Gay Rights Backlash since Supreme Court Ruling

[Stravo]

Poll shows backlash on gay issues
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Americans have become significantly less accepting of homosexuality since a Supreme Court decision that was hailed as clearing the way for new gay civil rights, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll has found. After several years of growing tolerance, the survey shows a return to a level of more traditional attitudes last seen in the mid-1990s.
Asked whether same-sex relations between consenting adults should be legal, 48% said yes; 46% said no. Before this month, support hadn't been that low since 1996. (Related item: See poll numbers)

In early May, support for legal relations reached a high of 60%-35%.

The shift in attitudes occurs as gay issues have been in the news. In recent weeks, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas anti-sodomy law, a Canadian court decision allowed gay couples to marry in Ontario, and Wal-Mart expanded anti-discrimination protection to gay workers.

Conservative social activists see a backlash to those developments and the growing visibility of gay characters in entertainment, including such TV shows as Will & Grace. "The more that the movement demands the endorsement of the law and the culture, the more resistance there will be," says Gary Bauer, president of American Values.

Bauer says that sentiment will make it harder for elected officials to avoid taking positions on such questions as a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar marriage of gay couples.

Advocates for gay men and lesbians called the poll disappointing. "Clearly, the debate (over recent developments) has had an effect," says David Smith of the Human Rights Campaign. But over time, he says, "The country always ends up on the side of fairness, and I think they will here, too."

Those making the biggest shifts included African-Americans. On whether homosexual relations should be legal, their support fell from 58% in May to 36% in July. Among people who attend church almost every week, support fell from 61% to 49%.

The survey also found rising opposition to civil unions that would give gay couples some of the rights of married heterosexuals. They were opposed 57%-40%, the most opposition since the question was first asked in 2000.

By 49%-46%, those polled said homosexuality should not be considered "an acceptable alternative lifestyle." It was the first time since 1997 that more people expressed opposition than support.

VERY interesting. This could be related to the court ruling, particularly with teh religious right nuts praying to God about the awfulness of the Supreme Court and their backing of unnatural acts. But considering that a rapidly dwindling number of states still have a sodomy law on the books, at least on the local level there SHOULD be a relaxing off attitudes towards gays.

There must be more to this trend, perhaps a response to the more militant in your face gay rights activists and TV's current spate of stereotypical gay portrayals may have something to do with this as well.

[MKSheppard]

There must be more to this trend, perhaps a response to the more militant in your face gay rights activists and TV's current spate of stereotypical gay portrayals may have something to do with this as well.

Militant gay activists should be SHOT. Fucking assholes are responsible
solely for the massive death toll among homosexuals from AIDS.

They fucking short-circuted the government's plans back in the 1980s
to treat AIDS like another infectious disease - quarantine the infectees,
and question that person's close friends, and sexual relations to stop
the spread of the disease, whining that it would be "unfair to gays"...

[Alyrium Denryle]

I wonder how many of the people who are pro-sodomy laws and anti-civil union, have ever actually met and talked to a homosexual...

[Col. Crackpot]

I think it is a matter of the gay community looking within itself and calming down the more 'in-your-face' types. You know the ones i'm talking about. The ones at the head of the Pride Day parade in black leather and dildos who scream 'oppression' when faced with the slightest criticism.

I have news for them. I know your here. I know your queer. I am used to it. As a matter of fact i really don't give a shit. Go be queer, and do it wherever the fuck you want. just stop telling me about it over and over and over.

[Gil Hamilton]

I wonder how many of the people who are pro-sodomy laws and anti-civil union, have ever actually met and talked to a homosexual...

They probably have but didn't know it, since they likely expect gays to act like Jack from Will and Grace.

[Alyrium Denryle]

I think it is a matter of the gay community looking within itself and calming down the more 'in-your-face' types. You know the ones i'm talking about. The ones at the head of the Pride Day parade in black leather and dildos who scream 'oppression' when faced with the slightest criticism.

I have news for them. I know your here. I know your queer. I am used to it. As a matter of fact i really don't give a shit. Go be queer, and do it wherever the fuck you want. just stop telling me about it over and over and over.

To be honest the more militant ones to irritate me... I can make gay jokes about myself...

But people complain about the the "in your face" gays. I am harrssed because I am forward, upfront and casual with my sexuality. I discuss it just like any straight man. Just like anyy straight man will let their friends know if they think a girl is hot, I do the same thing... But when I do it, I am "flaunting my sexualty" Does anyone see the hypocracy in that???

[Mutant Headcrab]

To be honest the more militant ones to irritate me... I can make gay jokes about myself...

