Gay Olympics....Wtf!!

[aba1]

but i hope they dont complain afterwards how society continues to "outcast" homosexuals.

Again. This is exactly why they want their own Olympics. They were outcasts from society from the beginning. Certainly, things are slowly changing, but after being dismissed from general society for so long, it's little wonder why they'd want to separate themselves.

What else, really? Should they be grateful because society doesn't openly hate them anymore? Better late than never?

you cant stop anyone and/or force anyone what to think and what not.
we still have people who'd like to call black people, niggers.
we still have people who'd like to call women, worthless spunkholes.
we still have people who'd like to call mexicans and people from south america, bean bags.

your point on the "'how society doesnt opely hate them' is bad" is a bit of melodrama. and yes, it is still better late than never.

just by keeping their mouth shut about the things they think is still a better solution than to openly deflame them in front of, lets say children in public. who then repeat what they see and hear...

they shouldnt be overly grateful(ok i get that, society fucked up a relatively long time ago.), but they also shouldnt absolutely ignore that society is moving towards them, trying to intergate them into the "norm" of society.

nor should the gay comuntity see the endevour to integrate them into the societies definition of "being normal", that serves as some kind of olive branch and to make wrongs of the past somewhat right (these choice of words are going to haunt me..)as "crawling back to apologise" and reason to use that to hold it against society for all "eternity".

like the stuff that went and still is happening in germany, where the latest generation is still getting beaten (figuratively) with the "you are a nazi" stick when they have absolutely nothing to do with the choices a grand grandparent did or didnt do.

what this event actually is causing is some kind of gender/sexuality apartheid.
and it is (to some extend) working against the plan to make everyone in our society feel like an equal member of society.

yes, straight people can participate too. but why actually call it gay olympics? doesnt the title itself separate the straight from the homosexuals? doesnt it already outcast the "straights"?

why not call it the olympics for equality or the amateur olympics or something else, where people can participate without giving a fuck about who you'd like to fuck?

or am i seeing something wrong? do certain sexual preferences turn you into an ubermensch.
i just cant see any reason for it other than its a spoof or hommage to the olympics and they want to have some games for fun. but again, please pick another name dammit.

you get the same backlash when you make an olympic event and call it "the straight olympics" or "the black olympics" or "the asian olympics" or "the olympics of the people who like golden retrievers and diet coke but not sprite or coke zero".

<color=blue>edit: the gay olympics were founded in 1968, a time where this event makes more sense since they actually were deflamed and shunned openly in public.

what pissed me off was that, we have come a very long way from what was in such a short time and we are still moving towards a society where everyone can feel as equals and i thought that these olympics were a fairly new event.

and if that were the case(being a new event), it would be somewhat contraproductive to this endevour to make everyone coequal to each other.

so i apologise, but my point somewhat still stands.

Gaining entry into the "Gay Olympics" is more open than the "Olympics" (I don't really follow the "Olympics" but I guess possibly that they take issue with certain peoples life styles in regards to there bedroom habits.

no, they dont. the olypics doesnt give a fuck what you like in your bedroom.

all they care about is that you play fair and try to give your best and beat records.

sexuality doesnt make you inferior or superior.

Your post was so spot on it took away my need to post myself. Well said!

 

[AdumbroDeus]

I don't really have an on-topic point to make in this thread, but some of these lines you said bothered me. See, I'm sick of seeing people wave their "flags" that they are proud of or identify with. Some people love to wave their nationality, around, others' is their sexuality, their race, or even the consoles they choose. What Headdrivehardscrew was getting at is people need to shut up and stop separating themselves based on their stupid little flags. Several of your counter points refused to do exactly that, and that's why you have still a problem. The longer and louder you keep waving your flag around, the longer it will be before you let yourself become part of us, the human race. The universal acceptance that everyone is going for wont happen by creating a cacophony of various screaming flag-wavers, but by creating a unison of voices saying that we are all people.

That sir is called privilege, people should attempt to socialize with a wide variety of other people, but they should also have setting where they can feel people will intrinsically accept them for who they are. If you're a white straight anglo-saxxon protestant, in america that's considered the default status, if you're part of that group you don't even understand what it's like to not get that sense of belonging from other places.


