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Mike 03 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-17-09 06:05 PM
Original message
My deepest apologies if my recent post from Medical News Today was offensive to
Edited on Sat Jan-17-09 06:07 PM by Mike 03
anyone in this forum. That was absolutely not my intent.

I am truly sorry if posting the results of this study: "Prejudice Study Finds Gay is the New Black" was offensive to anyone here. I love the people in this forum so much and would never, ever, ever intentionally do anything to hurt anyone here.

The reason I thought this story was worth posting:


1. Medical News Today is one of the most highly respected websites in the world when it comes to posting the results of studies.

2. I felt it validated some of the opinions, concerns and beliefs that had been expressed here in this forum and in GD over the past few months since that hideous proposition was passed.

3. It lends credence to the idea that the GLBT fight is a Civil Rights issue. By comparing your fight to the fight of the Blacks, it seems it would totally validate your idea that this is just another instance of denying a "group" their Constitutional Rights.

Again, I would feel absolutely HORRIBLE like you cannot imagine if my post hurt anyone here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only reason I posted it, is it seemed in total agreement with some of the issues we have discussed here.

My deepest apologies if this offended anyone!!!!!

Mike
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Zuiderelle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-17-09 06:40 PM
Response to Original message
1. You shouldn't apologize for posting it. The only offensive part is the catch-phrase.
Edited on Sat Jan-17-09 06:44 PM by PelosiFan
Other than that, there is some interesting information in the article itself.

Edit to add, the article does highlight the interesting aspect of homophobia in comparison to racism, that racism has finally gotten to a place that many (not all, but many) people realize that they SHOULDN'T admit racism, and some with a predilection to racist thoughts probably try not to have them or at least not to express them. Whereas, homophobia is acceptable enough that people freely admit to being anti-gay.

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bluedawg12 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-17-09 08:34 PM
Response to Original message
2. The article was worth discussing, but the title sucked.
This is what I wrote and posted under the original article, might as well repost it here, as well.
.......
Let's discuss the study and agree that the title of the article sucks.

Here are the facts as I know them.

An article in Medical News Today summarized a study out of the UK, not the USA.

The article summarized a paper, that was given on 16th January 2009, at the British Psychological Society's Division of Occupational Psychology annual conference in Blackpool.

“In the study, carried out by Occupational Psychology consultancy Shire Professional, 60 people ranging in age from 18 to 65 years were tested on their attitudes towards six areas of diversity - age, ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability and sexual orientation.”

They found, in this study, that attitudes as tested in 60 people in the UK, regarding diversity, showed:

The main prejudice that was revealed related to sexual orientation.

Results from the tests classified:

seven per cent of the participants as being strongly anti-gay
three percent as being anti-Lesbian,
35 per cent displayed some anti-gay predilection
41 per cent some anti-lesbian prejudice

I am not at all certain in the difference between “prediliction”, I suppose it means tendency, versus, “prejudice” which means a pre-formed judgment, hence, a bias.

The authors further stated, that:

These negative implicit attitudes were stronger than those for age, gender, religion, disability or even ethnic origin.

28 per cent of the sample showed some prejudice towards Asian people
25 per cent against Black people
18 per cent against South East Asian people.

Dr Jones said: "Without detracting from the seriousness of the prejudice that still exists against people because of their ethnic origin, the results of our study suggest that being gay or lesbian could be 'the new black' when it comes to being a victim of prejudice."

That’s the problem. The choice of some British researcher, who while claiming not to be flippant, came off editorializing and flippant. His statement became the unfortunate title to the OP, which, may or may not have the same offensive tone in the UK as in the USA, but here, in the USA, with our specific history, it is clearly offensive in that it appears to make light of racial prejudice, and also, has a distasteful, wink and nod feel to it, as if “being the new black,” was somehow a clever turn of phrase by half and dismissive of unresolved racial issues in the US and also implied a kind of back handed prize for being the most discriminated against. Hence, the title blows.

