Interesting thread on Celebrity...

[Blazerboy]

Thought some of you might be interested in a thread that started today. At first I was really discouraged, but then got some wonderful replies- we do have friends on the "other sdie of the aisle"

Here's the link:
[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=147097554&m=557103552"]Not looking forward to my cruise anymore[/url]

Blazer Boy

[DCT61]

I was a little worried when I first saw it show up this morning...but Im really impressed with the way its turned out. Thanks for all your GREAT comments on the thread. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

INFINITY: 6/6/04

[kwsunset]

I too, thought the tread was heading south. I still think there are people in that thread that would sail with a large group, just not gay. The irony, of course is that it's us who make the ship fun! In fact, I booked two middle aged straight people on the Nov 28, Mille cruise, which has about 400-500 gay men and women on it.
I told them about it and they said that's why they want to go then. Otherwise, they said, it just tired old people.
To be honest, I did not even know there was an "older gay cruise." Who, pray tell, are the admirers??

See you on the TA.(Which, by the way. has IT"S fair share of GLBT.
Michael

MDZ

[zurmolly]

Well folks, some idiot made some VERY nasty remarks about an hour ago. I am sure the thread will be pulled soon. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

[Host Walt]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by zurmolly:
Well folks, some idiot made some VERY nasty remarks about an hour ago. I am sure the thread will be pulled soon. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It was.

Walt Tuthill
Cruise Board Moderator

Contact at [email]Shiptender@aol.com[/email]

[zurmolly]

Walt rocks! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Blazerboy]

Well that's what I get for taking the weekend off from the boards! Missed whatever was pulled. And glad for it. Hope those posters aren't on the Trans.Atlantic with us!

Blazer Boy

[Randy in Arlington]

I saw it too and decided to stay out of it for the time being. It strikes me usually that these things devolve into "talking/shouting AT each other" and not much listening. After all, someone who insists that being gay is a "lifestyle choice" is starting from a wholly different premise from those of us who believe sexual orientation to be more or less innate. All in all too, the positive responses at least balanced, if not outweighed, the negative ones.

And, Blazerboy, from my experience, I don't think I can guess where/when you'll run into nasty types aboard ship. The only negative experience we've had to date was on a Renaissance cruise in the lower Caribbean: St. Vincent and the Grenedines, Bequia. We had our mothers with us. One would think that cruise line and itinerary would have been very upscale and chichi.

Being such a small, yacht-like ship, we had single seat, open dining. First night we were seated with this nasty married couple from Wichita, Kansas. His eyes narrowed and he asked point blank: "How is it you two men know each other?" Only afterwards, after the shock wore off, we both realized the best answer would have been a nonchalant: "Our mothers are lesbian lovers, and they invited us along!"

[Blazerboy]

Yeah, the switch to the new boards seems to have allowed that thread to die. I stumbled on a post by accidentaly accessing the staff only post area, and found what I assume was the removed post. Really offensive. But you know, I do believe in Kharma, so...

The only negative experience I've had was with a couple on a shore excursion, where the husband said "San Francisco used to be great until all the fruits and nuts ruined it..." I mean, what do you say? He and his wife CHOSE to dine with us. Really clueless, and the wife at least had the decency to be mortified. He never understood why he was suddenly so unpopular on that cruise- I DO share stories with my fellow cruisers!

[Treven]

Hope I could find an admirer.

[garykool81]

[quote name='Randy in Arlington']First night we were seated with this nasty married couple from Wichita, Kansas. His eyes narrowed and he asked point blank: "How is it you two men know each other?" [QUOTE]

Was his name Fred Phelps by any chance? (Little joke for those up with politics.)

Gary Kulash
[url]www.badelephant.com[/url]

Carnival Holiday (8/02)
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Celebrity Mercury (10/04)
HAL Zuiderdam (12/04)

[Randy in Arlington]

Yikes, Gary! No, not the Phelps's, thankfully. These two Kansans weren't evil, just philistines. They were also scuba enthusiasts, and later on one of the cruise staff told me that when decked out in wet suits they bore an uncanny resemblance to manatees. From then on, and to this day, they are "Mr. and Mrs. Manatee" to us. I don't even remember their real names.

[Blazerboy]

Randy, LOL!!! As Mame would say, "How vivid!"

The "unfortunate thread," as I'm now calling it, has been revived, and, as unattractive beings have a habit of doing, spawned another! but at least what I've read, it's just your garden variety bigotry, as opposed to the hateful invective form that first weekend. And we have both good people from here debating the issues, and friends and allies over there.

And, FYI, my brother and I were PERSONNALLY picketted by the very wrong Reverend Phelps in Boston one year at the HRC dinner. Takes a bigot preacher from Kansas not to realize that valet parking would be full at the Westin by the time the event started, so all the guests used another entrance. As my brother was chair of the table captains, and I was on the silent auction committee, we pulled into the porte cochere to unload stuff in our two cars. Now all those freaks with him think that all gay men drive Volvo stationwagons and carry potted palms wherever they go! :D Best part was the weather. The Westin wouldn't let them on the property, so they were on the sidewalk, and it was POURING RAIN! Who says thre's no "Devine Justice?" ;)

[Treven]

BlazerBoy: You mean they don't? I always thought "those kind" did just that.
Now I have to go make another appointment with my shrink!!

[garykool81]

For two seasons, Michael Moore had a rather entertaining series on Bravo called "The Awful Truth." One episode involved giving Phelps a taste of his own medicine and confronting him outside of his church, in addition to showing up at protests with a massive R/V that was painted pink, covered in pro-gay banners and bumper stickers, and called the "Sodom-Mobile."

Was quite hilarious to watch Phelps' face drop as he turned around and noticed the sodom-mobile turning the corner and joining his protest LOL.

If you ever get a chance to see it, it's on season one of the show...and it is available on Netflix.