The point is, it's not separating yourself, groups and things like this are designed to give people a sense of community and support so they're able to function in outside society. To say, "you're not alone, we understand what you're going through".

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Oh, and straight people are allowed to take part, too.

Sweet as, if it lets anyone else in then I'm all for it

 

[aba1]

I don't really have an on-topic point to make in this thread, but some of these lines you said bothered me. See, I'm sick of seeing people wave their "flags" that they are proud of or identify with. Some people love to wave their nationality, around, others' is their sexuality, their race, or even the consoles they choose. What Headdrivehardscrew was getting at is people need to shut up and stop separating themselves based on their stupid little flags. Several of your counter points refused to do exactly that, and that's why you have still a problem. The longer and louder you keep waving your flag around, the longer it will be before you let yourself become part of us, the human race. The universal acceptance that everyone is going for wont happen by creating a cacophony of various screaming flag-wavers, but by creating a unison of voices saying that we are all people.

I have been saying this forever and all I ever get are people getting angry at me. I am extremely happy others see it this way as well so I know I am not going crazy. Though at times I almost get the feeling that people think the other side groups themselves, when they don't for example the gay community (or the people I see talking on their behalf) seem to think everything is for straight people as if straight people are some sorta group or community or organized like minded people or something. You sometimes see this with feminists with the womens rights movements that girls tend to stick together and group themselves based on gender while most guys rarely think much of it and will almost never work together based on mutual gender. Even when it comes to racism, caucasian people don't see themselves as a community or some sort of like minded group it is just people. Even if you feel I am off base with these comments you have to admit it does happen sometimes which is silly.

At the end of the day I am like you I feel we need to stop grouping ourselves over such trivial things and just be people.

 

[Signa]

I don't really have an on-topic point to make in this thread, but some of these lines you said bothered me. See, I'm sick of seeing people wave their "flags" that they are proud of or identify with. Some people love to wave their nationality, around, others' is their sexuality, their race, or even the consoles they choose. What Headdrivehardscrew was getting at is people need to shut up and stop separating themselves based on their stupid little flags. Several of your counter points refused to do exactly that, and that's why you have still a problem. The longer and louder you keep waving your flag around, the longer it will be before you let yourself become part of us, the human race. The universal acceptance that everyone is going for wont happen by creating a cacophony of various screaming flag-wavers, but by creating a unison of voices saying that we are all people.

That sir is called privilege, people should attempt to socialize with a wide variety of other people, but they should also have setting where they can feel people will intrinsically accept them for who they are. If you're a white straight anglo-saxxon protestant, in america that's considered the default status, if you're part of that group you don't even understand what it's like to not get that sense of belonging from other places.


The point is, it's not separating yourself, groups and things like this are designed to give people a sense of community and support so they're able to function in outside society. To say, "you're not alone, we understand what you're going through".

Heh, yeah, I'm privileged and therefore nothing I said could possibly be true. Don't listen to me because I'm full of shit.

 

[Piorn]

Are we locking homosexuals out of sports events now? And they do it to themselves, you say?
I guess Heterophobia is a thing now, too.

Heterophobia? LOL. More like your privilege is showing. It's not all about you. We love our straight allies, but the reality is, everyday society has and continues to fail LGBTQ citizens. It's not our fault for seeking out acceptance and comfort. We shouldn't have to do so, we shouldn't be forced on the fringes, but we are, and it's not our fault whatsoever.

Straight people aren't locked out of this event. It's simply all-inclusive. And truly accepting.

But by creating events that are primarily focused on a certain kind of sexuality, you basically split a community into several.
Making your sexuality something "special" isn't the proper way to fit into a culture; just because you like something different doesn't mean you're special. You should just be part of the community, until people see different sexual orientations as the mundane things that they are.

Bu you know, sometimes I really think I'm just too naive and optimistic.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

*Snip*

So basically...

"God, gay people, can't you be more like black people? They're way cooler than you! Don't you know that achieving equality is more about doing what everyone else is comfortable with than whatever you like? Fuck the sense of community, you might hurt straight people's feelings, even though they're totally welcome as well. Once you upset the straight people they're not going to invite you to their birthday parties..."

