Off Topic! Anyone read Dear Abby today ??

[BEAV]

From today's Dear Abby ....

 

BEING GAY ISN'T AN ILLNESS; DON'T BOTHER WITH A CURE

 

 

 

DEAR ABBY: I have reason to believe that a young man in my family may be gay. (He is 15.) I have been thinking a lot about it lately, and have been wondering if circumcision would cure it. What do you think? -- GRANDMOTHER IN MISSOURI

 

 

DEAR MISSOURI GRANDMOTHER: Homosexuality is not an illness, and therefore there is no need for a "cure." I predict that your family will be happier if you accept your relative exactly the way he is, love him, support him, and stop trying to think of ways to cure him. P.S. Circumcision is a sacred rite of the Jewish religion. If your theory were valid, then there would be no Jewish homosexuals. And yet, among the successful, gay, Jewish men who are "out" are Harvey Fierstein, Michael Feinstein, Barney Frank and David Geffen -- to name a few. (Oops! And let's not forget Isaac Mizrahi.)

[etoile]

*stares in disbelief*

 

Wow. Kudos to Abby for a great response, but the question...wow. That just boggles my mind.

[bepsf]

Good Lord....

 

I sure hope none of us run into that granny on a cruise!

(Or maybe I kinda do...)

:p

[SeaTeacher]

Ignorance (and malaprops) are a social disease!

 

I think granny may have meant to say "exorcism." Which is equally scarry!:eek:

[RMS Olympic]

I was circumsized after birth and knew by age of 5, I was "different".

If this is a cure..then I need to sue for malpractice...because it did not work.

This granny must be related to my family.......who thought all gays should be lined up against a brick wall and shot. Good thing for me I could out run a bullet.

As far as we have come....there is so far to go......

[BEAV]

If this is a cure..then I need to sue for malpractice...because it did not work.

 

Talk about a class action lawsuit! :eek:

[rienreiter]

HA, HA, HA, HA, HA. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA.

 

Hi Brian:

 

If only I could find my doctor so that I could sue for malpractice because something did not work. I sure am glad I don't have a grandmother (or any other relative for that matter) as "concerned" as this granny. I wonder what treatment I should seek now. Should I sleep with a woman? Then I'll sue her parents because she was not woman enough to convert me.

 

Oh my! The things that some people think and say. I think that some people choose to be ignorant.

 

Regards, Juan

[West Coast]

Oy, to be circumcised at 15! What is she thinking?

[Joe and Ivan]

About 50 years ago, our Uncle Bill's longtime companion went to a physician and asked what he should do about the fact that he was attracted to other men. The answer from the physician was that he should be castrated. So, it seems we're making progress now with a suggestion for circumcision in lieu of castration! Needless to say, Donald no longer trusted this physician for further advice.

 

Ivan

[tommyandjeremy]

I just read this post and am terrified that this type of mentality still exists. It seems that our society has come a long way compared to 10 or even 5 years ago, but reading something like this makes me question that. As a high school teacher, I see more and more teens coming out and I sometimes wonder what type of family background they have, and whether or not they have parents or guardians as sick as the one that wrote that letter.

[etoile]

I don't think the grandmother is necessarily sick. She's just misinformed. Of course, it's disturbing that she not only knows so little about homosexuality that she wants to "cure" it, but it's also disturbing that she knows so little about the human body that she thinks circumcision would change somebody's sexual orientation! But I got the feeling that she just wants what is best for her grandson...unfortunately her ideas of what's best are rather misguided.

[Treven]

Good Lord....

 

I sure hope none of us run into that granny on a cruise!

(Or maybe I kinda do...)

:p

Now,now, you can't pull a Mr. Smith with her!!

[02143]

I think Dan Savage has cited Ann Landers and Dear Abby for being way ahead of the curve in encouraging their readers to love and accept gay relatives. 1970s or earlier.

[Steven_&_Daniel]

I've always felt that the greatest proponent for gay rights (and acceptance of gay people) is time.

 

Young people today are much more accepting and openminded. The majority of anti-gay people seem to be older. (Of course there are always exceptions to both of these statements.) Every generation that comes along is more accepting than the generation before. Each person is a product of their environment and evolution takes time.

 

The point I'm trying to make (and not doing a very good job of it) is that we basically have to wait for a few more generations to die off before things are going to change. When the younger more open-minded people are the seniors of society, change and acceptance will finally take place.

 

I know when I was growing up on a small mid-western tobacco farm, I would never have imagined the possibility of living in suburbia with a partner of 15 years and getting along quite well with neighbors, family, and in-laws (or is that out-laws?).

[bepsf]

I've always felt that the greatest proponent for gay rights (and acceptance of gay people) is time.

 

Young people today are much more accepting and openminded. The majority of anti-gay people seem to be older. (Of course there are always exceptions to both of these statements.) Every generation that comes along is more accepting than the generation before. Each person is a product of their environment and evolution takes time.

 

The point I'm trying to make (and not doing a very good job of it) is that we basically have to wait for a few more generations to die off before things are going to change. When the younger more open-minded people are the seniors of society, change and acceptance will finally take place.

 

I know when I was growing up on a small mid-western tobacco farm, I would never have imagined the possibility of living in suburbia with a partner of 15 years and getting along quite well with neighbors, family, and in-laws (or is that out-laws?).

 

Here's to sweeping the cranky oldsters overboard!

:rolleyes: ;)

[johnsfo]

First of all, thank you Brian for this post. Personally, I find it difficult about what to think regarding such a misinformed woman. I am orginally from Pittsburgh, Pa and ran away to the Navy--shockingly enough, to expect to become straight at a young and tender age of 18--not to mention, at a certainly different time in gay acceptance (both for hetros and homos)--1958. Nedless to say that did not work. So after spending four years in the 'canoe club,' I moved to NYC and matured into a wholesome gay man. Living on Christopher Street, no less. After living in NYC for 24 years my partner (of 12 years) and I moved together to San Francisco. The point of my detailed post is that, I believe, that gay men and women most probably have to live in an area with their own tribe to be comfortable both with their surroundings and with whom they are. I have recently read that gay men and women have found confortable places in areas of the country that I would not live in. This is a different day and I say good for them. Back to the post--I am very happy that the woman was given good advice. The truth will set you free! John & Bob

[Joe and Ivan]

Today's Dear Abby column strongly supports a man who refuses to serve as the best man at his brother's wedding. "How can I handle this without turning it into something that could overshadow what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life?" Abby says,

 

 

"DEAR DISAPPOINTED: By respecting your brother's decision, and reminding your bride-to-be that accepting the status quo is not always the best thing to do. Women were once considered chattel, and slavery was sanctioned in the Bible. However, western society grew to recognize that neither was just. Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain have recognized gay marriage, and one day, perhaps, our country will too."