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I'm not in the least bit surprised, endlessly disturbed but not surprised. The US Army, Marines, Airforce, and Navy are the least tolerant of any differences. Its amazing that we are having to literally fight for the abilitiy to fight for our nation, its almost like having to beg someone to let you do them a favor...oui

Why not surprised? Could you elaborate?

...The US army OPENLY discrimnates against gay, lesbian, and transexuals - why then would their own bigotry surprise me? If you create an enviornment where you make someone different because of their sexuality and infact "less than" because You will not allow them a basic right (to defend their nation) those who have the power to decline that right will and quiet clearly do see the collective "us" (all lesbian bi transexual transgender gay and such) as second class citizens, she is merely acting on that belief that is so well in place in her mind.

It's a disgrace that our military would insult anyone willing to sacrifice their life in service to our country, particularly considering the current administration's careless and self serving treatment of our troops. It's a wonder anyone would volunteer to serve under Bush's administration.

Army should only be concerned with the physical and mental ability of a person to fight. The next is loyalty to the nation. Nothing else should be questioned.

percisely - I didn't know who I [censored] affected my ability to preform a job of any kind - if this is true we should be interviewing every solidures wifes, gfs, and prostitutes to ensure that who they are [censored] wont affect their preformance either..heh

I was surprised when I found out that the recruiter was a woman. I always had this idea that women were more tolerant to homosexuals. Well, I guess I was wrong. Anyway, I found their exchange amusing because the recruiter was spewing fire while the guy remained cool and showed a lot more class.

*thinks back to all of the major issues I've had with homophobia* to be honest its about fifty fifty with men or women...though in my expierence men tend to be louder women just making snide remarks.

Why is it that opposition to homosexuality is always misconstrued as "homophobia?"

When the "opposition" is to the extent that it makes people interfere with the private lives of others I'd say that qualifies as a phobia.

Some people must be extremely afraid of homosexuality if they can't even tolerate OTHER people engaging in it.

Homosexuality is wrong, either way.

Who are we to decide?

"Homosexuality is wrong, either way." ... ok, so you think it's wrong. What is your comment on this topic?

Eh it very well may be wrong for you Jim just like hetrosexuality is wrong for me - and so is the consumption of meat - its a personally belief the point being what gives the army the right to impose a personal belief on us - and punish us for not conforming?

Yes, this question needs an answer.

and in response to the quote about homosexutaly scaring people - I agree some people are terrified of it - and might I say I find that laughable that me - a 5'2 110 pound vegetarian can be so frightening - just makes me chuckle

Does homosexuality scare people?

If they weren't scared what could invoke such a reaction? There is also of course the hate motiviation but many homophobes are afraid of what we will do society...

Yes a lot of people are scared of homosexuality because people are usually afraid of what they do not understand. A lot of people still do not understand homosexually and they think that it is a disease. They also think that homosexuals are carriers of STDs.

Because generally speaking, a violent opposition to something that is not harming you personally and which you nevertheless claim is harmful and dangerous to society is considered irrational, and hence a phobia. But even if "homophobia" is a strong word, which I contend it is not, you must admit that the response that most people who oppose homosexuality have to it is disproportionate to the actual effect that it has on their lives, which is nil unless they themselves are repressing homosexual tendencies and feel both threatened and tempted by those who accept rather than repress their homosexuality.



And do you have any rational arguments to back that up that claim, or are you just going to throw that out there like it's a self-evident truth that needs no explanation?

I am going to give a variety of definitions of the word homophobia...

homophobia
noun
prejudice against (fear or dislike of) homosexual people and homosexuality

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
ho�mo�pho�bi�a (hō'mə-fō'bē-ə) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men.
2. Behavior based on such a feeling.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
ho�mo�pho�bi�a /ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[hoh-muh-foh-bee-uh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
�noun
unreasoning fear of or antipathy toward homosexuals and homosexuality.

and now for those of you who don't know what antipathy is

WordNet - Cite This Source
antipathy

noun
1. a feeling of intense dislike
2. the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided; "cats were his greatest antipathy"

now tell me how homophobia is misused?

You know, this makes me SO sad, but it's so true. Also, I think a lot of people, like, are afraid that gay people are going to hit on them or try to make them gay.