The following is important because it sheds some light on the particular emotional mind set that may be triggered to commit hate crimes:

“The four or five per cent with strong prejudices would find their attitudes often affect their behaviour.”

That four or five percent with strong prejudices is troubling, as it is a high percentage of negative feelings for one segment of the population to harbor against another.

The 15 to 20 per cent with 'mid-range' prejudices are probably unaware of their attitude, but their thoughts and feelings towards gay or lesbian people will probably surface when they are emotional, stressed, frustrated or threatened.”

Even more alarming is the 15-20% who could be provoked into expressing anti-gay sentiments, of which they were not even aware.

Finally two important bits:

"Our prejudices are the result of our experiences with other people and exposure to the media.”

Bingo! Culturally reinforced bigotry is dangerous.
To some extent outreach, if that is what is meant by: experiences with other people, is futile. Ditto bingo.

“This categorisation is a shortcut, which takes place automatically and at great speed.”

That is also what Malcom Gladwell wrote about in his book, Blink, about how we form decisions about others in about 15-30 seconds of meeting them.

Gladwell, BTW, used the tragic story of the police over reaction and shooting of Amadu Dialu in his book and how it worked on a racial level, in a negative way. Dialu, a man from Caribbean African heritage, was shot in a gang way something like 28 times, as the officers swore he was reaching for his gun. There was no gun. It was his wallet.

“However, very strong negative associations often influence our behaviour towards other people formed mainly on their group membership.”

Here, they state the obvious, when we decide someone is part of a “group” we don’t like, negative associations follow and we pre-judge.

Now for the good news. People can outgrow prejudice, they can take responsibility for their attitudes and of course, the on-going work in society to NOT tolerate hate speech and bigotted speech. It is not as the right wing would have us believe, a nanny State and hyper-PC-ism, it is the basis of a smoothly functioning, cohesive society.

"Once people are aware that they have certain prejudices it's important that they 'break the prejudice habit'- taking control of them so that they don't impact on their behaviour. You can do this by examining your thoughts or actions to make sure that your prejudices aren't driving them", Dr Jones continued.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/135773.php

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AntiFascist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-17-09 09:10 PM
Response to Original message
3. A recent issue of the Advocate used the phrase on their cover, but in a more positive light...

referring to the 'civil rights struggle' that resulted after Proposition 8.
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Jamastiene Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-18-09 12:24 AM
Response to Original message
4. I'm not offended.
I just think it would be wise not to compare black civil rights to our civil rights, if for no other reason than it has been made clear most do not want that.

I think the problem is with the catch phrase itself. It implies that racism is dead when it is not. I think that's the main problem people had.

You just posted an article that many disagreed with. No biggie. :hug:
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bluedawg12 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-18-09 12:59 AM
Response to Reply #4
5. Many disagreed with the title not too many talked about the article.
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Chovexani Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-18-09 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #5
9. The title of the article was the least of my problems with it.
Edited on Sun Jan-18-09 02:58 PM by Chovexani
It also served as a further reminder of what a joke racial attitudes are in the UK. There's a whole lot of knapsack unpacking that needs to happen in that country.
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Smarmie Doofus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-18-09 08:15 AM
Response to Original message
6. This forum's gonna become real tedious real fast if people see it as.......
....an imponderable mine field of semantic taboos.

I read the article pretty fast and... unless I missed something... I thought it was good, substantive stuff.

It carried an inane, pop-culture heading. You might have deleted it; you didn't. No big whoop.

Stop apologizing or you'll end up apologizing for apologizing.
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bluedawg12 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-18-09 10:41 AM
Response to Reply #6
7. I think the article says more about UK attitudes than anything
and it seems to sucko. Or that one little shire with the 60 people are all just really miserable gits.
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Chovexani Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-18-09 02:55 PM
Response to Original message
8. Mike, I love you hon.
I'm just really, really tired of this stuff.

It was a dumb article but you weren't dumb for posting it. My lashing out was more directed at the article itself than towards you.
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