The wonderful Peter YangTwo comments that really pissed me off Part 1
May 21st 2008 05:00
I received two comment from two people that I was been offended by, recently.
The first message wrote
Peter,
I don't allow homophobic comments on my site.
When you say gay films are 'kinda gross' it is offensive. It equally offensive to then say you find lesbian films 'kinda hot' - you're discriminating between these two kinds of homosexuality.
If I were you I would ask myself WHY I find gay films 'gross', and maybe talk to a counsellor/psychologist about it, because it's not normal. And yes, I know a lot of people are homophobic, but that isn't normal either. It's very bad, and it alienates people like me. Right now I have no interest in your blog whatsoever. I'm sure that you have the capacity to be tolerant and accept others, but until then you are not welcome to comment on my blog, okay?
Bye,
Xxxxxxxx (I removed his name, because I am not certain whether he want the public to know his gay.)
I was actually offended by the comment, because, firstly I grow up in a family that is extremely pro civil right, secondly, I studied a degree that gives me the knowledge to use it to break down stereolization and thirdly, I am also a Buddhist (although not a very serious one.) and in Buddhism, stereotype is practically in sine. (That is why there is never too much problem with racism, religion racism or any other form of discrimination in most East Asian country.)
So saying that I am somebody that is not capable of showing “capacity to be tolerant and accept others “is like calling somebody that is not racist, a racist. So can imagine why I am so offended.
Yes, I do not denier I said that I find “gay sex” to be gross and “lesbian sex” to be hot, but that is just because different people have different sexual desires. I am sorry you felt it to be discriminative, but honestly there is nothing discriminative about it.
And just to let make it clear, that was all I said, in that time.
I do believe there is nothing wrong about been gay, because there is nothing homosexual can do about it. I have no love towards homophobic behavior, because although most homophobic claim there intention is purely in favor of conservative values in regards of marriage, in reality they are really just stereolizationist.
Before I go any further I want to explain the differences between whether a person is in favor or against “same sex love” and whether a person is a homophobia, which I am just going to refer to as anti-homosexuals, from now on.
From an academic point of view, whether a person is in favor of the behavior of “Same sex love” and whether a person is anti-homosexual are really two totally different things, although people that are anti-homosexual are usually amount people that are not in favor of the idea of “same sex love”
Anti-homosexual behavior is really constructed through two things. One is religion misuse and secondly, is linguistic othering.
Religious radicalism is common amount both the Catholic faith and Muslim faith today, which according to Dr. Zzzz, from Sydney University (I forgot the name again.) refers to, as people who misuse religion in a certain way, to achieve their own selfish goal.
The radical group of Taliban is probably the best case of all, (now you are probably wondering what do this got to do with anti-homosexualist, I am getting there.) in his analysis of the Muslim faith, Dr Zzzz argues the colonial and post colonial era leads the middle eastern nations feeling their own culture been threaten by western dominance. This leads to the misuse Muslim’s original idea of Holy War.
The original idea of Holy War in Muslim, is a form of defensive warfare, which includes most of the idea behind modern rules of engagement, which includes firstly, an army is only allow to go into war to defend themselves against aggressors, secondly, only go to war as a final resolution and thirdly, never attack civilian, the war must be restricted between the military.(Any Muslims that are reading this fell free to correct me, because honestly, I am not somebody that experience it first hand, but research it through secondary sources.)
Today radicalism personal in the Middle East, who dislikes the western influence, is quick to misuse the concept of Holy War, to become an idea of killing westerners, to force western influence out of their country, labeling anybody who use any western knowledge as traitors and ultimately even to conquest the west. (If there is anybody from the Middle East, feel free to correct me, if you want to.)
The Bible has also been used in a similar manner, by the anti-homosexuals through the phrase “A marriage should be union between a man and a woman” (correct me if I am not accurate), it leads to religion been misuse and become a form of excuse for the anti-homosexuals, despite the fact that there are thousand or millions of phrases within the bible that counter this sort of radical action.
But what leads the anti-homosexuals, to start using a bible phrase as an excuse to stereotype is once again a different issue, that can only be understand through the concept of linguistic othering.
As I have said in prior although most anti-homosexuals are amount people that are not in favor of the idea of “same sex love”, whether a person is in favor or not in favor of “same sex love” and whether a person is anti-homosexual or not anti-homosexual, is really two different things. Anti-homosexual behavior is really constructed by something, that is best to be refer as “linguistic othering”, constructed by two things one, the concept of othering and two, linguistic signs.
