The newly-weds

[Aggers]

Kaz - I've just looked up the meaning of bigoted, and I suppose you are right, but I can't help how I feel,
and I'm probably too old to change my opinion now. I'd better shut up.

[KateLMead]

I have friends who are gay, including a nephew all really nice lads.. However I think this latest move makes a mockery of marriage.
And it is another nail in the coffin that is being rapidly filled with unthinkable laws brought in by the Liberal nutter's who appear to be in command and running this country. Yes they can have their legal civil partnerships to protect their assets.
I despair at the way this country has gone. Sexualising children teaching them with video's verging on porn, teaching them
About sex a between men and women, and of the male species, and Lesbians. Quite frankly I think as we are
Seeing by the day family life as we have known it has been completely destroyed, filling and confusing children's heads from the
Age of five in schools by showing them video's verging on pornography. Interesting learning about Pie
The homosexual organisation that I am sure is still alive and well, associated with the Labour Party and the protection
Of these individuals most of whom were and are perverts giving loving homosexual couples a bad name.
Yes I can accept those who are homosexual no one can predict who they will fall in love with,
I can accept gay men and women no problem but let us not make martyrs of them.

[moondancer]

Being gay doesn't preclude some gay men from being able to have sex with a woman.

.

I suppose I can sort of understand that if it was a one off, but getting married and having children when you aren't attracted to or turned on by your wife ?

I shall never understand that.

If you want to appear heterosexual then simply pretend you're having sex with women, don't go overboard and plan to spend your life with one !

[moondancer]

I'm not so sure that homosexuality is inborn - but is more likely to be acquired during youth.

.

I'm sorry but if you'd ever worked in teaching you'd know that wasn't true.

I've taught very small children barely out of kindergarten who are quite obviously going to grow up being gay.

[Workingman]

I've taught very small children barely out of kindergarten who are quite obviously going to grow up being gay.

But not many of them, if a cross-section of official surveys is to be believed - about three in every 160. Even Stonewall's estimate of the number of adult gays, 5% to 7%, would not allow contact with many. Certainly neither set of figures would explain their over representation in the very influential areas (to young minds) of media, Celebrity, music, the Arts, film, TV, radio or any of their related occupations. That brings me to something Kaz said about some people fighting their true leanings to a certain extent; and to the influence of the above. The principle can work both ways with confused, but straight boys, being persuaded to be something else in order to fit in.

As for the ersatz "weddings", I am not that bothered. They could be called anything, but would not be needed if the laws regarding Civil Partnerships had been formulated correctly. That, however, would have required competence from government; and they are rare days indeed.

[moondancer]

Certainly neither set of figures would explain their over representation in the very influential areas (to young minds) of media, Celebrity, music, the Arts, film, TV, radio or any of their related occupations. .

Those are the very occupations where homosexuality is rife though Frank; certainly in the world of the Arts the proportion of gays is very much higher.

[TheOstrich]

I think I'd like to answer Moonie by commenting that there are a whole raft of guys out there - more than you think! - who are what's termed "bi-sexual". They are quite happy to have relations with either sex and aren't bothered by the nuances it. I believe one's sexual orientation is in the genes, but doesn't visibly emerge as such until around puberty. And there's now't that person can do about their sexual inclination, except try to conform to society if it's considered "not the norm".

Social mores in this society have been such, until very recently, that gay and bi folk have necessarily had to lead surreptitious lives. Even in these so-called enlightened times, the media are still trying to "call out" gay folk publically, (look at the recent business of the Tory politician who resigned over the Brazilian rent-boy this last week). That's wrong, it's another reason why I dislike the hypocritical media, and to that extent I have every sympathy for a gay or bi person hiding their true inclinations. In time, inexorably, this will change, and I guess with that in mind, I'm supportive of the LGBT movement.

Where I do not support the LGBT movement is in their raucous, in-your-face, campaigning and exhibitionism. Gay parades, adverts on the sides of buses, so on. Basically, they are a minority, and they need to reign it in, not dictate to the majority (something I'll come back to in a minute). I never have and don't now support their call for gay marriage. (In passing, can I say that Cameron was, is, and ever will be, in my eyes, a complete twerp and I dislike him as much as I disliked Blair.) I also don't like their prosecution of straight people who have a problem with gay relationships. There is a growing trend for politicians to pander to the minority, not cater for the needs and views of the majority. I'm OK about equality and human rights, but on a "you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone" basis. I do not like shove - it makes me want to shove back. The LGBT people need to shut up, but the trouble is, now they've been pandered to, they'll want to push the boundaries to the limit. The Church of England will be challenged in the courts next, and whilst I know many of you on this board are atheistic and have no time for the Church, it does no harm, it's a moderating influence, it does a lot of good at local level, and you'll miss it in 20 years time when it's effectively gone. And why should people who have genuinely held beliefs that homosexuality is wrong be persecuted? - because that's what is now happening. You cannot hold such views any more, you dare not speak them out in this new age. And if you do, the full force of the law is now against you ..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religio ... ution.html

It's no longer a free society - you must not think what society does not want you to think. Toe the line, conform or else.

Back to the issue of the minority dictating to the majority, or, if you'll excuse the pun, the tail wagging the dog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26806722

Motorists should be banned from parking on pavements because the practice forces vulnerable pedestrians to walk in the road, campaigners have said.
The charity Guide Dogs say blocking the pavement, especially for blind people, is "inconsiderate and dangerous".

Let me tell you this. If people did not park partially on the pavement on many, many roads across the country, especially "new estate" roads including ours, there would be absolutely no access for delivery vehicles or emergency vehicles. In fact I've had to remonstrate with neighbours who have parked on our road because I couldn't even slalom-drive my ordinary car past them. In many areas, off-road parking is totally inadequate for the number of owned vehicles. But the Guide Dogs charity want the majority car-owners to bow down - nay, be legislated against - in favour of the minority disabled. I know some of you will heartily disagree with me - but why should the minority rule the majority?

Guide Dogs used to be my charity of choice. No longer, once a charity steps outside it's remit and becomes political, like the RSPCA, I will have no truck with it. (Whether I can park it or not .... )

Sorry for the long post, but some things bring out the "swivel-eyed loon" in me ..... and I haven't even mentioned the EU once!

[Workingman]

I believe one's sexual orientation is in the genes.......

The problem with that is that there has been a lot of research down the years into finding the "Gay" gene and none of it is conclusive. There are genes shared by homosexual men, but not all of them become Bi or Gay.... other detrministic factors come into play, such as environmental and social factors.

One researcher, Dr Michael Bailey, said: “Although this [research] could one day lead to a pre-natal test for male sexual orientation, it would not be very accurate, as there are other factors that can influence the outcome.”

We should all hope that such a test never sees the light of day. There are societies today, certainly in the past, and possibly in the future, which would use such a test to 'cure' the world of homosexuality.

[Aggers]

Sorry for the long post, but some things bring out the "swivel-eyed loon" in me ..... and I haven't even mentioned the EU once!

There's no need to apologise, Os.

What you say makes a lot of sense, and I found it most interesting.

I know it's perpetuating a change in subject, but the question of parking on pavements is one to which,
in my opinion, there is no feasible answer. The real problem is that there are too many cars. Reducing the
number would be beneficial on many counts, but almost impossible to achieve.

In a few generations time, our greatly depleted descendants will probably curse the invention of the internal
combustion engine and it's consequential affect on the Earth's climate. But that's yet another story.

[KateLMead]

One can also consider the hundreds and thousands of children in and out of care who are sexually abused, this can have an effect on the child and can often leave them with homosexual leanings, and can mentally damage them for life .