[FORUM] How integrated are non-heterosexuals in your community?

[rfmcdpei]

This morning from 10 am to 11:30, I listened to a special episode of Go, the CBC program normally hosted by out journalist Brent Bambury. This time, Go was hosted by Canadian actress Sandra Oh, who introduced some of the gayest music ever--Erasure, ABBA, Cher, Scissor Sisters, and so on--in celebration of a population that, as Bambury said,

Comments

[ext_193996]

I have to ask, though, is "assimilation" in this case all that bad of a thing, in that sexual orientation ceases to be a seriously relevant concern? I know that, personally, it doesn't make a hell of a difference to me, and considering that it's the twenty-first goddamn century there's no reason why anyone should care. How would you say that it's a problem, per se? I'm honestly curious.

[rfmcdpei]

Social networking, for one. If I hadn't been able to establish contacts with gay people in (say) Prince Edward Island or in soc.history.what-if through channels that I was lucky to find, I would have been at a very serious, perhaps catastrophic, loss. Here in Toronto, I've made many of my friendships with people based on the networks constructed by sexual orientation. If these networks disappear, well ...

[ext_193996]

Fair enough. I suppose I never really considered it in that context. To be honest, though, even here I think it'll probably be a long time before that sort of assimilation happens, if ever. Like you said, there's a deal of vested interest in the current support networks.

[ext_193996]

_Fully_ happens, let me amend. Rather than in degrees.

[mindstalk]

A negative is the possible loss or at least shrinkage of gay culture, formed in the pressure cooker of oppression. The gain is for individual gays who never cared for that subculture. Same with lots of other subcultures; increased tolerance benefits individual freedom but diminishes diversity. (Also holds for small language populations; learning English or other major language can make things simpler for the people, but the world loses a language.)

[rfmcdpei]

Likewise, actually; it's just nice to have the networks available, I think. It's been interesting and useful to be able to dip into it.