First thing I would recommend is to ignore the vocal minority that will plaster their views all over the internet. This does not apply only to sexuality but to religion, race and any number of other things. I know I am contradicting myself but a case could be made that gay rights do push themselves but who really cares. What they do in private is not an issue if it does not hurt anyone else. Gay pride marches/mardi gras achieve nothing, your gay, so what? I do not promote that I am hetero sexual, it is no one else's business. Your value as a person (or character in this case) is determined by your actions,, not by your sexuality, race or religion. Rant over.
This is a very enlightening thread. It's made me think a lot about what I write, what I include and don't include. I think it's great that people are now feeling empowered to write whatever they want to write. The fact that there are people who detest/hate the writing because of its sexual or political or racial 'bias' no longer matters a damn. They just need to wear it. It won't go away just because they hate it. I'm actually quite happy about this development. I think it means we're opening up, as a species, to the idea of difference. We can learn from each other's preferences and biases as well. The Closet is now the great literary taboo. I think that's healthy as hell. Once all the permutations of mutually consenting sexuality are seen as normal by everyone, then we can all move on.
And as we might learn from over-analytical literary critics trying to make a name for themselves, even if you don't include sex and politics then some people will find it anyway and complain. Or complain about the lack of sex and politics. You aren't going to please everyone.
I am a SWM, and I would say there are many non-SWM characters I identify with just as there are many SWM characters I don't identify with in the slightest. The problem arises when a point is made of identifying the differences; those occasions when PC goes full circle back to offensive. While I have always found the term pride slightly odd (I mean you what you are, I am not sure where pride comes into it) I have spent quite a few years at Brighton Gay Pride and it is a fucking laugh.
I've been to Pride as well, and it's always a great time. But as a political statement I just don't find it interesting anymore. To me it's more just a nice day out.
I just looked SOF up, and I have narrowed it down to either: - Slip-On Flange, or; Senior Orifice Fitting.
Part of the outrage might be because Flint is a rough tough pirate, and too many people associate homosexuality with lack of manliness; which is silly given all the hunky gay guys around, not to mention the Spartans. That plus the fact that Flint never gave any obvious indications of his inclinations through all of season one, not even a wink or a pat on the bum.
Well, rights can't push themselves, so what you're really saying is that gay people push to have rights? Which... you think is maybe a problem? Seriously? Maybe when they have rights, they won't have to push for them! And, actually, I think that's the case - I'm not aware of any outstanding legal discrimination against gay people in Canada, and I really don't hear much about gay rights, domestically. Most of what I hear leaks up from the States, where gay people are still fighting. So for people tired of gay people "pushing" for their rights? Give them their rights, and the problem will go away! This thread was making me so happy. And now... less so. I mean, I can go back to your excellent first point about ignoring nonsense on the internet, I guess, but other than that? People who aren't told to be ashamed of themselves don't NEED to celebrate their pride. You don't need to promote that you're straight because being straight is the default. But gay people have been shamed, abused, and marginalized for most of human history - having parades to celebrate their identity and create a sense of community could be very important to them. You think the parades have done nothing? Well, I'm not sure any parade has ever done much, but I think Pride parades are definitely a part of the gay rights movement, and that movement has created unbelievable change in the last twenty years or so. Changes to laws, and changes to attitudes. Changes to the lives of gay people who, with luck, no longer have to live in fear. Was that all because of the parades? I think it was because of gay people being fearless and banding together and starting to demand the rights they deserve as human beings, and, yeah, I think the parades help promote that.
It might be that there is a huge cultural difference between the UK and the other side of the pond coming to the surface here. Here, aside from some idiots, homosexuality has been accepted by pretty much everyone - there hasn't been any 'trouble' at any prides in some time. Whenever there is, it's usually reported on the news to bring it to everyone's attention as a reminder of why they happen.
Well, I had been trying very hard to keep the subject on the track of the creation of characters, as was the original subforum heading, but I never expected much success once I went nigh-nigh. Moved.
Gay and lesbian people have rights the same as everyone else. The point is that you accept people for who they are, not because they are gay or hetero sexual. Nothing can be done about how they were treated in the past, how people treat them now is another matter. Again, I repeat. Your value as a person (or character in this case) is determined by your actions, not by your sexuality, race or religion. I do not need to know what someone's sexuality is and do not care. If you are a good person then you are a good person, if you are a wanker, then you are a wanker.
I don't think it's "the other side of the pond", I think it's the US. They're taking their own sweet time acknowledging rights that really should be self-evident. And I don't think the UK is exactly a world leader in gay rights - Northern Ireland is still really discriminatory, as I understand it, and your overseas territories are a mess. But I'm going to guess that this falls into the same category as racism, for you? If it's not affecting you directly, it's not really a problem?
They have "rights the same as everyone else" or they have "the same rights as everyone else"? You're in Australia? Where, I believe, gay people still can't marry their partners? It's great that you don't care about someone's sexuality. But gay people probably DO care, because they're being discriminated against based on that sexuality.
Looks like this thread skidded past the Debate Room and landed here, so I'll say: no, they don't. That's kind of what the whole stupid 'gay marriage' debate here in the US is about.