Should gay men and lesbians be bracketed together?

[LONDONER]

Topic for discussion:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28130472

[Iceblink]

In the battle for civil rights and discrimination laws, it is the same laws that are going to protect us all as far as sexual orientation goes, so while we may have many differences with lesbians, we kind of need to be in this fight together. One of the reasons that make this battle so difficult is that our numbers together are small compared to the overall population. Start dividing and fighting this battle separately, it is going to be even more difficult.
I also take issue with this quote from the article: "We have absolutely nothing in common with gay men," says Eda, a young lesbian, "so I have no idea why we are lumped in together." First of all, that is absolutely not true. You have much in common with gay men, just as you will find you have much in common with straight women and straight men. We are all human and have much in common. It also feeds right into the idea that all lesbians are alike and that all gay men are alike instead of showing we have as much diversity within our populations as heterosexuals. This is a horrible separatist attitude to highlight our differences from society, not what we have in common. I am not fighting a battle for exclusion, I'm fighting a battle for inclusion.

[TwisttheLeaf]

Ok. I read the article twice and I still don't get it.

That said? I also take issue with the quote from the article.... "We have absolutely nothing in common with gay men," says Eda, a young lesbian, "so I have no idea why we are lumped in together."

Although I am completely confused as to the "separate" vs "lumped together" debate? I live with a lesbian. Or... well she's so far on the bi scale towards the lesbian edge that she's on the cusp yeah? I think that quote is someone talking out their ass. Kind of a "stir the pot" type of bullshit that someone does when they have nothing better to do than... well, "stir the pot". IMO.

[Aike]

It's not really anything but common sense to say that, for example, gays and lesbians experience discrimination in differing ways (as it is to say that not all gay men experience discrimination in the same way), but I don't see a point in organizing separately for each group and protesting separately against each type of oppression. This is the kind of fallacious thinking behind identity politics. Events like Pride do not affirm homogeneity between various groups but rather bring together various groups who do not comply to heteronormativity or prevailing modes of gender. That is to say, what gays and lesbians have in common is the opposition to, the negation of, heteronormativity. It is always crucial to find the common struggle, to organize under the same flag, in spite of the specific differences we have.

[bilkiba]

We may not all be alike, and maybe the acronym is getting long, but we're all fighting the same battle, so I think we should all try to be understanding of each other. I know there are some people within the broad category who disapprove of others, but I never understood why. Just like I don't understand why some people hate our straight allies. Anyone who wants to join the fight is welcome to as far as I'm concerned.

[Virge]

l.g.b.t.t.i.q.q.2.s.a. ???

Oh, please please please please please

Help me hurry and cook a great meal for all those people last week who were on a thread saying how great labels for groups of people were and how much we needed them! I'm preparing a special all you can eat buffet for their wisdom.

Everyday the words below mean more and more to me.

[Iceblink]

Help me hurry and cook a great meal for all those people last week who were on a thread saying how great labels for groups of people were and how much we needed them! I'm preparing a special all you can eat buffet for their wisdom.

Please remember I am on a low-carb, low-salt, egg-free, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, organic diet and am lactose intolerance, have an allergy to peanuts and shellfish, and will not eat any meal prepared with pans or utensils that were ever used to prepare meat products.

[Virge]

Please remember I am on a low-carb, low-salt, egg-free, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, organic diet and am lactose intolerance, have an allergy to peanuts and shellfish, and will not eat any meal prepared with pans or utensils that were ever used to prepare meat products.

It's tofu-crow for Iceblink! and make it a BIG ONE!

..and your joke of a diet is almost like my real diet except for peanuts and salt.

[meninlove]

l.g.b.t.t.i.q.q.2.s.a. ???

Oh, please please please please please

Help me hurry and cook a great meal for all those people last week who were on a thread saying how great labels for groups of people were and how much we needed them! I'm preparing a special all you can eat buffet for their wisdom.

Everyday the words below mean more and more to me.

ROFL!
We need labels when it comes to describing who we are. Saying 'I'm a vegan' is a helluva lot easier than a longer explanation describing it. I think you'll find after full equality happens for all those groups that have banded together, (as alone each of them is much weaker), that the necessity of an umbrella group will no longer be necessary and likely dissipate.
cheers!

Meanwhile, I have to go look after my fur covered mammals that have four legs that don't meow or honk or chirp or live underwater. Or if a label is used - dogs.
*grins happily*

[Virge]

next year it'll be something like

l.d.g.f.n.b.b.c.☞.☜.☝.☟.c.t.±.t.⊥.i.q.q.2.s.a.

to include dikes, fags, nellie bitches, chubby chasers, bears,and everyone else who wants to stand around and finger fucking.