(no subject)

[deckardcanine]

Warning: Despite my effort to skirt issues of disputed facts and ethics, this may be a controversial entry. If I rub readers the wrong way (NPI), I'll post an apology.

I've reflected on the Larry Craig story, contemplating whether it deserves as much attention as it has. Then I realized that the particular setting touches upon a fear which, while possibly very common, is seldom voiced.

We live in a society with gender-segregated restrooms. The only justification I know for this is that many of us are concerned that integration will make it easy for perverts to peek or do worse. But this barrier is useless against perverts who happen to be gay. Thus, many who consider stories like Craig's decide that public restrooms are not safe enough for comfort.

To me, this could explain why homosexual behavior is as vociferously abhorred as it is. It explains why many don't even want to acknowledge the existence of gays and bis, let alone let them feel comfortable with an open lifestyle. It puts the "phobia" in homophobia. And like all genuine phobias, the fear is out of proportion to the actual danger.

Comments

[sleepyjohn00.livejournal.com]

What the Craig story is about, to me, is the disconnect. Here is a man who has positioned himself as a enemy, in public, of what he is, in private. For someone to be able to say "I'm not gay, but I've had homosexual sex"? How can you be one and not the other? If you have had, and go a long way out of your way to have, homosexual sex, isn't that kind of the definition of 'gay'? It's not about the tasteful accessories, after all :)

He's afraid of what he thinks he is, and has made a long public career against it, unable to come to terms with himself. He thinks if he can force it outside himself and yell at it, his secret self will go away. Doesn't work. Sorry.

There's a saying that anger is fear in disguise. It may be that the reason so many people hate homosexual behaviour so much is that they're afraid of it in themselves.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Well, it is possible to be bi and have homosexual sex, but I get your drift.

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid there are as many different reasons why some people hate gays and lesbians as there are reasons for people to hate Catholics, blacks, etc. No one reason for everybody. I'm sure there's a sizable segment who hate them for the reason you described though.