Why is homosexuaity still news today?- Page 2

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 4:46pm

although Joel Grey was not, in my opinion, "crush material," as soon as an attractive male comes out as gay, I can almost hear....

Back when I was last single (mid-70s) I wouldn't have kicked him out of bed.

(Sorry. TMI.)

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 4:50pm

I've always found him sexy, even more so as he aged.

Unrelated to that, I love his small part in "Dancer in the Dark."

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 4:52pm

He has a small part?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 5:03pm

Keep it clean, doodle, or go to datalounge!

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 5:18pm

In answer to the OP's question, it isn't.

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 3:06am

Gaveston, I suspect that there are so many May-December marriages in the performing world because people have seen clips of stars in their younger days and are able to see past their current age. Like you, they think about how "sexy" someone was in his or her (usually his, but not always) younger days.

Then there's Patrick Stewart, who acts WAY younger than his age, and, in my opinion looks the same way he did in STNG. His wife is less than half his age. I never thought of him as my type of "crush material," but I sure knew other women who did.

Of course, I'm straying FAR from the topic....

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 3:10am

While we're on the subject, is "homosexuality" still an ok term? I thought the gay community wasn't particularly enamored of it. On the other hand, there's no good noun to describe the state of being gay -- "gayness" sounds silly, as far as I'm concerned. If "lesbian" and "lesbianism" are still accepted, I'm not sure why "homosexual" and "homosexuality" are not.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 8:08am

You're right, I'm not particularly enamored with it - I guess I have bad associations because the people who use it tend to be assholes.

If "lesbian" and "lesbianism" are still accepted, I'm not sure why "homosexual" and "homosexuality" are not.

I'm not sure what you mean.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 3:28pm

AHLiebross,
Gaveston, I suspect that there are so many May-December marriages in the performing world because people have seen clips of stars in their younger days and are able to see past their current age. Like you, they think about how "sexy" someone was in his or her (usually his, but not always) younger days.

Then there's Patrick Stewart, who acts WAY younger than his age, and, in my opinion looks the same way he did in STNG. His wife is less than half his age. I never thought of him as my type of "crush material," but I sure knew other women who did.

Of course, I'm straying FAR from the topic

While we're on the subject, is "homosexuality" still an ok term? I thought the gay community wasn't particularly enamored of it. On the other hand, there's no good noun to describe the state of being gay -- "gayness" sounds silly, as far as I'm concerned. If "lesbian" and "lesbianism" are still accepted, I'm not sure why "homosexual" and "homosexuality" are not.

---
None of this makes any sense!?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 4:11pm

In answer to the OP's question, it isn't.

Ha.


I can't speak for anyone but me, but homosexuality sounds fine when speaking about the state of same-sex attraction in general, but it sounds outdated to refer to myself or someone else as a homosexual. Partially because it has such a clinical sound to it, and partially because it's the word many anti-gay people use to make a point about not using the word gay (e.g., most people who call same-sex marriage "homosexual marriage" are not for it).

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 10:15pm

I heard disney is making a movie called pinces and it's about two gay princes.

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 10:38pm

Jay Lerner-Z, you say you're not sure what I mean by my statement that, "If 'lesbian' and 'lesbianism' are still accepted [terms], I'm not sure why 'homosexual' and 'homosexuality' are not.

What I mean is that I frequently hear women say, "I'm lesbian" but rarely do gay males say, "I'm homosexual." Since the term "lesbian" was at one time as much a pejorative as "homosexual," I'm not sure why the gay community still accepts the term "lesbian" when "homosexual" is considered dated.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 8:01am

"Homosexual" applies to both men and women, though. It's not the male version of "lesbian", like you seem to think.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 8:05am

Since the term "lesbian" was at one time as much a pejorative as "homosexual,"

wut

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 8:08am

I'm sure she meant considered a pejorative (by ignorant cretins).

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 8:28am

While we're on the subject, is "homosexuality" still an ok term? I thought the gay community wasn't particularly enamored of it. On the other hand, there's no good noun to describe the state of being gay -- "gayness" sounds silly, as far as I'm concerned. If "lesbian" and "lesbianism" are still accepted, I'm not sure why "homosexual" and "homosexuality" are not. "
...
What I mean is that I frequently hear women say, "I'm lesbian" but rarely do gay males say, "I'm homosexual." Since the term "lesbian" was at one time as much a pejorative as "homosexual," I'm not sure why the gay community still accepts the term "lesbian" when "homosexual" is considered dated.

Is anyone else trying to wrap their head around these posts or am I completely missing the mark...

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 4:07am

My point is that I'm trying to discern what the polite terms are to refer to gay people in general and to the state of being gay.

In years past, "Negro" and "colored" were polite ways to refer to black people, but if someone uses the dated term "colored" today, that person may well be a bigot. Similarly, I'm concerned whether particular terms to describe gay people are dated.

Only a particular community can decide what it considers polite with regard to describing its members. I'm just trying to avoid insulting anyone.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 4:43am

"What I mean is that I frequently hear women say, "I'm lesbian" but rarely do gay males say, "I'm homosexual." Since the term "lesbian" was at one time as much a pejorative as "homosexual," I'm not sure why the gay community still accepts the term "lesbian" when "homosexual" is considered dated."

It's not. It refers to same sex attraction. Do you think that should change? Why is this an issue?

Lesbianism as a term developed at a slightly different timeline, is all. But I don't think it's outrageous for most people to understand that there can be gay men and there can be gay women, and both are homosexual, and lesbians get their own special word simply because that's the way terms are formed. Usually when people refer to "the gays," (and please don't refer to us that way, especially you, Ryan Murphy,) it is about gay men.

AHLiebross -- I think if you use any of those terms in the right way, any homosexual on the planet will think you're being polite.

[acekatherineplumber2]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 11:50am

I mean, I haven't heard anyone use the word "homosexual" in years. It's perfectly polite to just say "gay."

[Starship]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 12:35pm

Because people are still being killed for being gay? Because there's still laws prohibiting people of genders other than heterosexuality to get work? Because people are afraid to come out because they are afraid of loosing close-minded family members, friends, work, their safety?

And as for the Christianity comment, that's somewhat unfair. There are a large majority (including myself) that DO actively support gay marriage and gay rights and a lot of the "Christians" fighting against it aren't even Christian themselves. They're just close-minded bigots. Plus, there are plenty of other religions that are fighting against it too. Even select atheists think it's "unnatural."

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 12:56pm

I think it's pretty simple. "Gay" is slang for homosexual just like "straight" is slang for heterosexual. I don't find any of the four offensive.

[Starship]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 1:31pm

^ I agree. I've met some people who like to go by "gay" and some by "homosexual" and others by "lesbian." I didn't know people were offended by either or. -shrugs-

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 2:01pm

^ And some prefer "queer," which is fine by me as well.

[Starship]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 2:49pm

^ Exactly. I think as long as each term isn't used in a derogatory way, there really shouldn't be any room for trouble.

[acekatherineplumber2]

Posted: 2/7/15 at 5:24pm

The problem with "queer" is that in some places and to some people it is still used as a slur, so it's not wise for people who are not themselves queer to use the term.
Also,something to consider with "homosexual", the term exclusively applies to people who are sexually attracted to their own gender. There are people who are only romantically, and not sexually, attracted to their gender, so the word "gay" would apply to them, while "homosexual" would not.