kohlrak: I could argue all against this, but it would be going down the rabbit hole and allow you to dodge the acutal point that was being made: that the pride stuff, racial history studies, etc, only reinforces group mentality which in turn upsets the out group which in turn keeps the groups against each other.
rojimboo: Speaking of dodging the actual point and appeals to emotion - you didn't even bother replying to my (admittedly lengthy) post content and were instead content to divulge some personal anecdotes to...what? Prove a point? I'm not sure anymore.
Why should i stick to your point when you can't even stick to mine? You don't get to change the topic then complained that i derailed.
Look, your *entire* point relies on the fact that your way of equality (which is allowing the powerful majority responsible for persecuting the minorities to continue business-as-usual) would work. News flash - it doesn't and it hasn't. There's still a ridiculous amount of inequality and prejudice in the world and no matter how loud you shout 'true equality for all! no discrimination against straight white men!' it will still be the case, unless we do something about it. That something is equity.
As continued to be demonstrated for all to see, sure.
Pride and the celebration of minorities fits right into that. Why do we celebrate it? Why do *you* think that is? The common argument (which I will no doubt hear from you soon) is that why aren't we celebrating straight people too? Surely we are all equal? Why are the LGBTQ+ people 'special' and deserve 'special' treatment? I'd like to hear your answer to this, because the actual answer is very simple and clear for many people. Empathy, solidarity and compassion, hint.
What we generally celebrate is people overcoming something. But pride appears to be moving away from that. And, same with black history month. Instead, we keep getting told how no one overcame. Wouldn't that mean we're celebrating a little early?
The fact that you think this celebration 'keeps the groups against each other' showcases that you think the prejudiced in the majority are so rigid and brainwashed and stuck in their ways, that nothing will deter them from hating fellow human beings based on anything non-conforming. Well, some people have more faith. It's not the fault of the victims that inequality is perpetuated, or prejudice. You can't just go "Well, if they kept it in their bedrooms, out of sight, we would all get along'. No. That's you burying your head in the sand and allowing injustice to keep occurring. You wouldn't say anti-semitism is the fault of Jewish people, now would you? Same thing here. It's not the fault of people celebrating Pride that people hate it and turn against them, the blame is squarely on those people themselves.
Oh goodie, i said something about keeping it in their bedrooms? Why does anyone think that I have a problem with gay people or something? The non-straight people i interact with the most see pride as an insult. They push back, themselves. Imagine being these people for a minute that turn around and have to say "no, I don't support hating on gay people, as I am gay" or "no, I agree the age of consent for both sex and medical treatment is 18." I can imagine the poor trans people right now saying "no, i don't believe you should conform to my whims if you don't like what is beneath my skirt." And the whole marketing behind it is an insult to them, too. Pride used to be wholesome, back in the day.
kohlrak: I mean, we could talk about these things, but my guess is it's all from some classroom instead of down in the dirt. Do you even know what poor is like?
etc
You think we are discussing some hypotheticals from some social studies class? That's why you went on with your personal anecdotes (that actually were really hard to follow and had little semblance of a point)? Real people are affected, and many draw upon what they write from their own experiences, or friends' or families'. Just because I'm not sharing my childhood story and detailed income level and bracket growing up, doesn't invalidate my points.
You're right, an argument is independent of the speaker. But, you're not exactly known for not trying to throw authority around. Frankly, I have doubts to all the sentiment i keep hearing. I just keep seeing people who pride themselves on their education, status, etc, all going around telling people how they know how to fix a problem, but no one else does. The whole hubris of it all, and often times these people are so separated from the impoverished it's questionable they even know what poverty looks like. And this can be said of pretty much anyone in the west compared to third world countries, but if we're going to use a western standard for western countries, i still doubt those shouting that they know the solution have any connection to what's going on. For all the words and money that get thrown at the problem, it sure as hell never seems to be getting better. In fact, for some reason things seem to be getting worse on the racism front, but i'm sure scapegoats X, Y, and Z to blame.
I mean, common, dirt's dirt. Nothing can go wrong extending the homestead act so people start tilling a bunch of dirt in dry territory. You see, the experts have it all figured out. There's no possibility that they left something unaccounted for.
morolf: I disagree, the "T" part in LBGTQ+ is a huge problem imo. This isn't about tolerance of homosexuals anymore, about granting them the right to civil unions or marriage etc. (which is indeed probably relatively uncontroversial by now in most Western countries), it's about forcing all of society to accept an ideological agenda with very dubious tenets ("more than two genders", "gender has no basis in biology" etc.). And there's real harm involved here. Do you really believe it's natural that it suddenly seems to be a thing among teenagers (teenage girls especially) to believe they're trans? Do you really believe it's good to encourage them to take hormones and have irreversible surgeries (which, to put it bluntly, involve the amputation of body parts)?
To claim this is just about tolerance in a "live and let live" sense is quite disingenuous imo, it has moved well beyond that.
kai2: T is a difficult subject...
... but some gender ambiguity has been with humanity since the inception of society.
To disregard this would be intellectually dishonest.
In fact traditional Polynesian cultures revered males who lived in the female role... but again, these people worked for their society, not undermine it.
The problem today is...
... "transsexual" transition was meant for those with persistent and debilitating cross-gender feelings (dysmorphia). This was meant as a treatment primarily for people born with some level of DSD (disorder of sexual development). As can be imagined, this group was VERY small and seemed to have relatively good outcomes.
In the late 1990's...
... a transvestite (a person who derives sexual pleasure from dressing as the opposite sex) coined the term "transgender" in order to get the ability to "transition." (prior to this transvestites were not permitted to transition per the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care). The "transgender" community exploded since there are far more "transvestites" than "transsexuals."
The medical / psychological establishment adopted "transgender" and in the mid 2000's lowered rules for medical transition to allow transition with fewer and fewer "checks and balances." As this has occured, young people -- who already feel uncertain of their bodies, roles, and places in society have gravitated toward transgenderism.
So, with that said...
... you may be surprised to find that many "transsexuals" believe in the gender binary (they wish to be part of society), believe in rigorous "gatekeeping" prior to transition (to make certain they are benefiting their lives and truly entering the role they are meant to live), and cannot understand the "transgender" or "non-binary." In fact many see those groups as undermining the medical and legal validity of transition.
So, when talking of "T"...
... yes, the current "transgender" radicals are problematic for many reasons, but there is much more in the "T" than you might think
If it were me, I'd be looking hard at the medical establishment for their reasons for making giant, life-altering changes easier and easier for people young and younger with other underlying issues.
Given the amount of support for those who actually make no changes, jsut simply declare pronouns, i'm gonna go with this being part of the church of post-modernism. It's not enough that we let someone be, but somehow not seeing someone the way they want to be seen is somehow harming that person.