I dont think we should be rewarded simply for living our lives like everybody else does. Special rewards for being gay are what piss off a lot of straight people, and thats what happened here.

Remember in the 90's when every TV show on earth was adding a gay character because it was the new hip thing?

That pissed people off.

My experience is that people generally dont have a problem with homosexuality, they just dont want in their face all the time (no pun intended).

I didn't just post for dragon points. I'm never here enough to even care about them. And I didn't just come out to anyone. I just told my story, like everyone else did. Such as you just did, except there are a few heels and purses in your closet. Not judging you by any means, but don't try to downgrade any importance to this thread just because you've been slapped in the face too many times with the realization that you were born the wrong gender.
Thanks.

I've been out for 2 years now. I was hanging on the street with some friends when this girl came up to me and asked me out. I let her down gently by saying that I wasn't looking for a relationship and stuff like that. Of course she wouldn't have it, so when she kept on saying 'Why' over again I eventually just shouted ; 'Because I'm GAY!'
The looks on my friends face and the girls face...PRICELESS

I think you got me wrong. My point is that all we did was talk about something that happened in our lives, and got points for that.

A straight person could post about regular events in their lives and no such points would've been given.

I don't think it is right that we got special treatment simply because our posts contained gay commentary. We didn't do anything spectacular.

Being gay and going "I'm gay." is somehow more brave or worthy of note than being straight and saying "I'm straight. I don't think that is right. The gay community should strive for EQUAL treatment, not SPECIAL treatment.

Feed a starving person, rescue somebody from danger, help an old lady cross the street, ect. Those are contributions worthy of reward. Simply being who you are is not.

It's most-assuredly "braver" in the essence that we are a minority.

In the United States, I believe that it's 1/10 people are gay. That being said, even if we're asked to be treated equally, generally, we're socially stigmatized.

Your point would have more "wow-factor" if you would have provided an example of a straight person being persecuted because of their orientation.

It doesn't happen.

I think you're missing the whole point. A dragon point isn't a reward for being gay. There are no awards for being gay. Unless you count being mocked, bullied, sometimes even beaten up and/or killed as a reward. Let alone the constant struggle to be treated like other 'straight' people. Marriage, etc. You yourself should understand this, as your interests lie outside of normal as well. Why? Because society has dubbed it so. As well as being a homosexual. It is more brave worthy to say 'I'm gay' and say it with pride in a society that still shuns it's existence than to announce to the world that you're straight. Not sure what world you're living in right now. Maybe you haven't noticed people killing themselves because of how miserable other people make their lives. Just because they're different.

Some of these people's stories may be looked at as inspiration for other closeted folks to accept what they are, to ease a huge burden that they have carried ever since they've realized what they were and have yet to accept it. It's never a simple show and tell like how you're describing it. If you're so upset about people getting dragon points because of their impactful stories, then go troll in the picture thread. Or better yet, try logging out, and log back in, telling yourself that dragon points aren't the sole reason you come here. It's really not a big deal.

And if you are that lustful for them afterwards, create a topic that makes people think, or contributes some information, or is really entertaining. Have you ever had a brush with death? Post about it and ask people to do the same. Doesn't have to be a gay/straight thing.

In general we are a minority yes, but in this thread we are an overwhelming majority. Thus coming out in this thread doesnt amount to anything brave. Hell your names aren't even a part of this. I'm not suggesting posting your names on the internet. Im saying that do to the anonimity that the internet provides you haven't really done anything dangerous, risky, or brave.
You have anonomously come out to other people who are in your situation. There is nothing brave about that.

Oh, Dear...

If you used your eyes and your comprehensive ability, you can clearly see that most of us are already "out," and have been so for quite awhile.

None of us are anonymously coming "out" to each other, we're merely sharing stories on how we did so.

@ZeroSymbolic7188

Good posts that contribute to threads get dragon points. If it were a thread to share stories about something equally as personal, I'm sure they would be rewarded.

You're taking it too seriously. It's just dragon points.

All a homosexual has to do to be treated normal, is quit drawing attention to the fact that he is a homosexual:

I am a cross dresser, but I do not go out of my way to tell everybody that I'm a cross dresser. Since most people assume that I'm "normal" I am treated as "normal." On the other hand if I was wearing a full dress and high heals everywhere and going out of my way to demonstrate that I'm a cross dresser I would be treated differently because my behavior is different. In America I am allowed to purchase womens clothing, and wear them. There is no law against it, but it does draw certain attention.