Chris Baker argues that, people with a significantly different characteristic, can be easily point out and be target as the negative others (E.g. race, religion, homosexuals, handicap etc.) The non others will be represented positively, in comparison to the others. (Baker, 2004, P248~P277) Baker argues the others will be isolated and be seen as something that can not be consider to be a part of the community and if the other’s culture to become a part of the non other’s culture, it will be seen, as a disturbance of social norm. (Baker, 2004, P248~P277)
Sassure argues linguistic signs are made up of two things, a signified and a signifier. A signifier is a sound pattern or a written pattern. A signified is a meaning that the signifier represents. However, the signified and the signifier do not have any natural bound between them. (Cobley P & Litza J, 1997, P10~P13) For example, the word dog does not have any natural bond with “dogs” themselves. The word dog is a symbol that is, use to relate to the idea of dogness.
Linguistic othering, is a situation where people use a particular word to categorize a people of a particular group base on their characteristic either racial (through the word oriented.), Muslims (through the word Muslim.) homosexual (through the word gay, not so much through the word lesbian) and to a smaller extend also sexism (through the word woman, although sexism is much more complicated and to a larger extend on a totally different topic, I am not going to go into it here.)
In the case of the homosexuality, the word “gay” become a symbol that allows people that are involve in “same sex love” to be categorize and later onwards been turned into the negative others and that was why a few years ago, homosexuals almost become second class citizens, especially the period where gay marriage all in a sudden become an agenda, that was been debated.
In theory, the anti gay movement a few years ago should not have happened, if it wasn’t for the religion misuse or linguistic othering, the chances are, it will just be a cold topic nobody cares about, where people will see it on TV and simply forget and it is because of religion misuse and linguistic othering that some people that are not in favor of “same sex love”, started to lost perspective and become anti-homosexuals and then further more spread it to some others.
Now, I am not going to denier the fact that, I am not in favor of the idea of “same sex love” in certain ways, but I do believe there is nothing wrong about bee gay, because ultimately it is not their choise and I am not anti homosexual either.
However, I am not suggesting the idea of whether we should either be in favor or against “same sex love”, honestly I do not really care about it and I do not have a problem with gay people either. I met them before and I talk to them before and I treat them just like anybody else.
As for those who are going to attack me on this comment, I know there will be some because, the second comment that piss me off is just in regards to this topic and I am going to write it down in part 2. Read about it, tomorrow
The first message wrote
Peter,
I don't allow homophobic comments on my site.
When you say gay films are 'kinda gross' it is offensive. It equally offensive to then say you find lesbian films 'kinda hot' - you're discriminating between these two kinds of homosexuality.
If I were you I would ask myself WHY I find gay films 'gross', and maybe talk to a counsellor/psychologist about it, because it's not normal. And yes, I know a lot of people are homophobic, but that isn't normal either. It's very bad, and it alienates people like me. Right now I have no interest in your blog whatsoever. I'm sure that you have the capacity to be tolerant and accept others, but until then you are not welcome to comment on my blog, okay?
Bye,
Xxxxxxxx (I removed his name, because I am not certain whether he want the public to know his gay.)
I was actually offended by the comment, because, firstly I grow up in a family that is extremely pro civil right, secondly, I studied a degree that gives me the knowledge to use it to break down stereolization and thirdly, I am also a Buddhist (although not a very serious one.) and in Buddhism, stereotype is practically in sine. (That is why there is never too much problem with racism, religion racism or any other form of discrimination in most East Asian country.)
So saying that I am somebody that is not capable of showing “capacity to be tolerant and accept others “is like calling somebody that is not racist, a racist. So can imagine why I am so offended.
Yes, I do not denier I said that I find “gay sex” to be gross and “lesbian sex” to be hot, but that is just because different people have different sexual desires. I am sorry you felt it to be discriminative, but honestly there is nothing discriminative about it.
And just to let make it clear, that was all I said, in that time.
I do believe there is nothing wrong about been gay, because there is nothing homosexual can do about it. I have no love towards homophobic behavior, because although most homophobic claim there intention is purely in favor of conservative values in regards of marriage, in reality they are really just stereolizationist.
Before I go any further I want to explain the differences between whether a person is in favor or against “same sex love” and whether a person is a homophobia, which I am just going to refer to as anti-homosexuals, from now on.
