Oh.
So the NUDITY is fine.
It's the MOTIVATION which is morally reprehensible...


I swear. You would think at some point there should be a conscience in you that should say "You know, the distinction you're trying to claim as relevant is pure b.s."

Obviously, you're trying to grasp at any difference on the matter to ignore blame for heterosexuals but continue to blame homosexuals...


And with "getting ... into" heterosexuality, do people suddenly think that it's all about Mardis Gras, Spring Break promiscuity / nudity, and girls gone wild????

Seriously. You grasp at straws.

__________________
“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
~Abraham Lincoln

Except Mardi Gras isn't an identity/pride event. THAT'S the big difference.
It would be one thing to just party--but these are activist parades meant to play up the idea of gay identity ... and then you go and have lots of public nudity in these things. Go figure.

__________________
What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand???

Really? A big difference?

Like most things (something you've yet to grasp in any thread), there are multiple reasons for everything. Not everything is so singular minded as you are...

Now, ask a question or move along.

__________________

Continue that line of reasoning, Muffin... I'm judging you. Harshly.

I swear Joe. One day, perhaps you'll have somebody you will listen to point out to you how transparent you are...

YOUR PROBLEM is with the "identity/pride" issue.
You can't show any real intelligent reason why that's a problem, so you go for the nudity. The vast majority of people at gay pride are clothed.

But then people respond pointing out heterosexuality behaving badly...
So then you resort to what your REAL problem was in the first place (identity/pride), failing to recognize that has no real significant link to the problem of nudity...


Oooohhhh....
So if I go to a Republican event where they're trying to raise votes for Republicans, and I show examples of people showing up furthering racism, I can then indict the entire group based on the racists...

__________________
“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
~Abraham Lincoln

Let's look at what's really going on here ...

- gay priders have indentity/pride parades to celebrate their cause.
- gay priders allow nude participants in the parade, and even defend in in places like this forum.

The funny thing is the best you can do in defense of this is bring up other hedonistic examples elsewhere in culture, like the nude participants in Girls Gone Wild events ...
Which only underscores the issue.
If you're having to compare your celebration of something sacred to you to things like Girls-Gone-Wild due to the content of these parades, what does that say about YOUR event? After all, Girls-Gone-Wild events are effectively ABOUT hedonism and don't try to pass themselves off as something noble ...

One would think you wouldn't WANT this to be the way equality and gay pride is celebrated, yet you brush it off as if it's not a problem for you. The real question is, why is nudity and lewdness used to celebrate gay pride, in such cases, and why would gay pride proponents not have an issue with that???

Again, you're missing the real issue here. If Republicans were displaying elements of racism in PROUD CELEBRATION of their identity, that would be comparable. But they aren't.

__________________
What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand???

Dabateman, do these type of events turn more people off to accepting gay issues than just lobbying in normal channels for legal reforms? I try to expand my own acceptance of gays but some of the antics and the publicity surrounding these parades etc. make it harder for me to accept it.

__________________
I don't have much ammo, but will gladly waste some on you!

You know, it's a tough rub.

I don't KNOW that these types of event turn MORE people off to accepting gay issues. I do know they turn off SOME people.

I think, there is a place for the Pride Parades, but, in MY opinion, they go a little bit too far with the public nudity and sexuality.

It's tough. I don't normally go because it's not really MY sort of scene.

__________________

Continue that line of reasoning, Muffin... I'm judging you. Harshly.

When I first came out of the closet and for several years after that, pride parades and rallies were very important to me. Later on they just became a meat market for me. I know they're very important to people who are still trying to deal with the stigma towards them for being gay. A sense of pride.

__________________

Fair answer. A gay couple or a married gay couple does not bother me like it used to. Partly due to some of the discussion on this forum my thoughts have evolved a giant step from where they were. Then the media makes a grand circus out of parades and interviews with the most outlandish folks they can find. This tends to drive my acceptance back a few notches. I never even considered the legal ramifications of gay marriage till it came up here. A committed union between 2 people should be afforded the insurance and death benefits open to hetero couples. I also feel more can be accomplished by working legislatively to expand equal opportunities to gays.

__________________
I don't have much ammo, but will gladly waste some on you!

Yeah. It's at times a difficult conversation. But that is why I started this thread. I wanted there to be a discussion where we can further work together and increase social/legal equality.

I think it comes down to this: There are some benefits to the Pride Parades (as Kizz points out, and others that may not have been mentioned). There are some draw backs. I'm not sure one outweighs the other.

__________________

Continue that line of reasoning, Muffin... I'm judging you. Harshly.