Just wondering if other people have had similarly bad experiences besides me...

Yesterday, on a Tennessee board, I responded to someone's post about how they thought it was awful that some people complain about a tribute to Reggie White on football helmets using his number and an orange cross.

Long story short, I said that while Reggie was very vocal with his religious beliefs ( remember how he spouted off to the Wisconsin Legislature, and made some very homophobic remarks)I asmired his working with inner city folks, trying to get them out of poverty.

Well, then I get accused of playing the "gay card" because I am openly gay, and I do relate to other people with the perspective of a gay man.

One bigot even went so far as to compare it to coming onto a board and proclaiming the joys of Klan membership!

Anyway, am I the only one? I'm so glad to have found THIS board!

MV/Paul

The comparison of your perspective as a gay man and someone belonging to a violent, hateful organization is incoherent, but not surprising. It's a lazy, spurious, and insulting comparison that attempts, in the clumsiest way possible, to demonize homosexuals and compare us to a hate group, when the very people making the comparison are the hateful ones.

Are you supposed not to think of things from the particular subject position, the identity or identities, you inhabit? It's a problem if you never try to see the other side, or other perspectives (since there is usually more than one side to most things in life), but starting from where you are appears only to be a problem if you're gay, or black, or poor, or anything other than what's considered the norm. And each identity is supposed to cancel the others out, which is also ridiculous. Hell, just because someone is a Yankees fan doesn't mean he or she can't occasionally see the world through the eyes of a Red Sox or Mets supporter (well, maybe it does, but...).

Personally, I was sorry to hear that Reggie White, for all his anti-gay testerics, and ignorant blather on race and ethnicity, had died. The man was only in his early 40s. It was always my hope that he might eventuually look at the BIBLE a bit more closely as he got older, and realize that Christ's overriding message was one of love, humility, charity, acceptance, and tolerance, not the ferocious malevolence he and his wife liked to spew. Maybe he'll get to do that extra reading in heaven or wherever he ends up.

FT, excellent post!!

Indeed, a good post. That is why I told my lil' story *BRIEFLY*, as the rejection from the straight folks still hurts after all these years.

Things like "Chosen Lifestyle" still makes me angry!

I've stumbled onto "those other sports sites" occasionally and have found some surprisingly open-minded commentary.

Admittedly the commentator(s) may be gay but that would be all the more encouraging in a sense, because the reactions generally are pretty much PC.

I even recall one site where an obviously ignorant anti-gay statement was made and several self-professed straight posters nailed him/her pretty hard.

Sad to read how you were treated MarylandVol, and I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there who will believe being gay is a choice no matter what.

But keep in mind that the internet has presented a space for people to make some very asinine comments from the obscurity of anonymity. Abuse of that opportunity is inevitable, and can occur even here.

I hereby nominate this comment for Official Outsports Understatement of 2005!

I am a regular poster on Hornfans. While a lot of my posts are intended to mess with the minds of the heterosexual boys around there, wherever I do post regular posts my views are always respected, and if someone gets out of line there are plenty of gay friendly people around there that come to my defense.

I was on a non-gay sports board once and had a negative experience. Some guy kept ranting about cheerleaders should be nude or wearing even less. He was a moron, well I piped in that perhaps we should have the football players wear a little less to entice more female and homosexual fans to the game.

My comment was in jest to expose how stupid his comments were. Well he imediately pegged me for a homo and regardless of where I posted he would stalk me and leave horrible ignorant remarks as the very next post. Some folks defended me, but the opperators of the board must have agreed since they did nothing about it. I eventually moved on and left the board. You just can't win with those kinds of idiots.

Ummmmmm, I want More CHEERLEADERS WITH BIG BOOBIES! Jumping up and down.... I dont think you should be a cheerleader unless you got a NICE AZZ RACK.

Hmmm...I was thinking I'd rather see a nice hard set of pecs with a big package bulging - how about male cheerleaders in kilts (and nothing else!)

The hell with the male cheerleaders, how about putting the defensive line is just jocks and helmets.

I could live with that!

How about just jocks? Granted, the game would have to be modified a bit so as to not result in serious injury...and I suppose there should be a panel of judges (for which I would gladly volunteer) to determine the appropriate body type to go onto the field. Cause some of those guys you would NOT want to see in a jockstrap.

If just jocks, then oil them up as well.

THAT I would buy a seasons ticket for.

When I used to post on Hornfans.com, I'd get homophobic crap all of the time. I got sick of it and stopped posting for a long time. I ended up going back but got banned soon after...but for other reasons. And to think, two of my former friends are the owners of Hornfans. Very disappointing.

If you REALLY wanna know what happened that caused me to toss the towel and say "forget it - I'm over it"

http://www.volhouse.com/forums/index.php?s...t=0&#entry65668

And he's the moderator?!? eek!

"Man of Christ," my eye. Wonder if Reggie found time to pull that log outta his own eye.

Besides, the moderator's sig graphic was extremely offensive and distasteful. wink

And now you better understand why I no longer wish to grace that board with my presence. Happier here with you folks! There are a few there that are reasonable people, but even the Admins sided with their moderator and had the nerve to try to shame me for having a differing opinion, and accusing me of playing the 'gay card' in every thread was just a big ole lie.

:mad:

Something about "pearls before swine" comes to mind. Some people will never understand the difference between behavior and orientation. I am curious about the guy who says he "chose to be straight". So does he make that choice every morning or did it happen just the once? Could he change it whenever he wants, like a tie?

Shock of shocks! Today, I received an apology from the Volhouse board, and an invitation to come back. It's nice to feel wanted! I'm still gonna be here, too, but thought you might like to know there was a happy ending!

MarylandVol that is just too cool. Makes my day a little brighter.

MarylandVol- I just found this thread but I have the same problem over on Gator Country. Their political section is so filled with hate it is almost unbelievable. It was a serious eye opener. But I do find in the football section that it is a little homophobic and there was a thread about Reggie that got much more heated then yours. Funny but there are actually 3 or 4 guys that claim they are straight but take a pretty pro-gay view on things. I have never posted anything about being gay. I enjoy posting there too much to rock the boat. So I speak my mind about football related things and leave it at that!