And really, I don’t have a problem with leather events on their own and can understand the value they have as you explain. I just get anxious when it mixes with other causes, but in the end we all have to get over it.

Besides, the more tolerance shown to the BDSM community in the general, the easier it becomes to criticize those who truly do cross the line and maintain integrity instead of allowing them to hide behind claims of intolerance and a sort of defensive tribalism.

I honestly cannot see what you are trying to defend here Jason. If you think Timothy was rude and stereotyped people, or you — just say so.”

Grantdale, do you really not see it? Really? You read that and didn’t see an obvious, textbook bigot example of connecting the dots between unrelated groups in order to attack the lot of them?

I’m standing up for the BDSM folks who are plainly being pulled through the ringer.

I don’t look at BDSM people and think they’re badly representing me.

You know what I do when I think I’m being misrepresented?

I act.

I don’t complain.

I don’t whine.

I act.

I stand up for myself. I don’t ask others to sit down, or consider sitting down, or consider wearing a disclaimer while they stand. Timothy is applying a double standard, and apparently very few are willing to call him on that.

Timothy has no right to ask these folks to change in order to please him. But that’s what he’s doing nonetheless.
What he should do is grow a pair and represent himself.

How is his double standard any better, any different than the ones that are applied to gay people en mass by our enemies?

And I think you are right, this is a lost cause, as apparently people give Timothy leeway they’d never give to someone like Maggie Gallagher, even though they’re starting to sound alike.

But apparently offensive terms become inoffensive if a dictionary lists the commonly used offensive term. I’m going to remember that: will come in mighty handy the next time I cannot bring myself to simply apologise for gross insensitivity.

This whole conversation is gay.

–adjective 1. lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted.
2. lacking the power of speech (often offensive when applied to humans): a dumb animal.
3. temporarily unable to speak: dumb with astonishment.
4. refraining from any or much speech; silent.
5. made, done, etc., without speech.
6. lacking some usual property, characteristic, etc.
7. performed in pantomime; mimed.
8. Computers. pertaining to the inability to do processing locally: A dumb terminal can input, output, and display data, but cannot process it. Compare intelligent (def. 4).

You do know that you are wasting your time, don’t you?

Can you even see the hypocrisy in demanding that Timothy cease stereotyping while you are repeatedly — and obliviously — doing the same?

I don’t care if you do call me stupid, frankly, but don’t call me or my opinions ‘dumb’. That’s just gay.

I must admit, though, that I agree with SOME of Timothy’s points to SOME degree SOME of the time.

Although I am personally about as boringly vanilla as anyone can be, I’m not comfortable with throwing those under the bus who don’t fit the mold of being just like everyone else except for the itty-bitty detail of being gay. One year ago I wrote this as part of a comment here at BTB concerning a story about Mike Jones, the prostitute who exposed Ted Haggard:

Sometimes I think we are becoming so desperate for acceptance by straights that we are willing to abandon those on the fringes. I was thinking of this last year when many were eager to throw the transgendered under the bus in order to get ENDA passed. The T’s are certainly the most vulnerable of the LGBTs and need protection more than the rest of us. I think the people who stormed out of the Stonewall in 1969 would be disgusted with us.

Also in relation to all this, the Gay Patriot blog comes to mind where I think the writer’s and most of their reader’s mindset is, “I don’t want those damn gay liberals to represent me. Except for the itty-bitty detail that I’m unfortunately gay, I’m just like Republican Christians, and I’m willing kiss their asses 24/7 to prove it.”