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Edited on Mon Feb-21-05 03:32 AM by necso
where to draw my own "line" on this (speaking to the more universal issues, for the moment).
Being gay (frankly, I am not even sure of the "approved" terminology) is cool. Being secretive about it is a matter of personal choice. Marrying the opposite sex? -- Well, maybe you're bisexual. (Cheating on a "partner", however would generally be "disloyal" -- and run counter to one's duties to that partner -- although "loyalty has been perverted in much of the common mind to mean sticking unthinkingly with some evil or the other no matter what, and so I use the word reluctantly). But if someone is attracted only to the same sex, then marrying the opposite sex, even if one is absolutely "faithful", is to me at least distasteful -- and I would recommend making some decent, discrete arrangements for individual sexual expression. However, I can't rule out that circumstances will more or less demand this of people in the real world. (Surely, of course, we should live in a society which would never demand this of anyone.) And I am often prepared to make some allowances for the reality of the world that we find ourselves in.
Being a hypocrite is not "best behavior", and is to be avoided. But when done in a modest way, and when circumstances demand it (circumstances that you will scrupulously attempt to avoid thereafter), it is not necessarily a biggie -- a thing to be avoided, but not necessarily a hugely terrible thing. And being "tactful", "courteous", "discrete" and/or "wise" (etc) can come across as hypocrisy, but when done to avoid unnecessary, minor, preventable (and generally wrong-minded on the part of the "injured" party) harm, (especially harm which will thereby be permanently avoided) -- and not as an attempt to deceive and/or take advantage of someone or something -- these "values" may have the greater weight.
Homophobia, however, is ignorant, unwise -- and not open-minded. Therefore, it is always to be avoided.
And other people will view the matter differently. Indeed, a person to whom the issue of sexuality has stronger person meanings may well be expected to hold different and stronger views.
But to return to the matter of *.
Certainly I can say that I can justify basically nothing that * and his cronies have done. And if * is gay, then (again) that, in itself, is ok. However, * being gay and doing what he has done (that is, now taking other things into consideration -- specifically those related to homophobia), or has let happen, or has taken advantage of, in the way of homophobia, would be an extremely sick and twisted thing to do. -- And the hypocrisy (and evil generally) would be of staggering proportions (except, perhaps, to a hardened cynic like myself). (And the essential evil of what is going on is unchanged, whether * is gay or not.)
And I have no trouble believing any of these things about *. None whatsoever.
...And I might be disposed to a certain potential sympathy towards his wife -- if she was truly a victim -- which I seriously doubt. These people (those involved in playing such "games") usually all know what is really going on -- they just suppress it -- it's easier that way.
The old "de nile" thing, you know.
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