Thread: Cuba gay pride calls for same-sex marriage to become legal

Originally Posted by joG

That is what Middleground seemed to be implying. For it is immaterial that you be gay or not to the objective argument. But what his information said is that your judgment of the facts is dominated by your having had such a hard time as a homosexual. That would have fit and explained why your opinion is so biased on this point, where otherwise you seem to have quite balanced views.

Ahhhhhh, no. Andy Pandy is no pansy. I am sure that he has--at times in his life--had to deal with not being treated fairly, been made fun of and/or harassed because of his sexual orientation. How do I know? Because he's about my age and my generation has not exactly been 'queer friendly.' Having said that, Andy is no worse for wear and it seems that he is very comfortable in his own skin.

Fortunately, through education and enlightenment, we, as a society have thankfully progressed. If you want to be one of those closed-minded individuals that will be extinct like dinosaurs in the near future, that is your prerogative. But it's only going to make you look foolish.

Originally Posted by sawdust

Not embarrassed at all. Demographically, I'm not sure how significant the gay portion of society is. They are noisy that's for sure.

Why does that matter?

Originally Posted by Middleground

Ahhhhhh, no. Andy Pandy is no pansy. I am sure that he has--at times in his life--had to deal with not being treated fairly, been made fun of and/or harassed because of his sexual orientation. How do I know? Because he's about my age and my generation has not exactly been 'queer friendly.' Having said that, Andy is no worse for wear and it seems that he is very comfortable in his own skin.

Fortunately, through education and enlightenment, we, as a society have thankfully progressed. If you want to be one of those closed-minded individuals that will be extinct like dinosaurs in the near future, that is your prerogative. But it's only going to make you look foolish.

Thanks MG! All you say is true. Growing up in the Sixties and Seventies and starting out in adult life in the Eighties - the Dark Ages of modern British history - I certainly came up against homophobia, my own included, and seem to have emerged on the other side pretty happy with life. A bit of struggle is the making of anyone.

You're also correct to say that the world is a very different place for LGBT people, in the West at least, than it was 30+ years ago. Thank God/Allah/Yahweh! Our societies have progressed enormously, but that progress didn't happen by chance, or through the munificence of the rulers. It has been progress that has taken a lot of work and sacrifice on the part of a lot of committed and really pissed-off LGBT people and their straight supporters.

There will always be the dinosaurs who resent every gain we make. Who take every pride parade as a personal affront, every legal adjustment as an attack on their privilege. That's inevitable, but we are winning. The proof of that I experience every day living as an out gay man in a tiny, traditional, farming village in an undeveloped corner of Europe where once upon I time I might have been run out of town, regularly assaulted or at the very least shunned by my neighbours. It's testament to the success of our struggle and the innate goodness of all people that the recognition that we don't all have to be a cipher of one particular model of humanity has come to be the predominant mind-set. Hurrah!

JoG seems to be of an age, mind-set and ideology that rejects these changes. That's sad for her, not for me!

Originally Posted by Ben K.

You're not just "welcoming" it, you're using it as a stick to be beat the US down with - even though gay marriage is legal in more US states than European ones.

Okay, you got me! I wasn't attacking the US in general, just those parts of it that are virulently anti-Cuban, and resistently anti-gay, but you're right I let my rhetoric overwhelm my reason. It's a fair cop.

Originally Posted by Andalublue

Thanks MG! All you say is true. Growing up in the Sixties and Seventies and starting out in adult life in the Eighties - the Dark Ages of modern British history - I certainly came up against homophobia, my own included, and seem to have emerged on the other side pretty happy with life. A bit of struggle is the making of anyone.

You're also correct to say that the world is a very different place for LGBT people, in the West at least, than it was 30+ years ago. Thank God/Allah/Yahweh! Our societies have progressed enormously, but that progress didn't happen by chance, or through the munificence of the rulers. It has been progress that has taken a lot of work and sacrifice on the part of a lot of committed and really pissed-off LGBT people and their straight supporters.

There will always be the dinosaurs who resent every gain we make. Who take every pride parade as a personal affront, every legal adjustment as an attack on their privilege. That's inevitable, but we are winning. The proof of that I experience every day living as an out gay man in a tiny, traditional, farming village in an undeveloped corner of Europe where once upon I time I might have been run out of town, regularly assaulted or at the very least shunned by my neighbours. It's testament to the success of our struggle and the innate goodness of all people that the recognition that we don't all have to be a cipher of one particular model of humanity has come to be the predominant mind-set. Hurrah!

JoG seems to be of an age, mind-set and ideology that rejects these changes. That's sad for her, not for me!

I wish I could thank this ten million times.

There will always be the dinosaurs who resent every gain we make. Who take every pride parade as a personal affront, every legal adjustment as an attack on their privilege.

I know. Some here at DP think the Pride Parades happen because:
1) Gays are so freakin flamboyant. They should just keep to themselves!
2) Gays are so in your face they want to display their gayness to us!
3) Gays have the parade so they can change orientation of innocent people!



It does not take an Einstein to deduce that the parades started as a way of healing. They started as a way of accepting, including personal acceptance. They started as a way to show pride and to help others--including straight family and friends--who need to.

Originally Posted by Andalublue

There seems to be great headway being made in Cuba by LGBT rights activists in promoting equal treatment for the country's long-oppressed sexual minorities. The indefatigable activism of some very brave people, plus a welcome softening and modernising approach from the régime seems to be allowing a lot of progress to happen in a very short time. I wonder whether the great Satan of human rights abusers will pass SSM into nationwide law before the home of the free does.

Cuba gay pride calls for same-sex marriage to become legal

How embarrassed would you be if Cuba beat your own home country in its much improved treatment of a significant demographic minority?

Beat my own home country? I didn't realize this was a competition.

Originally Posted by disneydude

There was a time when the United States lead the world when it came to human rights. We were the beacon on the hill. Sadly, due primarily to the radical right wing's influence in our political system, a large portion of the world has surpassed us. This would be no different. The US will soon catch up to the rest of the world in terms of freedom and equality.

I think SSM should be legal in the USA because I think any consenting adults has the right to marry whomever he or she wants, and however many of them he or she wants to marry, too. SSM, polygamy, whatever. Marriage is a highly personal decision and no adult should be prevented from it.

That said, what are the other freedoms that the "right wing" has prevented us from exercising, and what other freedoms should the right wing support that will make us "catch up to the rest of the world in terms of freedom and equality"?

Originally Posted by joG

But, you see, when a group of people start restricting the rights of others and using the state to take away Constitutional rights

Which constitutional rights has the progress of LGBT rights taken away from anyone?

so that they can live their own lust and for spite, as is often obviously the driver in the arguments here, well they become a group that must be stopped. And this is exactly, what the gay rights lobby has done and their behavior is to the opposite of the freedom our society likes to think of itself as symbolizing and viciously against the values that have stood us well as a nation.

What nation are you referring to? Britain? Spain? USA?

You can have sex with anyone you want and their dog, for all I care. But when you want to have money for non reproductive affairs

What payments are these? I must be owed a fortune!

or want the courts to force the religious, which I am not, to participate in activities that they consider vile crime against their God?

No one has ever been forced to participate in homosexuality, as far as I'm aware. Apart from those who attend SM parties, of course.

Nope. That is, what the Inquisition did, bigots all through history have done or Mao or the Nazis. That is an absolute and revolting attitude and must be fought.

I see, so LGBT activists are the equivalent of Nazi Maoists, are they?