 

[101flyboy]

1. The LGBTQ community ARE victims of a homophobic society. We ARE victims. Let's make that clear. We don't play victim, we are victims and are being victimized for who we are.

I know.

Everyone knows this.

I would argue that it's not as bad as some of the LGBTQ community makes it seem, but I have a feeling you'd disagree.

Also, don't pretend that there aren't a HUGE number of homosexuals, especially in the US, that don't see any real victimization for their entire lives aside from on the news. Sure they might get looked at funny sometimes, but who doesn't?

Everyone has their own problems... some WAY bigger than yours.

What does saying "some are way bigger than yours" even mean? Is that supposed to make someone feel better about the very real problems they have?

Every single LGBTQ person in the US deals with discrimination on a daily basis; legally without doubt. Socially, outside of your San Francisco's, Chelsea's, Fort Lauderdale's and Santa Monica's and WEHO's, there is extreme repression of homosexuality. So if by huge, you mean about 10%, you are a little bit correct. A little bit. Because even in these communities, LGBTQ persons still have to endure homophobia. There is no "black community" or "Jewish community" for LGBTQ citizens. There are gay ghettos but they are gentrifying. We don't have a bubble we can simply hide from to protect ourselves from hate and congregate with an entire community of people who support us, and ARE one of us. So the hate we have to deal with is a more direct aspect of our livelihoods than ANY other group bar atheists. Atheists and gays, we go through more or less the same shit. Except for the fact people aren't beaten for "choosing" atheism or for not being religious. And aren't denied the right to marry. Or actively denied jobs.

Everyone does have their own problems. Not all individual problems are problems that affect all of society. Homophobia does. Not everyone has problems that affect them on every single level of their lives. Homophobia does. You really, really do not seem to realize just how destructive homophobia is. Homosexuality is still illegal in the 1/3 of the world.

And yet the ignorant are the ONLY people who don't accept you.

True. And whose loss is that? It certainly isn't mine. There isn't anything wrong with me. If someone doesn't understand, believe that, or appreciate what gay people can bring to the table, they aren't worthy of my time. They aren't worth the anger. Nothing they could say would change my being gay, so if they can't accept that, I can't accept them in my life.

I said that SOME are not fighting. Some of you are running away and acting like problems go away when you DON'T face them.

Not all of us are cut out to fight. That should be respected. Some people simply want to exist and live with some semblance of comfort and not get messy. And not get in the middle. Teens and young adults need acceptance and many don't want to have to throw themselves in the middle and suffer the pain that comes from putting themselves in the middle of this social war. Just because you're not in the middle of the fight doesn't mean you aren't fighting. Simply COMING OUT is fighting against a society where homosexuality is expected to stay hidden. Simply LIVING as gay is brave in our world. Especially in the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. You don't get it, we are hated solely for EXISTING. Our basic existences are more or less an affront to the normal social structure. By being true to who we are, we're giving the middle finger to that social structure and living true to ourselves as non-heterosexual.

This is the problem.

YOU get real. There's WAY bigger problems for homosexuality right now, but some of you will go out of your way to make sure that the whole world knows that there's a GAY version of everything and that the Gay Olympics only exists because we're all assholes.

I'm always real, Tom. In case you haven't noticed, the five major sports have a grand total of zero openly gay players. Women in sports have to deal with similar issues, ie. forcibly kept closeted. Non-heterosexual athletes are FORCED into the closet by their personal representatives, by other players and their discomfort, and the fact sports fans are anti-gay on the balance.

There are no bigger problems than the fact homosexuality is still taboo, is still largely considered wrong, and the fact of the matter is, everything from legal discrimination to closeted athletes in sports all is an extension of that. The problem is SOCIETY. The problem are EVERYDAY STRAIGHT PEOPLE. That *is* the problem. If homosexuality were socially accepted, there wouldn't be any laws discriminating against us in the first place.

Look, I personally don't give a FUCK what anyone in the gay community does on it's spare time. I'm just saying that I think that this specific event is making things worse. You can disagree if you want, but don't jump down my throat for speaking my opinion in a thread that specifically asks for my opinion.