Likewise a homosexual who does not draw attention to his or her homosexuality will be assumed and treated as a straight person. However if you go around being flamboyant it will attract certain attention.

Point being that your not treated differently for being who you are. Your 100% allowed to be who you are, but like anything else, if you do something radical and draw lots of attention to it, you will be treated differently.

Some homosexuals expect to come out to a person and continue to be treated exactly the same way they were treated prior to coming out. However that doesn't make sense because it is counter responsive to human behavior. In contrast had they not come out, they would've gotten the treatment they originally desired.

My point being that you can be treated equal simply by not drawing attention to being different. This is why I feel like you should only open up to people who NEED to know. You cant drop that bomb on somebody and expect them to act as if nothing happened. Its a big responsibility.

The great gap in this argument is of course the fact that homosexuals cannot marry in most US States, and I do think that is wrong and should be changed.

What I don't understand, is coming out for the sake of coming out, participating in things like gay pride parades and such, and expecting society to treat you like everybody else after you go through a big production to demonstrate the pride you feel in NOT being like everyone else.

If you want to be treated the same, you have to act the same. You can be proud that your different and demonstrate that your different but then you have to expect and accept that you will be treated different. One is not better than the other, but you cant have both.

I hope that made sense, I'm not so good at conveying big ideas like that in written format, but does it make sense?

That's the stupidest thing I've ever read. I'm sorry, but it is. Is eating in public with your boyfriend 'drawing attention' to yourself? I was kicked out of a restaurant once for eating lunch with my boyfriend. We didn't kiss, hug, or really interact in any more complex a way than talking, but they stared at us the entire time and lied to us about the restaurant closing while no one else was told to leave... I mean it was quite obvious we were affectionate, just in mannerisms and such, but nothing 'attention grabbing'.

Is it drawing attention to myself when a group of five or six straight guys approach me and simply ask "Are you gay?", and when I tell them proudly that I am they tell me about how disgusting it is?

No. Negative attention is unprovoked. People pay attention to it, regardless of how we act. Westboro baptist church protests the funerals of soldiers who died in war, blaming them for the homosexuals. Were those soldiers buried in a rainbow flag with four men in speedos carrying the coffin? No, the attention was not drawn, it just happened.

Right now, you've brought a negative presence into the thread, entirely unprovoked. That is your decision, we're just sharing what we have in common with each other on a forum that caters to our shared interests.

I think you read that part of what I said, stopped, and then replied.

Thats what I think, but Ill respond anyhow. Give me a moment.

Actually I read all of it, and felt the need to only quote the beginning because the rest was just elaborating on a subject I absolutely cannot bring myself to agree with.

Though, I think my post came off a bit attack-ish, and I didn't mean that. Words like 'stupid' are just thrown around here and there, and I'm too tired to write all that intelligently.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever read. I'm sorry, but it is. Is eating in public with your boyfriend 'drawing attention' to yourself? I was kicked out of a restaurant once for eating lunch with my boyfriend. We didn't kiss, hug, or really interact in any more complex a way than talking, but they stared at us the entire time and lied to us about the restaurant closing while no one else was told to leave... I mean it was quite obvious we were affectionate, just in mannerisms and such, but nothing 'attention grabbing'.

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What were ya doing specifically that made it obvious? I mean a straight person can be asked to leave a restaurant for inappropriate PDA.
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Is it drawing attention to myself when a group of five or six straight guys approach me and simply ask "Are you gay?", and when I tell them proudly that I am they tell me about how disgusting it is?

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Weird that they would just randomly approach you. However they are entitled to their opinion. You like something that other people don't like. They told you they don't like it. Thats not prejudice. I like my heavy metal, others do not and have let me know it in less than flatterign ways, but thats there opinion and also legal right. I think you overreacted.
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No. Negative attention is unprovoked. People pay attention to it, regardless of how we act. Westboro baptist church protests the funerals of soldiers who died in war, blaming them for the homosexuals. Were those soldiers buried in a rainbow flag with four men in speedos carrying the coffin? No, the attention was not drawn, it just happened.

