Homophobia. Alive and well?

I agree being gay is not a choice, you either are or you are not (although I do know there are bi-sexuals too).

I have always felt that you don't choose who you fall in love with. If that person is of the same sex as yourself then I don't see that it is any business of anyone else.

My grandmother (quite an open minded person for her generation) always said that she didn't care what people did, as long as they didn't do it in the street and frighten the horses! She had friends who had never married and shared a home. Although it was never talked about I think it was accepted that theirs was a "special" friendship.

Homophobia makes no sense, but that doesn't worry the bigots. I mean, why would anyone choose to be gay? It is the way some people are born: I've always known this, and now medical science confirms it. I agree that those most vocal against gay rights are likely to be unsure of their own sexuality.

I've also worked out why nature decrees why some people are gay. It is my own hypothesis, but, well, here it is. In an ancient hunter-gatherer society, from which we evolved, men and women spent their whole time working to provide food and shelter for their families. But if more is needed in society than mere subsistence, some people need a life without those parental responsibilities - the musician, the artist, the holy person etc.

I've never understood why people feel the need to impose their own ways on others. And I don't understand how it is supposed to harm my own hetero marriage if gay marriage exists.

I think some folks out there, including former archbishop Carey, need to just grow up and read the science.

Sadly homophobia is still alive but I think things are better now than 50 + years ago.
I fear the gay marriage debate has stoked the fire and given opportunity for anti-gay opinions to be loudly voiced and for the street thugs to feel they have the backing of society to act as they do.

I think that's very true sunseeker people can become really vicious about things they are afraid of and protesting too much is alive and well.

Unfortunately it is alive and well - but hopefully it will get weaker!

I remember some years ago some men I was working with were making life difficult for a new chap who had started in the office as he had been very open that he was gay. My response to them was that in my experience it was the people who were unsure of their own sexuality who made the most noise about those who were gay. It stopped the bullying in its tracks!

No surprise re the army really is it. Soccer and rugby have a long long way to go too.
I would hope that all officers would defend colleagues from any kind of bullying, homophobic or other.

In Oxford this weekend the Gay Pride Rainbow Extravaganza was clouded by a young gay lad being beaten up (on the street, in daylight) on his way there. So no, homophobia is not dead

Where the insects and worms crawl...