Your opinion is welcomed. You talking down to the LGBTQ community, which is effectively what you have done, and telling us what is better for US, is not.

People around the world respect Rosa Parks because she was a strong person. She dealt with a shitload of abuse sitting on that bus, but she did it because she wanted the right to be the same as everyone else.

What if, after they let black people sit anywhere on the bus, a black person got up and said, "You're all jerks; I'm gonna start a bus for black people."?

Do you think anyone would respect them?

No. They would be a weak person. When you decide that you'd rather segregate yourself than fight through abuse, you're a weak person, and you've given up the fight.

Well, no-one is advocating that the fight for social equality in everyday society should be given up, and this event doesn't in any way entail that we as a community are no longer fighting for full social inclusion and equality. There is no segregation. Straight people are allowed to enter this event, and allowed to participate at essentially every single one of the events we create. Whatever they may be. If you're straight and accepting, you're welcome. There isn't a fight against straights occurring.

The real problems... the ones that get masked in all this bullshit about name calling and stupid terminology... are the rights issues.

The rights issues need to be solved.

Rights aren't respected until those that have them are respected. Rights alone won't change things. Especially considering this is a social issue we're discussion, social views against homosexuality that lead to these such events. Society needs to solve their hatred against homosexuality and their heterosexism. Society needs to do their job and make sure gay people feel included and apart of the family. We don't and we won't continue doing societies work for them. We need to see something in return.

The Gay Olympics is a huge waste of time and a potential step backwards. It does nothing good for the gay community.

THERE'S ALREADY AN OLYMPICS THAT EVERYONE CAN BE IN.

True, and there were I believe.............13 openly non-heterosexual athletes. 13. Wonder why so few! Oh, that's right, athletes are pressured into being closeted due to rampant homophobia in sports. Which is only magnified during the Olympics, having to walk shoulder to shoulder with people from countries where even being thought of as gay leads to imprisonment.

And honestly, the Olympics are extremely open and there is NO prejudice towards any race, sexuality, or gender. As a matter of fact, the Olympics may be the SINGLE event that brings together the entire world in a beautiful, unbiased, happy competition where everyone can drop their prejudices and have a little bit of fun in this dark, depressing world.

And that's not good enough.

See the problem is... you think it's all about YOU. But it's not.

It's about all of us.

It is about all of us. No-one knows that better than we do. It's about all of us, but you keep hurting us. We reach our hands out and we continue getting burned. Only so many times I'm going to be fooled. Only so many times I'm going to be so trusting as to sticking my hands over the flames. It's about all of us, yet all of you don't want to fight for all of us. You're fighting for yourself and giving us the middle finger. So............OK. You give us the middle finger. I'm giving you one in return.

And I'm not speaking in generalities, but philosophically. I am not going to continuously be a victim. I'm not. People are hurt. People are scared, and people are skeptical. People are angry. And we have every single right to be.

 

[FolkLikePanda]

Does there really need to be one? I don't think there's any special rule saying you can't take part in the Olympics just because you bat-for-the-other-team.

This bugs me because a lot of gay people call for being treated equally (which I think they should, though its not something I'm going to spend time protesting or campaigning for etc.) and then they do things like this (yes, I know its not all gay people). Just seems like a sign that they want to be treated different.

 

[101flyboy]

But by creating events that are primarily focused on a certain kind of sexuality, you basically split a community into several.
Making your sexuality something "special" isn't the proper way to fit into a culture; just because you like something different doesn't mean you're special. You should just be part of the community, until people see different sexual orientations as the mundane things that they are.

Bu you know, sometimes I really think I'm just too naive and optimistic.

You're as much a part of a community as you're allowed to be. If a community doesn't want you around, you're going to be standing on the outside looking in. If you try to fit in and you're rejected and you're spit on and denigrated and treated like shit when or if you are actually allowed to join said community, then you're not going to want to be apart of that community for too long. You're going to want to go somewhere you can be appreciated and accepted.

