Archie comics to introduce openly gay character

[dark-weezing.livejournal.com]

I have no real opinion about the matter, but I'm sure some of you might with the injection of the LBGT agenda. Special thanks to The Four Color Media Monitor blog. (For those unfamiliar, it's a good conservative opining site about today's modern comics.)

Link: http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/news/2010/04/archie-comics-introduces-first-openly-gay-character.html

Update: Our mod, sopdetly, via the Comments, poses a few essential questions:

No, but seriously. I'll ask it here because I trust y'all: What is this gay agenda I hear so much about, from your perspective? What exactly do you think all the gays are getting together and plotting?

And to be specific to the topic in the post, what about a long-running comic series suggests "GAY AGENDA" to you? Is it simply that they've put an openly gay character into the series? Is it that they're making a point to make sure everyone knows?

Fair questions all, so feel free to address them in your own comments, as well. As I type this, Mark Steyn is referencing this on Rush, now. How about that?

Comments

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

Whatever you think is bestest.

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

After considering, I think I shall respond here! (Apologies to dark_weezing for hijacking the thread so much!)

As I said, I think I’m a good one to reply here because in the past I've thought the exact same way. I was proud of myself when I was straight, it didn’t seem to make sense why such a thing should be so silly. Why couldn't there be a "Straight Pride" celebration? But I get it now. I get why the idea of "Straight Pride" makes many gay folks roll their eyes, if not feel downright insulted.

I remember when I was a young thing, in elementary school, we were talking about how Grandparents Day was coming up. How it was like Mothers and Fathers Days, but for our grandparents. And I really clearly remember asking, "Why isn't there a Kids Day?" And I clearly remember the answer: "Because every day is Kids Day."

That didn't make sense when I was 7, but of course now I understand that. Because parents devote their lives to their kids, kids get priority, and kids don't realize that, which is why there are days created to make sure they remember and maybe, just for one day, understand just how much their parents and grandparents do for them.

People scoff at the idea of "Straight Pride" because every day is Straight Pride day. A man and a woman can walk down any street at any time holding hands, maybe with their arms around each other, obviously in love. Same sex couples do not always have that luxury everywhere, not without having to put up with preparing to deal with rude stares or angry looks or name-calling, or maybe even worse. I'm not talking about uncomfortable PDA, mind, just minimal indications that they are not just friends. A straight person can talk easily about their spouse or boy/girlfriend at work without even thinking about it. A gay person needs to decide if being open and out is worth it at work.

But at Pride, there's no deciding if you should be in the closet or not. Couples who hide their affection in public 51 weeks a year can go somewhere and be relaxed about expressing their feelings. Single people can go and know that the cute girl in shorts is far more likely to be receptive to attentions from another girl than from a boy. I've never been, but I am considering to going up to one near me this year, just because I think it would be a really great experience to just feel so at ease for a change.

Granted, some people really get relaxed and flamboyant and can just be super super fabulous, and the media grabs hold of that and makes it seem like Gay People Be Crazy Scary at Pride. I often wonder just how much those folks do more harm than good—sort of like how the rare fringe elements of the Tea Party movement get turned into a picture of the entire movement by the media.

I think most GLBT folks, including myself, look forward to a day when Pride isn't necessary, because we can walk down the street holding our significant other's hand without worrying about what people might do or say or think. But until then, I now understand why Gay Pride exists, and why Straight Pride doesn't.

I hope that makes sense. At the base of it all, it's not about shoving our sexuality into straight people's faces. Some people use it as an excuse to do that, to make people uncomfortable, but I honestly think that for most people who participate, it's just about feeling safe and comfortable, to try and feel the way most of the world can feel all the time.

[pastygothchick.livejournal.com]

I hope that makes sense. At the base of it all, it's not about shoving our sexuality into straight people's faces. Some people use it as an excuse to do that, to make people uncomfortable, but I honestly think that for most people who participate, it's just about feeling safe and comfortable, to try and feel the way most of the world can feel all the time.

Thank you for this perspective. I can understand that and find common ground. I'm a total geek and most of the time I feel like a freak unless I'm at a geek place and then it feels like home.

