So today I saw a video posted on Mr. George Takei's facebook page (may he live long and prosper, he truly is an amazing person) that showed a straight man's reaction to a teen being kicked out of his home for coming out, and the replies he got to "would you choose to be gay or straight?"
The video is actually rather heartbreaking:
however, another related post showed that the teenager who was kicked out received $100,000 dollars of help, and redirected some of the money to a charity that offers homes to disowned LGBT people
Now, personally, this is shocking to me. I come from a rural town in Yorkshire, a right wing area that has voted conservative ever since I moved here (16 years). There are still a lot of people who are intolerant towards gays and hold old-school views (my friend sees it as unnatural) but even the most extreme aren't going to go out of their way to beat an LGBT person up (in the same friends words, "I may not like it, but that's the way some people are, I'll leave them to it as long as they leave me alone")
But in any major city that I've lived in for a prolonged period (York, Nottingham), there is very little visible stigma. When I worked alongside 3 or 4 lesbian promoting, the worst they got was "Dyke" shouted at them for refusing to go back with someone, and when my gay friends came out it's normally a bit weird for a couple of days, then we say fuck it, lets have a coming out party (then we all have a beer or 10).
So have you come into contact with much intolerance in your personal experience? As I'm straight I'm probably ignorant to many forms of discrimination, or underrate how offensive forms of discrimination are. What's your thoughts on the videos?
EDIT 1- I am rather camp, and once I had an uncle needle me about my sexuality, question the colour of my watch (pink and white, my university colours), the drinks I drank (sambuca over ice), why I never seemed to have a girlfriend (I had one, didn't end well for anyone involved) and why I seemed to spend a lot of time around guys half naked (ignoring the fact I was on nights out with volleyball, and I get more pictures alongside girls). Seeing as I was at his daughters wedding I didn't say anything, but it did make me uncomfortable. He's generally seen as a bit of a bellend by our entire extended family, including his own daughters.
EDIT 2- The friend I mentioned actually holds a mishmash of views, he sees it as unnatural but also believes that people "can't help who they like I suppose"
The video is actually rather heartbreaking:
[youtube]watch?v=3NNgReolAZY[/youtube]
however, another related post showed that the teenager who was kicked out received $100,000 dollars of help, and redirected some of the money to a charity that offers homes to disowned LGBT people
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/03/1326819/-Gay-teen-kicked-out-of-parents-home-directs-funds-raised-online-to-finance-LGBT-homeless-shelter#
Now, personally, this is shocking to me. I come from a rural town in Yorkshire, a right wing area that has voted conservative ever since I moved here (16 years). There are still a lot of people who are intolerant towards gays and hold old-school views (my friend sees it as unnatural) but even the most extreme aren't going to go out of their way to beat an LGBT person up (in the same friends words, "I may not like it, but that's the way some people are, I'll leave them to it as long as they leave me alone")
But in any major city that I've lived in for a prolonged period (York, Nottingham), there is very little visible stigma. When I worked alongside 3 or 4 lesbian promoting, the worst they got was "Dyke" shouted at them for refusing to go back with someone, and when my gay friends came out it's normally a bit weird for a couple of days, then we say fuck it, lets have a coming out party (then we all have a beer or 10).
So have you come into contact with much intolerance in your personal experience? As I'm straight I'm probably ignorant to many forms of discrimination, or underrate how offensive forms of discrimination are. What's your thoughts on the videos?
EDIT 1- I am rather camp, and once I had an uncle needle me about my sexuality, question the colour of my watch (pink and white, my university colours), the drinks I drank (sambuca over ice), why I never seemed to have a girlfriend (I had one, didn't end well for anyone involved) and why I seemed to spend a lot of time around guys half naked (ignoring the fact I was on nights out with volleyball, and I get more pictures alongside girls). Seeing as I was at his daughters wedding I didn't say anything, but it did make me uncomfortable. He's generally seen as a bit of a bellend by our entire extended family, including his own daughters.
EDIT 2- The friend I mentioned actually holds a mishmash of views, he sees it as unnatural but also believes that people "can't help who they like I suppose"