We *should* be part of the community, a normal part of everyday society. We should be. We're not. You aren't naive more than you're not up on the fact everything you've said, we've been doing. Gay people have been, and increasingly ARE doing. Which is find a place within the global community, in mainstream society, and find comfort and acceptance. Things are improving on that front. But it's still nowhere near good enough to think we're just going to take take take take take and not feel the need to back away and decompress, at the very least. Before making another go at it, and trying again. And again. And again.

Sometimes you get tired of trying and being told no when there isn't enough upside when you're finally told yes.

 

[101flyboy]

This bugs me because a lot of gay people call for being treated equally (which I think they should, though its not something I'm going to spend time protesting or campaigning for etc.) and then they do things like this (yes, I know its not all gay people). Just seems like a sign that they want to be treated different.

We are different. We're not straight. We're different, and that's what makes off of us unique, we're all different in one way or another from everyone one else walking this Earth. Non-heterosexuals are different and hence we have different needs in comparison to straight people. That doesn't mean you don't treat people with equal levels of respect, decency and value.

 

[PunkRex]

Although it does seem kinda dumb maybe it will prove to some that many gay athletes are just like other athletes and as a result just like other people. Although thats me being optimistic, lets face it, if you havn't accepted gay people by now then their ability to run fast proberly won't convince you otherwise. Still, maybe some homphobic ass hole will try and talk down to one of the weight lifters taking part, could be worth a chuckle.

 

[Something Amyss]

Most of the answers to your questions can be found in the FAQ page for the Gay Games (as they're called).

http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/faq.html

Oh, and straight people are allowed to take part, too.

Shhhhhhh...You're ruining the opportunity for straight white males to ***** about minorities and feel okay about it!

Once again, a thread on this forum that displays exactly WHY gays feel the need to "segregate" themselves from other folks.

And you're probably catching crap for this statement by now. I'm just too lazy to check the next three pages to see if people have decided to do so.

 

[Something Amyss]

Does there really need to be one? I don't think there's any special rule saying you can't take part in the Olympics just because you bat-for-the-other-team.

This bugs me because a lot of gay people call for being treated equally (which I think they should, though its not something I'm going to spend time protesting or campaigning for etc.) and then they do things like this (yes, I know its not all gay people). Just seems like a sign that they want to be treated different.

I wonder how this post would have looked in the 60s. "Do we really need black rights protests? Why do blacks segregate themselves like this? Just seems like a sign that they want to be treated different."

: I think many people miss the point of such ventures because they're too busy being offended.

 

[Gennadios]

Why the hell do you think?

Olympians are the hottest people ever with no social life. They go through something like 70k condoms every single year at the olympic villages.

There must be some epic orgies at the LBGT olympics.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Why does the title have WTF? beside it? Are gay people not allowed to have their own Olympics? It's just a group of people coming together to celebrate who they are and the tolerance in the world (seeing as people of any sexual orientation are allowed to compete). Plenty of other groups have special events for their people. Why is this any different? I don't understand how anyone could complain about this. It doesn't affect you in anyway...

 

[FolkLikePanda]

Does there really need to be one? I don't think there's any special rule saying you can't take part in the Olympics just because you bat-for-the-other-team.

This bugs me because a lot of gay people call for being treated equally (which I think they should, though its not something I'm going to spend time protesting or campaigning for etc.) and then they do things like this (yes, I know its not all gay people). Just seems like a sign that they want to be treated different.

I wonder how this post would have looked in the 60s. "Do we really need black rights protests? Why do blacks segregate themselves like this? Just seems like a sign that they want to be treated different."

: I think many people miss the point of such ventures because they're too busy being offended.

Yeah but in the 60s Black people were really discriminated, segregation and all that. I don't know where you live or if your community/town/local bible-bashing, homophobic group chase down and humiliate gay people. Probably the same as gay people were for a long time. And really there's no need for a separate race-themed athletic event.

But where I live gay people are quite accepted and the only people who hate them are usually scummy people who are low lives or generally people who have never met a gay person before. Plus I don't see people being kicked out of places for being gay, maybe I haven't been watching the right news but from what I've seen and heard, most gay people want to be treated the same and it just seems counter-productive that they create something like this to show they're different. If you want to be treated equally why not just have gay people attend athletic events like everybody else does instead of making things like this.

