuality at every single podium that is available? Is there nothing else to their entire existence, beyond their sexuality? This is the "agenda" I was referring to, their insistence that every single public event has to have a BIGALA banner. When I march in a parade as a vet, I don't feel the need to carry a sign that says "I'm heterosexual AND YOU BETTER LIKE IT"! I don't need to make my sexuality the main issue every time I leave my house.

It's not about sexuality it's about identity. You seem to have this characterization about gay people like they're all running around in ass-less PVC chaps throwing condoms at little kids.

Perhaps if you had to spend most of your life hiding who you really were you'd think differently.

-spence

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by spence

One of the groups that wanted to march was comprised of gay veterans. Yea, really...

Why didn't they just march with the Veterans group that was already marching...are they a bunch of Hetero-Phobes

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Why didn't they just march with the Veterans group that was already marching...are they a bunch of Hetero-Phobes

Because they are "militant". They couldn't just march with veterans, and call themselves "veterans" for an hour. God forbid...

[spence]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Why didn't they just march with the Veterans group that was already marching...are they a bunch of Hetero-Phobes

I would assume they wanted to self identify and were denied.

-spence

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by spence

I would assume they wanted to self identify and were denied.

-spence

Why do they need to....I'm positive that nowhere on my DD-214 does it list my sexuality.....it just lists my veteran status.

When people ask me what I was in the Navy, I don't say "Hetero-sexual"....I say "Data Systems Technician".

Face it...they are just doing it to be a bunch of A-Holes

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Why do they need to....I'm positive that nowhere on my DD-214 does it list my sexuality.....it just lists my veteran status.

When people ask me what I was in the Navy, I don't say "Hetero-sexual"....I say "Data Systems Technician".

Face it...they are just doing it to be a bunch of A-Holes

Agreed.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[spence]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Why do they need to....I'm positive that nowhere on my DD-214 does it list my sexuality.....it just lists my veteran status.

When people ask me what I was in the Navy, I don't say "Hetero-sexual"....I say "Data Systems Technician".

Face it...they are just doing it to be a bunch of A-Holes

Or, they're doing it to change the norm. Jim wouldn't likely be as tolerant as he is if many gay rights advocates hadn't taken risks and pushed for tolerance and inclusion over the past 30 years.

Gay groups want to identify themselves as such not to promote the act of sex, but rather celebrate that they're able to openly be proud of who they are...not what they do. Heterosexuals don't have to worry about this...

You're conflating the act of sex with the identity of sex and as such your analogy sort of blows

-spence

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

I would assume they wanted to self identify and were denied.

-spence

Well, if any heterosexual groups wanted similar self-validation based on their sexuality, they were also denied. Therfore, there is exactly zero discrimination involved.

Try making that wrong.

If these people want self-identification based entirely on their sexual orientation, there are places and times to do that. There should also be places and times when people who don't give a rat's azz about sexual identity, should not be forced to have it shoved in their faces.

It doesn't need to be front and center, every single second, especially at an event when clearly nobody is being discriminated against, and the underlying theme has absolutely nothing to do with sexuality. As I said, if they can hijack a St Patrick's Day parade, why not demand a gay pride banner at a Red Cross blood drive? What's the difference?

Al Sharpton never, ever stops talking about race. It gets tiresome after a while.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

I love it "militant activists"

One of the groups that wanted to march was comprised of gay veterans. Yea, really...


It's not about sexuality it's about identity. You seem to have this characterization about gay people like they're all running around in ass-less PVC chaps throwing condoms at little kids.

Perhaps if you had to spend most of your life hiding who you really were you'd think differently.

-spence

"One of the groups that wanted to march was comprised of gay veterans.

Then I have good news for them, they could have marched. I giuess you didn't read the original post. Anyone can march, no one is excluded because of sexuality. They just can't march under a gay banner, as a St Patricks Day parade is not about affirming your personal sexuality.

If you think "militant" is inaccurate, tell that to the Christian business owners who are being persecuted, simply for wanting to act in accordance with their beliefs.

I have great empathy for gays, and I recognize their predicament. But if a St Patricks Day parade asks everyone, including both homosexuaks and heterosexuals, to leave the sexual identity out of it for a couple of hours, then no one is being discriminated against. If I can't hold a sign saying "hooray for heterosexuals", and gays can't hold their own banner, how in God's name is that discriminatory? We're all being treated exactly the same way. A St Patricks Day parade is not a celebration of anyone's sexual identity.

The parade asked all marchers to leave their sexual identities out of it. Only one group had a problem with that.

My "characterization" is that they can't let this one facet of their identity on hold for an hour. That's militant, just like Al Sharpton can't stop seeing racism everywhere he looks. It's tiresome, and it hurts the cause in the long run.

The ironic thing is, St Patrick is celebrated specificlly for his tolerance and acceptance.