From an academic point of view, whether a person is in favor of the behavior of “Same sex love” and whether a person is anti-homosexual are really two totally different things, although people that are anti-homosexual are usually amount people that are not in favor of the idea of “same sex love”
Anti-homosexual behavior is really constructed through two things. One is religion misuse and secondly, is linguistic othering.
Religious radicalism is common amount both the Catholic faith and Muslim faith today, which according to Dr. Zzzz, from Sydney University (I forgot the name again.) refers to, as people who misuse religion in a certain way, to achieve their own selfish goal.
The radical group of Taliban is probably the best case of all, (now you are probably wondering what do this got to do with anti-homosexualist, I am getting there.) in his analysis of the Muslim faith, Dr Zzzz argues the colonial and post colonial era leads the middle eastern nations feeling their own culture been threaten by western dominance. This leads to the misuse Muslim’s original idea of Holy War.
The original idea of Holy War in Muslim, is a form of defensive warfare, which includes most of the idea behind modern rules of engagement, which includes firstly, an army is only allow to go into war to defend themselves against aggressors, secondly, only go to war as a final resolution and thirdly, never attack civilian, the war must be restricted between the military.(Any Muslims that are reading this fell free to correct me, because honestly, I am not somebody that experience it first hand, but research it through secondary sources.)
Today radicalism personal in the Middle East, who dislikes the western influence, is quick to misuse the concept of Holy War, to become an idea of killing westerners, to force western influence out of their country, labeling anybody who use any western knowledge as traitors and ultimately even to conquest the west. (If there is anybody from the Middle East, feel free to correct me, if you want to.)
The Bible has also been used in a similar manner, by the anti-homosexuals through the phrase “A marriage should be union between a man and a woman” (correct me if I am not accurate), it leads to religion been misuse and become a form of excuse for the anti-homosexuals, despite the fact that there are thousand or millions of phrases within the bible that counter this sort of radical action.
But what leads the anti-homosexuals, to start using a bible phrase as an excuse to stereotype is once again a different issue, that can only be understand through the concept of linguistic othering.
As I have said in prior although most anti-homosexuals are amount people that are not in favor of the idea of “same sex love”, whether a person is in favor or not in favor of “same sex love” and whether a person is anti-homosexual or not anti-homosexual, is really two different things. Anti-homosexual behavior is really constructed by something, that is best to be refer as “linguistic othering”, constructed by two things one, the concept of othering and two, linguistic signs.
Chris Baker argues that, people with a significantly different characteristic, can be easily point out and be target as the negative others (E.g. race, religion, homosexuals, handicap etc.) The non others will be represented positively, in comparison to the others. (Baker, 2004, P248~P277) Baker argues the others will be isolated and be seen as something that can not be consider to be a part of the community and if the other’s culture to become a part of the non other’s culture, it will be seen, as a disturbance of social norm. (Baker, 2004, P248~P277)
Sassure argues linguistic signs are made up of two things, a signified and a signifier. A signifier is a sound pattern or a written pattern. A signified is a meaning that the signifier represents. However, the signified and the signifier do not have any natural bound between them. (Cobley P & Litza J, 1997, P10~P13) For example, the word dog does not have any natural bond with “dogs” themselves. The word dog is a symbol that is, use to relate to the idea of dogness.
Linguistic othering, is a situation where people use a particular word to categorize a people of a particular group base on their characteristic either racial (through the word oriented.), Muslims (through the word Muslim.) homosexual (through the word gay, not so much through the word lesbian) and to a smaller extend also sexism (through the word woman, although sexism is much more complicated and to a larger extend on a totally different topic, I am not going to go into it here.)
In the case of the homosexuality, the word “gay” become a symbol that allows people that are involve in “same sex love” to be categorize and later onwards been turned into the negative others and that was why a few years ago, homosexuals almost become second class citizens, especially the period where gay marriage all in a sudden become an agenda, that was been debated.
In theory, the anti gay movement a few years ago should not have happened, if it wasn’t for the religion misuse or linguistic othering, the chances are, it will just be a cold topic nobody cares about, where people will see it on TV and simply forget and it is because of religion misuse and linguistic othering that some people that are not in favor of “same sex love”, started to lost perspective and become anti-homosexuals and then further more spread it to some others.
