Gay Flags

The point is the flag that were up on the streets all represented countries, then all of a sudden you stick a rainbow flag up there? Gimme a break! If you’re proud of being day, thats fine but you do not have to tell everyone at inappropriate times.

I’ve seen lots of neighborhoods that fly flags on the lamp posts that reflect part of the identity of that neighborhood. Around Vancouver BC where I grew up many of the neighborhoods have their own little banner flying down the main road. In a “Chinatown” area it might have a dragon (similarly, in Vancouver’s “Chinatown” the street signs all have Chinese as well as English text), in the Punjabi area it might be something related to Indian culture, just something that happens to reflect part of the identity of that neighborhood. If the neighborhood has a large gay population, then it may be a rainbow flag.

One street in Vancouver has the planets of the solar system on flags at various intersections. I never quite figured that one out, but I guess some astronomy society decided that it would be a fun project.

Don’t other cities do things to “dress themselves up” in fun ways? I know at least two areas in Vancouver where they put up Christmas lights on the trees that line the city streets. Similarly, in the neighborhood I live in in Seattle the bus stop/shelters seem to have been painted in giant murals by children.

I wouldn’t go reading too much into it.

MACE J: That whole flag waving stuff reminds me an old bodybuilding quote:

If you have to flex it, it ain`t there.

Talk about insecurity…

This reminds me of a scene from a movie, Swingers maybe (?), where two groups of dudes exchange words in a restaurant. One group is straight and the other gay. One of the straight guys says something like, “why don’t you guys get your own island?” One of the gay guys replies, “we already have one…you’re on it.” Can’t remember if he’s talking about Long Island or Manhattan, but you get the point.

I have a serious question about this raising the Confederates Flag and showing pride concept. Being from outside the USA my impression is that this goes hand in hand with the typical racist class system that was prevalent in the southern states of the USA for a long time. My questions for conferderate state born and bred people are this:-

  1. Is there still an underlying belief system in your state that whites are superior to blacks? Please state either your view or what you have observed in other people and be honest in your replies. Ie state what your initial response/reaction would be and why?
  2. If the American civil war hadn’t been fought would the southern states today still have withheld vital civil and legal rights from Black people and would you accept living in that type of environment?
    Cheers, Kiwi Observer

Scrub, that movie wasn’t Swingers, it was Boiler Room.

Btw, bbrown, I think you should start another thread for that topic, as it could snowball fast and change topics fast.

bbrown, I’m from the north, but I can tell you that in my experience the confederate flag is basically a symbol for racism that is still somewhat accepted because the flyers of such flags claim that “it’s a symbol of heritage.” However, whenever I ask one of these people what that means, they don’t have an answer. I’m sure it means something else to people that actually have roots in the south and who had ancestors who fought for what they believed in. In other words, maybe not all people who have confederate flags are redneck racists, but in my limited experience that has been the case. Again, I grew up in the north. Come to think of it, I loved the Dukes of Hazzard when I was a kid because I thought they were some cool motherfuckers. I even had the matchbox car with the flag on it. I was too young to know what the flag even stood for, but now I associate it with negativity when I see it. Especially since the only people sporting the flag are hillbillies in jacked up pickup trucks.

Maybe I just don’t know enough about the history. If anyone cares to elaborate on the true meaning of the confederate flag, I’m all ears.

Equating gay people to the Black Panthers or the KKK isn’t valid. Being gay is not a belief system, it’s a sexual orientation. Still, it doesn’t make sense to sport the flag in the same place as the flags of countries.

/Jacob

Then why cant we have straight day or straight pride month this makes no sense. If your proud of being gay thats fine dont shove it in my face all thats going to do is make me not accept it more. I dont shove being straight in your face I dont go around saying hey im straight and im proud of it woohoooo. You insecure people need to quit shoving this in our face.

To bbrown,

I was born and live in Tennessee I have plenty of black and white friends. We are no different than the north most of us don’t think were better than blacks. Although there are some that do. I have seen in my hometown about 10 trucks going down the road at one time hanging conferderate flags from the bed of there truck and think thats wrong. I dont personally agree with it.

Ya’ll know the creators of Southpark are gay, right?

What does that have to do with anything?

comparing gays to the kkk or panthers is perfectly valid. they are a group of like ppl. just because one is based on sexual orientation and the other on world views has nothing to do with the argument. and if one group is allowed to hang a flag in a public place, why not all groups? if there was a ‘straight flag’ anyone waving it would be called a homophobe or whatnot. and so what if someone is a homophobe, whatever happened to freedom of thought? or is that extinct in these oh so PC times?

rumbach, i think you just made a point for the other side if your statement about sp is true. sp constantly makes fun of gays as mentioned above. how come they can have a sense of humor and go with it, instead of crying every time they hear someone say the word gay?

no matter what you choose to do in life you wil be ridiculed for something. you can make fun of me for being a bodybuilder or call me a fucking wop or whatever else you want. who cares? you cant please everyone.

Here’s a news flash guys, Flags have been around a lot longer than countries, as a form not only of representation but of communication.

You know you’re gonna piss off a lot of pirates by telling them they can only have a flag if they’re a country. You’ll also have a hell of a job surrendering too - I suppose you could just wave the stick and hope the other side gets it.

Having a Rainbow flag hanging is no different from having a Stars and Stripes hanging - it merely notes some
measure of self-identification.

Actually, I never understood why people would want to hang their country’s flag outside their house, are they confused about what country they’re living in?

P-Dog, it’s funny because I tried to make that point over and over again in the gay bashing thread. I don’t mind a certain level of dialogue, but theres a breaking point with everything. And the breaking point, for me, had been reached on these forums because gay individuals felt reluctant to post or were turned away by the tone of the forums.

now i dont go around holding flags at parades, but i do have some stickers (mostly up in my room, and a little bi pride & gay pride minibutton) and i throw them up randomly on my blog.
My main reason for wearing a button - its pretty amazing but - people who hate bisexuals/homosexuals tend to avoid me all together (this is good). If some random stranger makes some comments walking by me I can blame it on the button (haha). Its also alot easier than coming out & saying it when you meet some one you’re interested in - who may or may not be straight…

As a teenage female I can tell you that now-a-day when you flirt with a girl it can be considered purely friendly, imagine the look of surprise when you ask them out. If i wear the button & flirt they can tell me they’re not interested ASAP. Saving me & them from later embarrassment, or humilation, or anger, or ruining a future friendship etc. You never know how someone will take it out of the blue.

Also, it sort of sucks making friends with someone awesome, to later have them all out bashing homsexuals later. Once again, people who hate me because of what I do in my private life have the ability to avoid me.

I think the general concensus (at least for me) is that we don’t hate gays here. I don’t hate gays. I have no problem with them, until they get in my face and tell me that I can’t do something or think a certain way.

As I’ve said, I never noticed an anti-gay theme around here until someone made a post that gay-bashing was going on. There were no personal attacks on anyone for being gay, at least to my knowledge.

Rumbach, whether you’re gay or not never crossed my mind. I don’t care. I still used your recipes that you posted on another thread, I would still work out with you, and I may call you a fag - without even caring if you’re gay or not.

the only good thing that has come of these fag flags is that they make neat lil stickers you can stick on your hetero friends cars.lol