Poll: What percentage of people are LGBT?

[Something Amyss]

I'm trans. Represent.

You're not supposed to admit it. How are we going to take over the world from the shadows if you keep telling them we exist?

 

[BrainWalker]

around 30% or so?

That seems ludicrously high to me. Although it is true that more and more people these days know someone, or a few someones, who are gay or bi or trans, mostly because it is gradually becoming more okay for these people to come out, nearly a third of the global population seems extremely improbable. Maybe if you ask about the Kinsey scale and include things like "had a gay experience or two but don't identify as gay" you could get up to 30%.

Personally, I think

between ~15.5-17%

is far closer to reality, even accounting for underreporting from people who aren't comfortable outing themselves. This is all "guesstimation," though, mostly, so who really knows for sure? After all, our own informal poll here is reporting nearly 30%. But that number is likely skewed by the kinds of people who are interested in participating in a discussion like this.

Also, DisasterSoiree, thank you for adding the word "hipstersexual" to my lexicon.

 

[Mykal Stype]

That being said I despise the LBGT movement. It has the right motivation but an eye rolling attempt at execution. If you dress in a thong and run around like a sexual deviant do not be surprised when grandma and grandpa think you are a sexual deviants.
.

Most of the gay rights movement is by completely average people, but you forget that immediately because the extremely stereotypical guys are louder. They also get more screen time because that kind of person is just Hollywood shorthand for "I don't want to put in any effort." And the Gay Pride Parade is just their Mardi Gras, so if we're going to base sexuality by that behaviour, all of you straight people are degenerates that trade breast exposure for shiny objects, like slutty magpies. Although to give you a point, I really wish they would stop calling it the Gay Pride Parade, as it does make people believe all gays are like that, like you seem to. Gay Mardi Gras sounds better anyway.
But those people barely have anything to do with the gay rights movement except trying to make people acknowledge gay people's existence. If you look at the people who are actively fighting for gay rights, the Gay Pride Parade people are very rare. That picture of the businessmen and women are far more common, because just like straight people, we do know how to dress appropriately. I'm gay and the "gayest" thing I wear is a shirt too small for me, but that's only because it shrunk too far and I refuse to admit defeat from a shirt.
If you want to see what the majority of gay people are like, find a GSA in your area. I went to one for three years, and there was only one overly flamboyant guy there. He was annoying.

Edit: Damn it, I missed the page 7 marker and didn't see how much of this was already discussed. Carry on then

 

[Matthewmagic]

Yes and that "imbalanced" image is what shows up in the american conscious. You need to be able to prove they are not damaging to have a valid argument not that the perception is wrong. I know the perception is wrong.

My argument is that your hostility is misplaced. Others have already made the points that, 1) You're taking issue with harmless self-expression, and 2) You're applying a double-standard. My (further) argument is that you're blaming a demographic for the misrepresentation it suffers in the media. The media is the perpetrator of that misrepresentation. People shouldn't be restricted because of the idiocy of others, and nobody should be blamed for the actions of completely different people.

Now, if you were making a purely practical point, that would be one thing, but I don't think you are. You used the word "despise".

I do despise it, it is frustrating and it causes problems in my life. It is also a purely practical point. Being one of many people in the center of this issue I'm not free from bias. Yes it is self expression, and no it is not harmless. Yes it is a double standard but double standards are everywhere and do not disappear when we pretend they don't exist.

As far as the media goes. Yes I blame them, but I also recognize that they are a self interested party. They want to drive up views and sell more ad space. Fair enough that is capitalism and no matter what that isn't going to change. They can only work with what we give them so my suggestion is to be conscious of that fact and force them to represent us as positive responsible adults rather than children playing dress up. Or not at all. I know one post on the escapist forums wont change the world but I'm asking people to think critically about what is important to them.

 

[Matthewmagic]

So I should hide because the way I choose to look reinforces those damaging prejudices? If I do that then the bigots have won. I'm sorry they affect your life, but don't blame me for them.

Yes I think you should stop allowing yourself to be the face of the gay rights movement. Duh. Kinda the central point of my argument. Maybe 30 years down the line when there are gay american culture festivals you will have a place being the face of that. Until our right are won we need a respectable face of the movement. This is exactly what I mean by poor execution. You allow yourself to distract from the message and intentionally or otherwise hurt the cause.

I hesitate to say that your need for attention whoring does not outweigh the need of an entire demographic. Maybe that isn't what you are doing and maybe that is just who you are. You must recognize that you are drawing attention, and you must recognize that it is harmful to the people you claim to be apart of.

Focus less on "winning" and "loosing" what matters is those rights, everything else will come with time.

Or as a metaphor MLK didn't give his speeches in drag for a reason. His outfit would have distracted from and ultimately became his message.

