'Can homophobia be cured?'

Can homophobia be cured? Thomas Betham - 47th post - 7 Nov 2004 15:25
The General Medical Council tells doctors, including psychiatrists: "You must not allow your views about patients' lifestyle, culture, beliefs, race, colour, gender, sexuality, disability, age or social or economic status to prejudice the treatment you provide or arrange." This is mandatory. Any practitioner who regards homosexuality as deviant behavior would be liable to disciplinary action or being sacked.
Perhaps one day there will be a psychiatric cure for homophobia. [reply] [Complain about this post]

re: Can homophobia be cured? Little Richardjohn - 296th post - 8 Nov 2004 15:22
Destroy the traditional institutions of marriage and the family?
If only. Two poisonous fabrications of Victorian industrialism which have been obsolete since 1945. Idyllic fantasies of a class devoted to orthodoxy and the elevation of property values above all human concerns. If only there was a Gay lobby able to bring about this glorious liberation.
But sadly, there isn't. Homosexuality is not a threat to the nuclear family, but it is one of the first refugees from it. As usual, in your quaint old reactionary way, you have things the wrong way around. The visibility of the gay lifestyle is due to the breakdown of credibility in the nuclear family, it is not the cause of it. And most people find it exciting - new - -varied - intriguing. As they do with most new cultural experiences. Not everyone tho.
There is no conspiracy to destroy your lovely dream. It's just real life. So you'd better get used to it. It is not going to go away.
This all reminds me of my Grannie raving at the BBC showing pictures of Caribbean immigrants on the news in the 50's. 'If they have to be here, then they have to, But why do we have to keep looking at them?'
Same thing. [reply] [Complain about this post]


re: Can homophobia be cured? Trebor Extra Strong Mint - 241st post - 8 Nov 2004 16:49
-It's just real life. So you'd better get used to it. It is not going to go away. -
Sorry but what my wife and I have is real life,( sorry yours has failed so miserably), and it is us that will always be here. That, if you bother to read it, is the point of my post. I am not saying homosexuals should 'go away', I am saying that the current trend of liberal fascism (of which various 'Gay' pressure groups are a part) will by virtue of their illiberal attitudes and methods alienate those on the left who once supported them. I am not alone on this board thinking this, it is a timely warning.
Sadly your last paragraph in which you dishonour your grandmother indicates to me you are of this liberal fascist tendency and will gladly undo the good work real liberals have done for homosexuals with your strident megaphone from the rooftops ways. It also shows the fascist trait of putting words into people mouths that they never have any notion to say, just to prove that you are right! Conflict that's the name of the game, well don't blame us old liberals of the left when Howard starts passing laws against this 'liberal' fascism. We told you so! [reply] [Complain about this post]


re: Can homophobia be cured? Little Richardjohn - 300th post - 8 Nov 2004 17:59
So yours is the only reality.
No other mode of behaviour qualifies.
Scary.
Which convinces me that when you talk about 'current trends of illiberal fascism of which Gay pressure groups are a part' you need to get out more.
Fascism is defined by its homogeniety. And to say that what YOU have is real life is to be about as homogenous as it gets. Real life now includes any way of living the individual can manage or imagine. And very good thing too. Sorry it seems like too much fun. Take it up with the Ombudsman or your local council. It's no use raving about it. Diversity simply isn't going to go away because it has always been here.
There are people out there who would make your hair curl if you knew what they get up to. Most people actually want to find out. (Watch some TV) Because most people are curious about other people and would like to know how they go about solving the problem of life. But not you.
You are in the minority who wants everything to be like it was when it was nice. The trouble with that view is that it never was nice, it only seems nice because it is unattainable.
This is sheer paranioa, nothing more.
I honour my gran by reporting what she said. Her words might echo down the ages in someone's heart, some impressionable young person hoping to find the answers to life's conundrums on this humble board.
The trouble with your style of prose is the constant jargon and cliche (not to mention the unprovoked insults) almost totally obliterate any real sense. So we have to deduce what you mean almost all the time. And it makes for scary reading. You may 'not have a notion' - but it's what your words imply. It's what you mean. [reply] [Complain about this post]


re: Can homophobia be cured? David McD - 69th post - 8 Nov 2004 17:06
Little Richardjohn,
There are two flaws in your analysis. Firstly marriage has been around in our society for at least 100 generations, maybe a lot longer and is nearly universal across most of humanity. Secondly, we boring monogamous married types tend to reproduce ourselves and the far more exciting “Gay” homosexual types do not. So in the long run we have won. I just hope too many people do not get hurt in the meanwhile.
Bad luck! [reply] [Complain about this post]


re: Can homophobia be cured? Little Richardjohn - 299th post - 8 Nov 2004 17:36
So what? God has been around for 1000's of generations. We don't believe in that mumbo any more. Ignorance and insularity and persecution and cannibalism have been around longer. We don't condone them as 'Traditional'. We try to become more human not more reptilian.
Your brand of reproductive model is a specifically Victorian one. You call it boring, not me. I called it poisonous. And for many that is exactly what it was. Not to mention the rigid roles it placed on the partners involved. The woman who knew her place, the gallant breadwinner. All that guff.
The family structure varies from culture to culture and from age to age. Correct me if I'm out, but how many wives did Abraham and Solomon have? Go to Tahiti - please go to Tahiti - the pre-Victorian family strucure was very different from the one imposed by the missionaries.
So your idea of the uniform, unshakeable nuclear family throughout history simply isn't history.
If you've 'won' what's your problem? Why is it about winning and losing. That's not a cultural take on the question but a sporting one. I don't understand the premise. Is this some sort of contest between gay and straight. Is that what you're saying? What is the prize? And what are the rules? [reply] [Complain about this post]