But people complain about the the "in your face" gays. I am harrssed because I am forward, upfront and casual with my sexuality. I discuss it just like any straight man. Just like anyy straight man will let their friends know if they think a girl is hot, I do the same thing... But when I do it, I am "flaunting my sexualty" Does anyone see the hypocracy in that???

I don't think there's anything wrong with doing that. Just as long as your not wearing leather and waving a dildo while doing it

[Alyrium Denryle]

never done that...

[Col. Crackpot]

To be honest the more militant ones to irritate me... I can make gay jokes about myself...

But people complain about the the "in your face" gays. I am harrssed because I am forward, upfront and casual with my sexuality. I discuss it just like any straight man. Just like anyy straight man will let their friends know if they think a girl is hot, I do the same thing... But when I do it, I am "flaunting my sexualty" Does anyone see the hypocracy in that???

there is a diference. if a straight guy marched down the street in a silk speedo carrying a dildo yelling obout how he fucks his wife in the ass with it i would be just as offended.

[StimNeuro]

To be honest the more militant ones to irritate me... I can make gay jokes about myself...

But people complain about the the "in your face" gays. I am harrssed because I am forward, upfront and casual with my sexuality. I discuss it just like any straight man. Just like anyy straight man will let their friends know if they think a girl is hot, I do the same thing... But when I do it, I am "flaunting my sexualty" Does anyone see the hypocracy in that???

Straight males typically don't want to hear about someone's sexual assessment of another male. It's similar to a straight male commenting about a women while he is the company of straight women.

[kojikun]

col: i have a major problem with pride parades. people dont go to them to
show the world us 'fags' are normal citizens, they go to them to act like
clowns. i dont care if youre flaming, as long as you ARE flaming, not faking
it. I dont care if youre a cross dresser as long as you ARE a cross dresser. i
dont care if you want to wander abour with a dildo strapped to your front
side, as long as you actually DO wear a dildo whereever you go.

my problem with fakers is that theyre worsening the problem. a non-faker,
someone whos really like that, takes just as much shit as the rest of us, and
isn't doing any harm, tho. if youre a flamer, good for you. but if you do it
just for kicks when at pride parades, fuck you.

[Col. Crackpot]

col: i have a major problem with pride parades. people dont go to them to
show the world us 'fags' are normal citizens, they go to them to act like
clowns. i dont care if youre flaming, as long as you ARE flaming, not faking
it. I dont care if youre a cross dresser as long as you ARE a cross dresser. i
dont care if you want to wander abour with a dildo strapped to your front
side, as long as you actually DO wear a dildo whereever you go.

my problem with fakers is that theyre worsening the problem. a non-faker,
someone whos really like that, takes just as much shit as the rest of us, and
isn't doing any harm, tho. if youre a flamer, good for you. but if you do it
just for kicks when at pride parades, fuck you.

Thank you! I do feel that until the gay community seperates themselves from these whakos, they will forever be associated with them. You know, the city i live in has an openly gay mayor. Biggest city in the country to have one. Does he may an issue of his sexuality day in and day out? no! Hell, he even only showed up at the pride parde for a short time to be polite. When people in the gay community stop being GAY! and start being just your everyday cop/accountant/engineer who just happens to be homosexual, i guarantee that the hostility will deflate so damn fast, it will be mind boggling.
whew, talk about tap dancing through a mindfield....i think i got that out without pissing anyone off permanantly.

[Alyrium Denryle]

To be honest the more militant ones to irritate me... I can make gay jokes about myself...

But people complain about the the "in your face" gays. I am harrssed because I am forward, upfront and casual with my sexuality. I discuss it just like any straight man. Just like anyy straight man will let their friends know if they think a girl is hot, I do the same thing... But when I do it, I am "flaunting my sexualty" Does anyone see the hypocracy in that???

Straight males typically don't want to hear about someone's sexual assessment of another male. It's similar to a straight male commenting about a women while he is the company of straight women.

Does that make it any less hypocritical. I get made fun of by STRAIGHT WOMEN!!!!

[Stormbringer]

Straight males typically don't want to hear about someone's sexual assessment of another male. It's similar to a straight male commenting about a women while he is the company of straight women.

Does that make it any less hypocritical. I get made fun of by STRAIGHT WOMEN!!!!

It does make it awkward and uncomfortable to the other guys. It's not wrong but it will make people uncomfortable.

[StimNeuro]

Straight males typically don't want to hear about someone's sexual assessment of another male. It's similar to a straight male commenting about a women while he is the company of straight women.

Does that make it any less hypocritical. I get made fun of by STRAIGHT WOMEN!!!!