My apologies if I have offended you but I can't understand this too well, especially in this day-and-age where gay people seem to be accepted a lot more than before. Hopefully you'll tell me something I didn't know and then I'll understand it a little better.

 

[Vareoth]

So, you're asking why a part of the gay community feels the need to create a sports event geared more towards acceptance of alternate sexual preferences, whilst at the same time NOT barring entry to those not part of their community?

It just seems like double standard as you cant have a straight person olympics, and also insults black people for fighting against segregation and now other groups use segregation as a badge of honor.

but i hope they dont complain afterwards how society continues to "outcast" homosexuals.

How are the Negro Leagues doing this year?

So their response to no longer being outcasts, is to make themselves outcasts?

they shouldnt be overly grateful(ok i get that, society fucked up a relatively long time ago.), but they also shouldnt absolutely ignore that society is moving towards them, trying to intergate them into the "norm" of society.

or am i seeing something wrong? do certain sexual preferences turn you into an ubermensch.

Are we locking homosexuals out of sports events now? And they do it to themselves, you say?
I guess Heterophobia is a thing now, too.

We're all in this together. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Equal rights, no discrimination, s'all good, really. Just don't shove your sexuality up other people's bumholes and expect to get a loving embrace wherever you go.

After reading the Gay Games FAQ I can only conclude the gay olympics is for people who would have no chance of winning in the real olympics.

What do you do if your dishwasher breaks down, slap her.
Oh god now I'm sexist and misogynist and scared of women, my god gamers are sexist aren't they. Perhaps we should create a womens olympics so women can feel at home, or a black olympics so black people can feel at home.

I think it's another one of those 'look at me, i'm gay!' events,

I would argue that it's not as bad as some of the LGBTQ community makes it seem, but I have a feeling you'd disagree.

Everyone has their own problems... some WAY bigger than yours.

YOU get real. There's WAY bigger problems for homosexuality right now, but some of you will go out of your way to make sure that the whole world knows that there's a GAY version of everything and that the Gay Olympics only exists because we're all assholes.

The Gay Olympics is a huge waste of time and a potential step backwards. It does nothing good for the gay community.

See the problem is... you think it's all about YOU. But it's not.

So we need homosexual bathrooms and homosexual churches?

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Point and goddamn case.

I'm usually a pretty laid back guy that doesn't pay much attention to what the internet is spouting out, but fuck me (no pun intended) this rubs me the wrong way. What is the matter with you? You are the amongst the most hypocrite people I have ever seen. You wonder why gay people feel the need to create their own sports games while at the same time blurting out both generalizations and outright insults.

Shit like this makes me sick.




I didn't mind the jokes though, some of those were pretty funny.

EDIT: Removed some the the rage after having a good night's sleep.

 

[RedDeadFred]

The jokes on the first page, while I know aren't meant to offend, are still highlighting the fact gay people aren't taken serious. Our livelihoods still are seen as something to point and laugh at.

Honestly, some people just make jokes about anything. These people would probably make these kind of jokes if there was a thread called the Muslim Olympics or even the Straight Olympics (although there'd probably be more outrage at that title). They obviously read the OP and didn't look up anything else which is what a large majority of people do.
I'm of the mindset that anything can be funny as long as it's in an appropriate environment (ya maybe a forum about the Gay Olympics isn't the best place but some people just can't resist making jokes about things). I don't know any good jokes that make fun of straight people but I'm sure I'd chuckle if I heard one.

Edit: I found a joke!
Ahem.... What do you get when you cross a straight man and a straight woman? Three kids, a mistress and two divorce lawyers!

Cmon, you can't tell me that didn't at least make your brain chuckle.

 

[Silvanus]

I would have thought the level of homophobia in the sporting world (and in the world in general) would make it obvious why gay people might want a gay Olympics.

It's quite simple: separate events can be a place to feel included and open in a tolerant environment. People have to remember, that's something straight people never have to worry about. It's something they can take for granted. I imagine in sporting associations world-wide, straight people can be as open and talkative about their private lives as they want, and gay people can't.

It's not "segregating" yourself to want a place where you can expect the same level of respect that most people take for granted on a daily basis.

I only recently signed up to the forums here, and genuinely thought people would be more open-minded.