It is but we're not. There are still gay teenagers being bullied and beaten. There are still gay kids or college students committing suicide out of shame or alienation from their peers. There are still religious institutions--the vast majority of them--that deny adoptions and marriage to gay couples. There are still religious institutions that preach that homosexuality will result in eternal damnation; they teach to love the sinner but hate the "sin." They teach to "pray the gay away." They have camps for this at which suicide rates are very high. Why does this matter? Because the vast majority of Americans are religious and most of them attend church where this hate speech is considered the word of God. Religion should preach love, but in this country, where this matter is concerned, they preach hatred. There is still an entire major political party making hay (and courting the votes of homo-haters) by actively opposing each and every equal right for gays. We have only just now made it possible for gays to serve in the military. We have only just now made it possible for gay domestic partners to visit their life-partners in the ICU. There are still no federal discrimination protections for gay civil rights; in many (maybe most) states one can be fired from a job or denied housing based on his or her sexual orientation. Celebrities coming out and saying they are gay are a part of the "It Gets Better" campaign, officially or not. And they help those who are still predisposed to bigotry toward gays (which remains rampant in this country, just ask bigtexxx - and other countries, just ask IzakDavid) to see that the people they have 'invited into their living room' are not monsters. I wish those in this thread saying "what does it matter" were right. But it does matter and I applaud Anderson Cooper for his public statement.
This was well known but undocumented. However, I too applaud him for coming out publicly, but my reasons are different. I teach middle school, and I think that students who identify as homosexuals need plenty of heterosexual and homosexuals that are hugely successful, personable and accepted. The school bullying that goes without notice has a horrible impact, in my opinion. As adults, we don't need to follow those in the public eye, but kids definitely look up to people that are seen as intelligent and "cool." AC is considered both of those by millions. Cooper didn't really do this for himself. He's part of the movement to bring tolerance to homosexuality. That's awesome.
I always thought the Religion part to it was very hypocritical. Many Christian people say they disapprove of Homosexuality because it is a sin. Yet we all sin hundreds of times a day. Also, more extremist or radicals claim that God hates homosexuals and damninates them, yet the bible states that God loves all of his creations and forgives them for their sins. I always thought that anti-gays take their stands out of personal views or homophobic views, and just use religion as an excuse. At school I hear people who have never been to church a day in their lives claiming that homosexuality is against the bible.
Eating shrimp is also a sin and it appears only lines after the lines religious bigots use to blame their bigotry on God. The Bible is full of sins that are just as serious as its supposed condemnation of homosexuality that every one of these bigots commits on a regular basis. When you bring those archaic bits of the Bible up they go silent. The next day they're back preaching hate. Have you ever admired your neighbor's car so much you wished it was yours? Then you're going to "Hell" too. Good for Anderson Cooper, good for John Amaechi, good for Ellen Degeneres, good for Sara Gilbert, good for Neil Patrick Harris, good for (my friend) Jim Parsons, and good for every other role model of any sort that helps people to understand that homosexuals are normal people just like heterosexuals, that there is nothing wrong with it, and that it is not a sin before God anymore than wearing two kinds of fabric is.
oh joy not again....the self-righteous bullschit coming again from Batman Jones is on full display. Bats, if I need your opinion on gays, I'll let ya know. I certainly don't need you to lecture me. I don't have a problem with gay people. I do believe it's sinful behavior, and you have different religious beliefs than me. OK fine. For you to keep calling me a bigot is just your typical depression "woe is me" garbage that the rest of the board is pretty sick of.
ignorant post from you, Donny. Stop and think before you write nonsense and troll. You can't distinguish between people and their actions? thanks for dragging this into D&D world, Bats
I didn't do that; you did. Everyone else in this thread has been saying who cares. I pointed out why it's worthwhile to care. You are the only one that has registered a disagreement about anything in this thread. And I would venture a guess that while people might well be sick of me on this board they are probably sicker of you. If this gets moved to D&D, it will be proof that people do indeed care about others' sex lives and that the "who cares" posts were in vain. Homosexuality remains a controversial topic as bigtexxx demonstrates. That is too bad. Also, low blow hitting me for my depression.
Another preaching sermon by the religion hating Batman. Huge surprise. 'sins' that mostly are self inflicted generally fit this paradigm. Show a Jewish friend your new tattoo and they might even be enthusiastic. Not really a conflict.
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What a joke. You completely trash others' religions, then you claim that you didn't thrust this into D&D world? Your intolerance of people's religious beliefs is on full display again. That's more of a low blow to many on here vs. bringing up self-volunteered information.
The irony shouldn't be lost when it comes to religious people lecturing non-religious people on the impropriety of "sermonizing". LOL.