I'll agree that the women are being hypocritical.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Does that make it any less hypocritical. I get made fun of by STRAIGHT WOMEN!!!!

That's odd. Most girls I know, including ze novia, like gay guys because there's none of the pretense of trying to get in their pants, and they can discuss attractive guys together.

But you're probably surrounded with reactionary bigots.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Does that make it any less hypocritical. I get made fun of by STRAIGHT WOMEN!!!!

That's odd. Most girls I know, including ze novia, like gay guys because there's none of the pretense of trying to get in their pants, and they can discuss attractive guys together.

But you're probably surrounded with reactionary bigots.

They do love me because I dont try to fuck them.... But a few still tell e to stop flaunting my homosexuality...

A few of my male aquaintances are like that as well... but yeah they tend to be rather conservative(but VERY hypocritical if you get my meaning )

[Stormbringer]

They do love me because I dont try to fuck them.... But a few still tell e to stop flaunting my homosexuality...

A few of my male aquaintances are like that as well... but yeah they tend to be rather conservative(but VERY hypocritical if you get my meaning )

What don't you get about that making people uncomfortable? You shouldn't have to never talk about it but you ought to realize that it does make some people uncomfortable. It'd be know different than a guy sitting around tell his female friends about girls he think are hot; not a conversation they want to have. It might be a bit hypocritical of them but it's a normal reaction. So just try to take it with a little good grace.



And just judging from your behaviour here, you do go out of your way to let people know you're gay whether they care or not.

[Alyrium Denryle]

They do love me because I dont try to fuck them.... But a few still tell e to stop flaunting my homosexuality...

A few of my male aquaintances are like that as well... but yeah they tend to be rather conservative(but VERY hypocritical if you get my meaning )

What don't you get about that making people uncomfortable? You shouldn't have to never talk about it but you ought to realize that it does make some people uncomfortable. It'd be know different than a guy sitting around tell his female friends about girls he think are hot; not a conversation they want to have. It might be a bit hypocritical of them but it's a normal reaction. So just try to take it with a little good grace.



And just judging from your behaviour here, you do go out of your way to let people know you're gay whether they care or not.

IRL my behavior is toned down... Here I am rather comfortable though, accepting atmosphere and all... I can understand the uncomfortableness(is this even a word? oh well, it is now), but still... doesnt make it any less hypocritical. Doesnt bother me when they discuss who they are attracted to

[Alyeska]

To me the poll indicates that people are tollerant of homosexuals just so long as they don't have to see, hear, or be in contact with them. In reality the poll shows that the publics opinion hasn't changed one bit since the mid 1990s, people were just claiming to be more tollerant when infact they were just glad they didn't have to see gay issues paraded in the news. Some sympathy came about after Mathew Sheppard, but this Texas rulling has people thinking the gays are cramming their ideas down everyones throats again.

The tollerance of the late 90s and early 00s was a sham, people are still as intollerant as they were a decade ago.

[Darth Wong]

To me the poll indicates that people are tollerant of homosexuals just so long as they don't have to see, hear, or be in contact with them.

Agreed. It's just NIMBY syndrome again.

In reality the poll shows that the publics opinion hasn't changed one bit since the mid 1990s, people were just claiming to be more tollerant when infact they were just glad they didn't have to see gay issues paraded in the news. Some sympathy came about after Mathew Sheppard, but this Texas rulling has people thinking the gays are cramming their ideas down everyones throats again.

Agreed again. I am so fucking tired of the way the homophobes claim that for a gay to simply live his life without special restrictions on him is somehow enforcing his will on others. Are gays forcing straight people to become gay? If not, then they're not shoving anything down anyone's throat.

The tollerance of the late 90s and early 00s was a sham, people are still as intollerant as they were a decade ago.

Considering the fact that even races are still largely segregated in America, this is not surprising. How can we progress to acceptance of sexual orientation when people are still hung up on something as unimportant as skin colour?

[Alyrium Denryle]

We really cant...

I cant think of another country with these problems.. even Germany(sorry must mention my favorite foriegn country) they exterminated all their Jews.. and ave made more progress in 60 years than we have made in 300.

[Wicked Pilot]

I wonder what the general reaction would be if the next major Gay Pride parade featured nothing but gays and lesbians walking down the street in business attire, simply smiling and waving.

[Alyrium Denryle]

That would kick ass... IN YOUR FACE STEREOTYPES!

[kojikun]

I wonder what the general reaction would be if the next major Gay Pride parade featured nothing but gays and lesbians walking down the street in business attire, simply smiling and waving.

Carrying a sign that says that they're gay, but nothing else.