Following on our discussion of gay marriage and the stake heterosexual women don't realize they have in opposing it, a friend writes to correct me for giving women too much credit for innate modesty.
But before getting to that, a brief review: Modesty means keeping private things private. I argued that our country's radically revising its longstanding collective opinion on homosexuality, placing a gold star of approval on men "marrying" men, would also mean approving the culture that too often goes with male homosexuality. The normalization of that culture would hurt women by pressuring them to adapt, even more than now, to male crudity -- represented in its most extreme form by a strain of gay culture. Our prime illustration was the shamelessly crude writing of gay activist Dan Savage at Seattle's The Stranger, which he edits, and the comments left here by his fans. It's hardly a marginal publication, by the way. You'll find The Stranger in any local Starbucks, any Tully's. Here in King County, it's given away in stacks in the foyer of public libraries. Amazing. As kids walk in on their way to story hour, they can pick up a copy.
Anyway, my friendly correspondent writes:
Regarding male gay sexual morals, I think you missed that the same morality is now spreading into the female culture. My observation only, not my area of expertise. But look at the ethics promoted by magazines like Cosmopolitan. Who are the female paragons, the role models? Madonna, Britney Spears, etc. I once chaperoned a high school dance. The aggressors, squeezing the boys' butts, etc. were the girls. Look at the dress codes. Look at the rates of tattoos and piercings, which send a distinct message of rejection of Judeo-Christian virtue (in my opinion). When I was last in Seattle, I was being driven to my hotel, and four girls were walking down the street. One reached between her friend's legs and vigorously stimulated her privates -- in public.
So, where once females kept male animalism, as you put it, in check, now I think that the mainstream view is to join in the fun. This isn't universal, of course. Many religious women and some others opt out. But they are the odd ones now.
I have to admit that many of the comments left on our earlier threads by women (or people identifying themselves as women) were almost as crude as the ones left by men. Many had to be unpublished. Yes, I find myself wondering about my original thesis. Not rejecting it, but wondering.
Something else I realize is that the story of Lot and Sodom is an even more illuminating parable than I thought when I wrote about it before. You have the city with its depraved, shameless culture that gives us the term sodomy. You have the father (Lot) who, despite being from Abraham's household, assimilates its values to the point where he's willing to give his daughters over to the howling mob. Finally you have Lot's daughters themselves who, escaping from the city with their father, show us the idea of modesty they learned too well from their residency in Sodom.
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What's Good for the Goose: "But what if the behaviors are collectively harmful to society, as promiscuity--whether gay or straight, male or female--clearly is, e.g. STDs, chaotic lives, single parenthood, millions of abortions, broken marriages and relationships, etc., etc. etc."
If you guys believe that gay promiscuity is the end of Western Civilization as we know it, then why do you work so hard to discourage gays from moving away from those stereotypical super-promiscuous "lifestyles" and entering stable long-term monogamous same-sex relationships by insisting...that doing so would also lead to the end of Western Civilization as we know it? What is it going to take for the gay community to satisfy you and to stop you from screaming "the sky is falling" every time someone shows attraction to the same sex?
You're a moron, I can't believe you actually live a place as cool as King County. Dan Savage may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but you make him look like Einstein.
Of course men and women are equal.Binary Gender is a lie. It doesn't exist. There are hundreds of ways in which a person can express their gender identity.
Lesbian Pride!
=)
What makes america great can be seen in the following link. Its not a bunch of orthodox jews dressed up like Amish men:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzNiZ4CjSsc
No, Dan Savage is not right. Women aren't grabbing each other's privates in public in the vast majority of America, I think that's safe to say. I don't think women have become as sexually aggressive as men. Maybe in some areas and subcultures, especially among those most steeped in popular culture (or those who read Dan Savage!). There's been movement, perhaps, but not a reversal of roles.
Here's some clues for the obviously clueless...
"so he can copy the lifestyle of the homosexual man."
There's more than one of both. That assumption is the cause of much mis-/dis-information.
And, speaking of false stereotypes,
"Even the call-line "blonde girl" seems to play up on the sexual allure of the alley cat woman."
It DOES? Maybe to you. To me, it means the color of her hair.
"One would truly struggle to find a self-respecting man with a caller id that referenced a physical part--if he is called "red-headboy"--it would be fair to assume he is gay and on the prowl."
Not only would it NOT "be fair to assume that, it would be ridiculous. But then again, ridiculousness is in great supply on this thread, beginning with the outor's false postulations about human beings, both male and female.
Next to "Jane" who thinks reading Cpl. Klinghoffer's column to her 10 year old girl is a great way of 'parenting' and must now quit because there's an adult topic: Does this mean you will no longer read the Bible to her? There's more than enough adult material in there to traumatize a young "Christian" child. DO BETTER!
As for this nonsense: "At the same time a young man in a family learns to become a man who is capable of being in a marriage with a young woman by modeling from his father and his mother--there might be a homosexual or a child from a single parent and there is a need, from activists--to make them feel whole." Hmm, I was a homosexual child of heterosexual parents. I did not "learn to become a man who is capable of being in a marriage with a young woman"; I learned to be capbable of being in a marriage. Period! My husband is still my husband. Not sure how "activists" can make the child (gay or str8) of a single parent "feel whole". Care to 'splain that one?
"But what if the behaviors are collectively harmful to society, as promiscuity--whether gay or straight, male or female--clearly is, e.g. STDs, chaotic lives, single parenthood, millions of abortions, broken marriages and relationships, etc., etc. etc."
So, why not allow gay people to enter into committed monogamous marriages then? Sorry, but you have failed utterly to make your point.
Sorry to go on so long, folks. There's just SO much bullsh!t in this blog, perhaps I should just not come back.
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