Just throwing this out there

[TitoFan]

I don't see how holding a Pride parade for one day a year can be interpreted as a lifestyle, sexual preference or gender belief being pushed on society as a whole. Surely that is evidence of the complete opposite? I mean it's one day and you can quite easily avoid it if you want to.

No. Having one parade a year does not, on its own, constitute a lifestyle, sexual preference or gender belief being pushed on society. Yes. They can be easily avoided if you want to. However, the parade is just an outwardly expression of the whole movement, isn't it. It's a very public, press-covered event. The vast majority of parades, to my knowledge, at least attempt to operate within some bounds of common decency. Obviously if a group wanted to parade down Main Street while stark naked and performing acts of bestiality with a variety of farm animals, I'm pretty sure the authorities would have a bit of a problem with that. Freedom of expression be damned, I tend to give the human race a bit of credit when it comes to knowing where to draw the line.

Also, it's not just the parade for parade's sake, is it. It is the celebration of how the whole movement has taken a life of its own. Which goes back to part of what that annoying bloke on the video was saying. Getting past the fact that the guy may very well be homophobic himself, I wouldn't trash the whole message just because the guy probably doesn't like gays. All many of us have been forever been trying to say is that civil rights movements can exist without the aggressive nature of the LGBTQ agenda.

If an organization such as GLAAD itself says that the percentage of youth being turned off by the LGBTQ movement has risen, it shouldn't be taken as an affront against the rights of gay people, or a call to arms. It should be taken like any other survey or study should be taken.... at face value and for whatever message is being delivered. The question should be, "Why is this the case?" I'm not here to provide the answer nor is that part of the purpose of this post.

I don't think that kids are that easy to influence or shock even by gay men in g-strings. Most kids would either ignore it or just laugh.

Ok that is your opinion and you are totally entitled to it. I on the other hand believe kids are very easily influenced. Their minds are still pliable. Those are the forming years for the rest of their lives. Men in g-strings humping each other down the street? I doubt they'd just ignore it..... depends on the age I guess. Most would probably ask a million "why's" on the way home, and it would serve the parents right for taking them to see a Pride parade in the first place.

I mean should women in straight parades of celebration never wear skimpy bikinis and see thru clothing or is it just the men who should put some clothes on?

No one is differentiating between men and women here, and we both know that is a deflection tactic that rarely works.

I am probably far more dispassionate and certainly less demonstrative than you in person for many reasons, some cultural , some to do with personality but you often mistake black, matter of fact , very British humour as an attack.

Sure there might be some of that. But we should be careful not to use that cultural difference stuff as a crutch. I consider myself pretty adept at being able to differentiate between a different sense of humor, and a personal jab dressed up as humor. I'm sure you'd probably say the same things about yourself.

Fenster, your favourite person, is much more laconic than me but i can see a lot of humor in what he writes.

Laconic would be but one of several words I could add, but yeah.... seems accurate enough.

I don't know when to shut up and use a hundred words where one would do, so I apologise for rambling and hope you have a lovely weekend untroubled by gyrating men in ball sacks.

Not to worry. After sifting through volumes upon volumes of your heated arguments with Lyle and Miles.... I'm aware you're prone to extensive prose.

Also nice ending quip. But again not to worry. In my list of "to do" things, I'm pretty sure watching a Pride parade is somewhere between watching the grass in my backyard grow..... and inviting Fenster out for a beer.

[p4pking]

Sigh.