Now, I am not going to denier the fact that, I am not in favor of the idea of “same sex love” in certain ways, but I do believe there is nothing wrong about bee gay, because ultimately it is not their choise and I am not anti homosexual either.
However, I am not suggesting the idea of whether we should either be in favor or against “same sex love”, honestly I do not really care about it and I do not have a problem with gay people either. I met them before and I talk to them before and I treat them just like anybody else.
As for those who are going to attack me on this comment, I know there will be some because, the second comment that piss me off is just in regards to this topic and I am going to write it down in part 2. Read about it, tomorrow
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Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Chewbacca
It is actually, very hard to find anybody that take the same positioni you do.
The only person I can think of, with your sort of approach, is that gay Anglican church Bishop, that appeared on TV a few years ago.
He apologised for the some of the action of the gay community, to the wider public, but yet supported the gay community from been turned into second class citizen and try create some tolerance. It is actually pretty interesting.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
weeeell...I am gay, and I think that maybe it was the way you expressed your preferences that may have upset the other person?
It is fine to express that your preference is heterosexuality, but to make colourful expressions of revulsion, at the thought of gay sex, for example, does betray a certain disquiet and loathing, you would have to admit.
However, I did have someone comment to me about your reaction, and I put it down to enviroment and peer group pressure, regarding your reaction, not down to a pathological hatred of homosexuality.
Gays, as we seem to prefer to be called these days, have been subjected to centuries of abuse, torture and death, for being who they are. So, a lot of gays, and other socio/ethnic groups, (like the Afro-American people), react to certain trigger words or phrases, that were used in hatred against them in the past.
Gays were still illegal in Australia in the 1970s, until the Whitlam Government changed the laws. Religion, society and the law all combined to isolate and condemn gay people, and this is so in a lot of areas in the world today, including some Asian countries. of course, as you know, some people remain prejudiced, for whatever reason, against others, no matter what laws are in place.
No, I do not think you are gay hating, but remember, "phobic" means fear of, so I think a lot of people can be homophobic yet not gay hating, then once they learn more about gays, and they find out that being gay does not mean they are going to try and rape you, or convert you, then the fear of the heterosexual usually subsides.
I have had plenty of straight guys in the past say to me, "Gee, once we got to know you, we really liked you!" And with that statement, they openly acknowledged they wanted to be friends with me! Of course, hearing someone say that to you does not fill your heart with joy, but, I could understand from their point of view, having never (knowingly) befriended an open gay before, all they had to go on were the over the top media stereotypes, and the prejudices of their religions, home and the school playgrounds of their past.
But, as in everything in life, we learn as we go, so we become more aware of other's needs and fears, and adjust our own attitudes towards them accordingly, so as to include, rather than exclude, even if it is by inference.
As for "anonymous"s comment, pity he didn't have the guts to identify himself!
Remember, there are a lot of sly gay haters in Orble too!!
cheers
fog
Comment by Cheryl J
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From what I've read you are in no way anti-gay you just don't relate to it. I think some people, possibly because they have worn the brunt of prejudice, read way too much into what people say.
Personally I don't like beards on men and find the thought of kissing a man with a beard quite gross but that doesn't make me beardophobic
I loved your explanation of the way language is misused. It's a very well thought out argument.
I don't think you're homophobic at all and I'm looking forward to reading part 2. You have a right to be pissed off, you were accused of being something you're not for expressing an opinion that was in no way hateful.
I wonder if the person whose blog you commented on would find watching heterosexual sex gross? One of my best friends (who happens to be gay) thinks it's hideous and he's not a heterophobe! Even the thought of possibly seeing a woman's vagina makes him almost run screaming from the room.
Sorry my comment is long.
Comment by katyzzz
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I don't know where that places me, but I still love you Peter, in the nicest possible way.
I don't like these long winded attacks and forced responses, I think it is all so dreary, people just trying to promote a cause, generally their own.
Live and let live, goes round and around, it is not only any particular section of the community who deserve it. Injustice should never be tolerated. I've said too much already, you'll all be worn out, as I am. Some people just come here to blog not to solve the problems of the world in the way others think they should be solved.
Take heart, my friend.
Comment by The wonderful Peter Yang
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i ahve decide not to post part 2 of this article, because this comment was made in a public domain and I have no idea whether person will be illy criticize or approved. If he is been ill criticized...welll...it is bad for his reputaion as well.
Thanks for all of your supports.
Yours Sinserely
Peter Yang