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That organization fucks with everybody. They protested the burial of Ronnie James Dio too. They treat everyone equal...just equally like shit.
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Right now, you've brought a negative presence into the thread, entirely unprovoked. That is your decision, we're just sharing what we have in common with each other on a forum that caters to our shared interests.

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Thats cool bro.
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Not everyone flaunts their sexuality. I dont know where you live or why you think homosexuals get special treatment and are glamorized, or even if you're in the closet or not. You have so much resentment built up, and this thread is NOT the place for your rants. It wasn't intended for debate, and this is the last I respond to them. Grow up. Other minorities who feel like theyve been persecuted have risen above and find pride in the fact theat they are different. They are allowed to display it without having to fear anyone's actions or judgements. It is human nature to fear what they do not know, and you don't know what you talk about unless you experience it firsthand. So you can either do what the rest of the world is doing, slowly understand or just accept it, or keep being afraid and build your resentment. Either way, the world will go on, and you will still be in this thread turning a positive into a negative. I wish you the best with your endeavors, and hopefully you will find acceptance of yourself.

LOL Im completely cool with myself, and I don't resent anything. I just don't think coming out of the closet is an act of heroism.

... I didn't actually react. I don't see how you could think I overreacted... I did not actually mention my reaction. The attention was unprovoked, these are people I'd never even spoken to before, they just kind of showed up with a question. The point was that they approached me specifically and asked me a question only to tell me their negative opinion about it. We weren't having an open discussion about different beliefs, it was pretty much just them being douchey guys. There was no 'different opinions' situation about it, just some macho asshole trying to establish is distaste for my lifestyle.

As for the restaurant, he liked to put his arm on my shoulder and we were talking openly about our relationship to each other(had a lot on our minds...), the waiter interrupted us and looked quite uncomfortable, then we were asked to leave.

Both of these instances were entirely unprovoked, I did nothing to draw attention to myself other than just act like myself and try to have a conversation as casually and as 'normally' as I'm capable of. I get that you would like us all to act just like everyone else, but I can't change my personality to accommodate that, it just happens naturally. You made it out like I'm the one doing something wrong for just acting like myself.

As pointed out above, this is a conversation that should end, though... So I've said my piece, and I'm disappearing in a cloud of smoke now.

POOF!

The restaruante thing does sound pretty fucked up. Lawsuit?

The incident with those guys was just douchebags being douchebags. Guess what though? Straight people get harassed by douchebags too. So once again you ARE being treated like regular people.

I dont want you to act a certain way or the other, just accept that if you are a certain way that people are going to react to it a certain way, and you cant cry prejudice. Be yourself and accept the responsibilities and consequences that come with it. To me thats what real pride is.

Or

Act as regular as possible and be treated as regular as possible.

Dammit, I've been drawn in again...

I really despise calling 'prejudice' and I was not offering those examples up as proof of prejudice. It was just evidence that people do treat gays differently even if we've done nothing to draw attention to it. It's not that those guys don't act like douches to everyone, it is the reason why they acted that way specifically toward me that is the point. They really are just assholes, but my point was that I became a target because of my sexuality, despite never having met any of these people before, which again is: being treated different despite lack of any previous interaction... Meaning, no attention grabbing gayness being shoved down their throats. I'm not trying to make this personal for me, I was just using examples out of my own experience to prove my point that even if I acted as 'normal' as I possibly could, there would still be those who treated me differently. You've reworded your point to make it counter my argument, but I am only arguing that you said "act normal to be treated normal", anything other than that is none of my concern. I do accept the consequences of my openness, much more than you know or could ever know, but that is not what this is about.

As ErmakDaddy stated, this thread is not the place to debate.

ZeroSymbolic7188, I'm sure that your fingers are tired.

Give it a rest.

Zero, can you please lay off?

OK my points:

A: Everybody gets treated shitty sometimes, if you weren't gay it would be something else. Treated equal doesn't often mean treated well.

B: More of question, Why is coming out so important to the gay community? I really don't understand why this moment is such a big deal, I think it is over emphasized.

Thats all Im really sayin'.

I can't believe DPs caused so much arguement... lol

Well, Zero, it's not really up to you to decide who to get dragon points or not, so wether you like it or not, there's nothing you can do about it.

I was just kinda joking when I made that comment.