Even if a gay person did hit on them and trying to "make them" have gay sex or whatever, how is that any different from a straight person hitting on them and trying to make them have straight sex? How is that anything but annoying? Are they so unsure of their own sexuality that they think they might eventually give in if they were hit on enough? That's ridiculous. A person whom you're not attracted to and not interested in getting involved with who tries to hit on you is at most annoying, and might even be considered flattering in some cases. The only exception would be if he/she turned stalker on you, and I imagine there are just as many, and probably significantly more, heterosexual stalkers than gay/lesbian stalkers.

I believe that fear of gays is baseless. Dislike, I can understand. But fear? no.

Yes it is baseless. A lot of people also develop this fear of homosexuality because of their environment. Many people are brought up in a homophobic environment and grow up fearing homosexuals and becoming homosexuals.

there as a previous post about how some people see gay or lesbian lifestyles as a disease, which is laughable but true.

my response is simple - if its a disease we should spread the word and all call in "gay" to work one day

To call this a diseases is laughable.

Homosexuals are sick, twisted people.

And you are a bigot

Do you feel the same about lesbians?

Once again, Mr. Colyer hurls insults rather than posting an intelligent argument to back up his claims. Is there any point responding to this? His opinions on homosexuality appear to be based on deep-rooted personal issues rather than on any coherent moral argument.

Yes you are right.I should not have taken the "bait"

Coyler's post has no connection with the original subject.

Coyler seems to be very immature and lacks understanding and tolerance

Coyler is another texasdave type. If he keeps popping up I'll "ignore" him too.

Could they be one and the same....? It's happened here before....one poster, two ID's......

...lesbians are in fact homosexual are they not? so apparently he does feel lesbians are sick and twisted people - and I would agree he could be one in the same - but does it matter? if it the same offense can we just agree on the same result?

No Texas dave and Jim are deffinatley not the same people. They share similar views on some things but thats about as far as it goes.

Homosexuals is a term for males only I think.Lesbian is the term for a woman who fall in love with their own sex.

No, I think Homosexual apply to both men and women just as the term Heterosexual applies to men and women who wants to have sexual relations to persons of the opposite sex.

Yes, you are right.

Homosexual can refer to both. However, it seems to me that many Christians are more intolerant of gays than of lesbians, primarily because the "sin" they take offense to is sodomy. Of course, there's nothing that says the heterosexuals can't and don't practice sodomy, as well.

All I can say is that if they really think anything but having sex in the missionary position for procreational purposes is "sick" and "twisted," then I can't imagine they have a very healthy or loving sex life with their spouses.

There is nothing to debate or argue. Homosexuals are sick, perverted people because of what they are, not because anything I am or am not. Tell the truth! for God's sake.

Jim you have already expressed you view,its not shared by the majority.

It is wrong to call someone perverted like this.

Let him go off on his tangent.His day of judgement will come.

He should realize that those who hate homosexuals often have homosexual tenedcies of their own.

Yes this is true...Maybee he is gay and in denial! lol...

can I just say I'm slightly amazed that very few people seem to know that the term homosexual simply refers to someone of a gender being attracted to someone of the same gender. The term lesbian simply clarifies which gender - beyond that just ignore jim - much like when a child throw a temper tantrum responding only feeds it and gives him what he wants

I think they (we) all know what the term means technically; our question is simply what the people who are homophobic mean by homosexuality. In other words, is their hatemongering directed only at male homosexuals (gays), or does it include female homosexuals (lesbians) as well?

I think that it is mostly directed towards male homosexuals because they are more visible and probably more numerous than female homosexuals. In my country, where the macho culture exist, gays are under a lot more pressure than lesbians. However, tolerance for them has improved in recent years and they have become more accepted.

I honestly have no idea on the ration of male to female homosexuals though as a lesbian I do feel gay men have it worse - they are ridiculed and seen as "unmanly" and though I do encounter my own homophobia most men see the idea of two women as "hot" or that I am a "challenge" and they are just the man to conquer me..where as the idea of a gay man disgusts most straight men...

Mindy you are right about the double standards concerning same sex couples. lesbians have it alot more easier I think.

They do indeed - heck some men encourage the act because they find it sexually arousing themselves yet they act disgusted when two males have entercourse because it seems to threaten their own sexuality...

Yes I know exactley what you mean,I have seen blantant examples of this neandothol behaviour in men.
I find homophobic men a huge turn off and a joke.