Back and Proud

Hopefully the parade helped lift your spirits! Sounds like you had a gay time! *drum roll

This is why I could never live in NYC - I need wild places to reinvigorate myself.

Anyway, about homophobia. Sometimes problems are solved by seeking a root cause; I don't believe this is the case with homophobia- the roots stretch too far back in our history. Historically, even cultures that accepted homosexual acts have frowned upon homosexual love. Where does this come from? We can only guess. I think it goes beyond religion, but that is another topic.

I believe the way to reduce the harm homophobia causes is to appeal to peoples rationality ( good luck with that one, I know...). Lets take marriage, for example. It simply makes more sense to have a society were more people who are 'married' (i.e. working together) in one form or another. Gay marriage means more homes purchased, more adoptions and more stable environments in which to raise children (for this reason, I find it ironic that that many of those who oppose gay marriage also oppose abortion). More people married also means more stability for communities and economies.

Why people refuse to connect A to B on this issue is a complex question. Here is one possible cause of homophobia I don't often hear discussed: homosexual rape in prehistory. This is all conjecture, so bear with me. Back before we became 'civilized' there was a lot of rape going on, and homosexual rape was probably used to determine pack order. The loser was relegated to the bottom of the pack  ( at least for a period of time), and snubbed by the rest of the tribe. This phenomenon may have started before homo sapiens existed, and continued on for thousands of years. It, perhaps, is the basis for the association of homosexuality=rape homosexuality=dirty (low pack order) in many cultures- but who knows? Religion perpetuates it, but the view our major religions have towards homosexuals is a  symptom  of the problem, not the root of it.

Now, if this theory is valid, how do we explain cultures that accepted homosexuality to one degree or another? I think some just simply integrated  this behavior into their societies, and others didn't. Take the Romans/Greeks mentoring boys, for example. They took the natural behaviors of their ancestors and turned them into a (somewhat) more socially constructive way of ordering their society. 

Even though Northern European culture decended (at least in part) from the Roman,  it generally rejected this method for a variety of reasons( one possibly being the power abuse that can stem from it). However, most homosexual subcultures in  N. European history are made up of elites or pseudo-elites. This is partially because elites have the freedom to act in ways commoners cannot, but could it also stem from the fact that  early (pre-Christian)N. European leaders attempted to mimic their Roman conquerors, and this set a precident for the behavior of later rulers?

Anyway, about out of time. Basically, this is my belief: why reject love? Why needlessly harass your neighbor? Why deny some people the rights and protections that most of us enjoy?

SeaQ

P.S. : It was very brave of you to come clean about your inner struggles-Bravo!

One must sit at the blinking light screen and introduce thineself to Bi-Polar Bear! He makes apparition in the Queer Duck fillim! Do have a roll of the dvd won't you! And thanks for your honest commentary about the bipolarity of life. One day callling in to work well will be seen as an outrageously healthy gig! Saint Alphonse X