Comments on: The More They Get To Know Us…

By: Burr

Burr — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:28:07 +0000

Just like nobody gets more racist as they age, nobody gets more homophobic as they age.

This issue is only going in one direction. I’ve never seen anyone move in the opposite direction.

By: Derrick

Derrick — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:25:37 +0000

I’d like to point out that this long term polling by Gallup decisively destroyes the one hope that the Religous Right has been holding onto: that young people who are pro-gay will become more conservative as they grow older and have families. This is Maggie Gallagher’s talking point in response to polls showing the greatest support for SSM among young people.

This phenomenon actually is borne out on other issues, such as drug use, abortion, and taxation. But there is no logical reason why this should apply to gay issues and the Gallup polling, which goes back to the 1970s, shows that the trend is clear, fairly steady, and does not reverse with age. 18-20 year olds in 1985 who are now 42-44 year olds have not become more anti-gay. And their progeny are vastly more pro-gay than they are. Based on nearly 40 years of polling, there is no reason to think that today’s 18 year olds will be any more anti-gay in 2035.

By: jcrr

jcrr — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:19:46 +0000

But it’s the closet that empowers the Christian right, and produces anti-gay activists like George Reekers and Ted Haggard.

By: TampaZeke

TampaZeke — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:52:59 +0000

Yeah, and when you combine the two (the closet and the Christian right) it’s a DEADLY mix.

By: Ben in Oakland

Ben in Oakland — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:17:43 +0000

As i have said over and over again– and will again– the enemy is not the Chrstian right. The enemy is the closet.

Come out, come out, whereever you are.

By: TheraP

TheraP — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:44:15 +0000

Here’s more proof. It’s anecdotal. From last Fall:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/t/h/therap/2009/11/puzzlement.php

It’s wonderful when the news is Good News.

By: Allen

Allen — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Zeke (if I may be so forward as to call you that), you’ve hit the nail on the head. Someone doesn’t have to like you to treat you with respect or to give you the same rights as everyone else. And I think the desire for equal treatment is what’s really fostering tolerance. It’s also why opponents of equality always make the claim that it’s about “special rights”. I think most reasonable people object to giving a specific group special rights, but reasonable people also think everyone deserves equal rights.

I think something else that fosters tolerance is the fact that more and more straight people know someone who’s gay or lesbian. As I said, someone doesn’t have to like you to see you as an equal, but it’s probably difficult for most people to look a family member or someone they call a friend in the eye and say, “I don’t think you deserve the same rights that I enjoy”.

By: TampaZeke

TampaZeke — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:23:51 +0000

I’m feeling all Sally Field at the Oscars over this news.

They tolerate us, they really tolerate us!

And believe it or not, I don’t mean that facetiously. This is great news. We don’t need people to like or love us for us to achieve Civil equality. They just need to tolerate us, treat us just like everyone else (nothing more, nothing less) and leave us alone.

Getting people to like and love us is something that we achieve individually, one on one, not as a community.