 

[CitizenM]

I am a bisexual male, but don't often say so to many people in person, primarily due to unpleasant remarks from people across the sexuality spectrum.

Regarding the tolerance thing, I've had the uncomfortable experience of receiving bigoted remarks from both heterosexual and homosexual individuals in the same day, with some of the former saying I'm an abomination by the rules of one or more religions and some of the latter claiming I'm merely lying to myself about really being homosexual so I can feel better about myself or try to be more accepted by heterosexual people (clearly not having witnessed the statements made by heterosexual people towards me due to my bisexuality). Individuals from both sides have effectively called me a greedy, noncommittal slut simply for being romantically and sexually attracted to both men and women. Considering I've had monogamous relationships lasting years with men and women in my life, such accusations hardly feel fair, but it definitely suggests there's some degree of social stigma in being both male and bisexual if the lack of acceptance is any indication.

All I have to say on the matter is anyone that set solely in binary ways of thinking is not going to help bridge this particular gap any time soon.

While I won't pretend to know your life, I will say that I can relate to your experience and sympathize with "categorization". My sexual history defines me as bisexual but functionally I'm homosexual. However, I did not come to that realization until much later in life.

I spent my early life under the impression I was straight and had sexual relationships with women exclusively. After I came to terms with being 100% gay later in life, I experienced all kinds of hate, disgust and even jealously from both gays and straights alike for my sexual history. Straight people are dumbfounded why I just don't continue to sleep with women, gay people who never suffered sexual repression think it's gross that I slept with women and both sides look at me like I'm retarded for my lengthy self-realization. I've come to despise the reactions. It's to the point where in any retelling of my life I simply omit when I lived as straight and never mention I've had sex with women at all. Only my family and two other "current" friends know the truth.

Perhaps one day. But not now.

 

[Silvanus]

Yes it is a double standard but double standards are everywhere and do not disappear when we pretend they don't exist.

In fact, they tend to get stronger when we intentionally perpetuate them.

 

[Matthewmagic]

Yes it is a double standard but double standards are everywhere and do not disappear when we pretend they don't exist.

In fact, they tend to get stronger when we intentionally perpetuate them.

Well we can worry about fixing double standards when we have our rights. Around that time we can cure cancer, and take a rainbow boat to the land of fantasy.

It is frankly delusion that people in our situation do not need to behave in a way that others will be compelled not to listen to them. Football fans can dress and act however they want because they have no greater purpose but to root for a team. No matter who they convince to root for that team, that team will win or loose regardless.

Cosplayers can do the same because they do not need to convince anyone of anything.

I want to get us to the point where we share that luxury but we do not have it now and just pretending our problems don't exist is not helping anyone.

 

[Jesterscup]

Yes it is a double standard but double standards are everywhere and do not disappear when we pretend they don't exist.

In fact, they tend to get stronger when we intentionally perpetuate them.

Well we can worry about fixing double standards when we have our rights. Around that time we can cure cancer, and take a rainbow boat to the land of fantasy.

I want to move on from this, because we're never going to see eye to eye.

But I do need to state this, LGBT is not a house, it's a street, my house is not your house, nor is it the lesbian house. In fact my house is kinda big, it's a street unto itself ( a cul de sac perhaps?). It's nice that we can stand together as neighbours, but our issues are not the same. Yes we need to get our own houses in order, yes there are a lot of issues between the houses. But it is so much better when the rest of town sees a united street rather than a bunch of bickering families.

Pride is important because it allows us all to stand up to the injustice that is external to our street, not your house.

SO again I'm sorry if you feel that my self-expression hurts your cause. But it's not my cause. I'm not at a pride march because of my sexuality, I'm there because of my gender identity. I would argue that your point of view is in fact a strong argument for me to be there.

If you have issues with that. get over it. I'm there to stand up for my freedom of expression. to dress in a manner that I choose without fear of reprisal or abuse. Dressing in a suit and a tie is not going to do that. I'm not there representing the gay community, I'm representing myself, and perhaps, being a strong positive role-model for others, no matter their sexuality or gender identity.

 

[Something Amyss]

A lot of strawman arguments and false equivalencies are made here.

And yet, you don't really get into them. Unless you mean your own. For example:

You seem to miss the point I never said "People are prejudice and that is awesome" I said "People are prejudice and that is just the way it is.

I didn't really claim you said the former, so....

Which I feel is true and until you can show otherwise every argument you make is a strawman argument.

And now you're just proclaiming all of them to be. Why? Well, I don't know. Or care. That's absurd.

Because football does not have the same stigma as homosexuality.

And?

That doesn't make it a strawman.

Look, if you don't want to address me, you can simply not reply to me. But making up a bunch of arguments and then accusing me of the same is just absurd.