I often ask this question of gays of my age range. I can remember the 80s and 90s (Ancient) Is it more difficult or dangerous to be open about your sexuality now than back then. I say it is!
Being gay and open in society has always been uncomfortable or dangerous but now you hear some horrible stories of what happens to young gays. It maybe that in the 80s and 90s it was a new topic and gays were viewed as "Poor things, they need support and help" Now it has become obvious that being gay is not a rare "condition" and therefore the haters feel threatened. And there are a lot of haters out there!
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I guess I was one of the lucky ones. Nobody ever really cared about my personal preferences when I was growing up, or when I got older............except a couple of rednecked douchebags....but I handled them.
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Tell the whole story.
You're 6'4" and were taller, are a large man who most likely looks like he can pound most people into a mud hole. Of course no one would DARE scream fag at you or show any disrespect to you... That would be a suicide move.
Now I would call you a faggot to your face just hoping you would pound my arse into a mud puddle... but we all know I like my men larger than life ;-)
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I kind of understand what you mean, but one of the first things that my mind thought of was an Oprah show in the late '80s. I think it was right around the time that the whole AIDS epidemic was starting. And there was this huge outcry from a town that, if I remember correctly, had a man with AIDS, and they wanted to get him out of the town. They were saying all kinds of horrible things that in today's US culture would be very un-PC.
There are still stigmas around both being gay and AIDS (and the fear that if you have one, you have the other), but I have seen improvements in education on the topics and people's acceptance towards them.
But that's just from a US perspective. Obviously, places like Uganda have nowhere near the amount of freedom, education, or acceptance.
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OK, you know I read your post earlier (I made some comments at Mr. T) And I have been thinking long and hard about this question.
I recall being a young kid I distinctly recall a bit more hostility that was expressed, typically, by groups of 'straight' men who would use baseball bats or other instruments of education to 'teach' faggots God's 'Love'.
I had three friends who were beaten, for being gay by a gang of individuals, kicked, punched one victim they used a chain on.... not pretty, and there were hospital stays. One who was bashed to death with the tool of education (a baseball bat) over a course of several years.
I also recall fondly how when #2 beat the crap out of me the officers of the Las Vegas police Department expressed their contentment that all was right in the world because as a faggot I got exactly what I deserved.. a sound beating by another faggot who towered over me and had at least 80 pounds on me.
A little over three years later, while at the ER getting a cast put on my arm, I recall that #3 wasn't allowed to come back because he wasn't a member of my family. Which actually was ok because it was he who broke my arm.. perhaps the only time that gay lovers being banished from the ER was actually a welcomed relief by the patient.
No the police were not called I said 'I fell' instead of saying 'that big guy who is wanting to be in here, he broke my arm' because I knew the police would do little to nothing because it was just two faggots, and no one cared about faggots.
The sad thing about the 1980's and the 1990's was that no one talked about the baseball bats, or cops failing to do their jobs. The terrible thing is that media turned a blind eye to any case where a gay man (or woman) was beaten, tortured, killed and various other horrific things as soon as they found out the victim was you know 'that way'....
today a kid gets bullied on the internet for being gay (not 'that way' but acknowledged as gay) people throw up their arms in disgust, screaming, raging at the horrific-ness of it all and have actually a large following of people who want to stop bulling in school.
And every basebat story that takes place, now pretty much hits the front page of most local newspapers as relavant news.
And cops, oh they might believe that the 'faggot got what he deserved' but if they fail to do their job and make a few arrests, they lose their job over that.
So, its the second decade of the 21st century really all that bad, or is it that now we as a society are coming to grips with this, and media are reporting it and people are aware and the majority actually care about this stuff?
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I would never have come out in an 80's or 90's UK. But then I was in the Military.
There are definitely some countries where its more dangerous today then 20/30 years ago (Thinking Africa, Russia etc)
Dangerous in the UK no definitely not. Sure there are some areas in most cities where I wouldn't dream of kissing my partner in public. Maybe thats just me.
Ive been out publicly for the past 12 years, including at work (no longer military)
Quite frankly, us (UK) Gays have never had to so good. Even bullying in schools will be dealt with appropriately if the individual being bullied takes appropriate action.
ObW
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I think that really depends on the area... where I'm from it's definitely safer to be gay than it was a few decades ago.
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it's better now than it was then.
The abuse I took at school and work would never be tolerated now, and if it were, I'd be able to sue them for harassment.
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As and outed 12 year old in 1981 and what I experienced as a result, I would say the environment is a lot more friendly and help and support is readily available. So it is safer in that respect
More or less dangerous? I see less people being murdered for being gay, but more people suiciding because they are gay.
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