[ohinternets.livejournal.com]

Yes, that description reminded me very much of what it's like for me to go to a science fiction convention. *g*

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

Exactly! I feel the same way at Harry Potter conferences. :D I handle getting looked at like a totally spazzy nerd most of the time, and think fondly of the upcoming week where I'll get to dress like a wizard and shout spells at people, with no one batting an eye.... LOL

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

No one stops homosexuals from living their lives. I am so tired of hearing that. Until I lost my home in September, I lived in Boystown for nearly four years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boystown,_Chicago

Imagine that, an entire neighborhood of Chicago known for its high homosexual population. It was a mixed group of people - gay, straight, young families, singles, various races, etc. Unless craziness went on after I went to bed, I never saw any problems or had any problems with anyone in the entire four years I was there. In fact, I kept hearing it was a wild party area, but I suppose the partying goes on after I'm asleep because again, I never saw a thing. Except for the Pride Parade, which basically shuts down the entire neighborhood. I know, because I was caught in the middle of it last year, literally unable to cross the street to get back to my apartment.

we can walk down the street holding our significant other's hand without worrying about what people might do or say or think. But until then, I now understand why Gay Pride exists, and why Straight Pride doesn't.

Maybe it depends on the city, but they already do that and no one cares! Who is putting people in jail or beating them in the streets or even saying anything to them? Nowhere that I've seen. Homosexuals are constantly saying this, and yet no one is stopping them from anything.

But that doesn't seem to be good enough. What they want is for those of us who are straight to approve of it and agree with it and say it's okay. In other words, COMPLETE societal acceptance. I'm sorry, but those of us in that camp cannot and will not do so. People are free to do what they want. What they are not free to do is force me to agree with it.

I get why the idea of "Straight Pride" makes many gay folks roll their eyes, if not feel downright insulted.

I don't know if this is a widespread view or simply what you've experienced among people you know. I've never heard this before, but then, I have not sought out information about it either. Whatever the case, it's my first time hearing this view.

But if this the common, widely held view among homosexuals, then I as a straight person find it insulting that the homosexual community would even think of constantly talking about intolerance shown to them, while seeing no intolerance in this attitude toward the straight community. <--- long sentence is long

Eye opening, indeed.

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

I know what Boystown is. Philly has the Gayborhood. Many major cities have these sorts of neighborhoods. They also have Little Italy, Chinatown, etc. It almost sounds like you're suggesting that all gay people should live in certain areas of major cities, or else it's our own fault if they don't feel completely at ease.

The city is a totally different beast. It is totally different. When there are millions of people, yes, it's easier to walk around holding the hand of another girl.

But I don't live in the damn city. A lot of gay people don't live in the city. We live in suburbs. Or we live in rural towns. We live in places where it's harder to go unnoticed. We live in places where it's not so damn simple. And yes, we accept that as part of living somewhere that we love—I, personally, would hate living in a city and don't plan to ever do so if I can avoid it—but that's why having events like Pride are important.

Trust me: if you go into a room of gay people and seriously suggest that there should be "Straight Pride", they will roll their eyes and, if they are feeling kind, simply ask you politely to get out.


You, as a straight person who, as you yourself admit, lived in the gay-friendly part of a city really have no cause to tell other gay people what they have or haven't experienced. Since that's basically the rest of your comment, I really have nothing else to say.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

It almost sounds like you're suggesting that all gay people should live in certain areas of major cities, or else it's our own fault if they don't feel completely at ease.

I haven't said or even implied that, so do not accuse me of it.

Trust me: if you go into a room of gay people and seriously suggest that there should be "Straight Pride", they will roll their eyes and, if they are feeling kind, simply ask you politely to get out.

And if they're not "feeling kind", what? Beat me up?

You want to be proud of who you are (although sexual behavior is only a small part of who anyone is) and yet if others would wish to do the exact same thing, that's a cause to roll your eyes, tell the person to leave their presence, or worse? Talk about complete intolerance! Wow. Even I wasn't expecting that, and certainly not from you since you're more tolerant than many people about all sorts of things. But thank you for making that clear to me and saying it openly. That is what I prefer - honesty.

You, as a straight person who, as you yourself admit, lived in the gay-friendly part of a city really have no cause to tell other gay people what they have or haven't experienced. Since that's basically the rest of your comment, I really have nothing else to say.

Nobody stops you from living your life.

And please do not tell me what I can or can't say. Thank you.

[glo-unit.livejournal.com]

Maybe it depends on the city

That's just is it does depend on the city, do you honestly believe that the experience and level of acceptance in and around a gayborhood is the norm in the country?

Yes that attitude is normal because in the vast majority of the country heterosexuality is the norm and gay pride exists largely to give homosexuals a little time where it is the norm.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

do you honestly believe that the experience and level of acceptance in and around a gayborhood is the norm in the country?

Absolutely. Otherwise the news would be filled 24/7 with stories of people being beaten in the streets or whatever, and it's not. It's just perceived victimhood. You said it yourself - it's about acceptance. It's a way to bully or guilt heterosexuals into accepting something they do not accept. The idea that homosexuals 'would roll their eyes' at the idea of a Straight Pride parade, as was mentioned in the other comment shows that to be so.

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

Mo, I never said we have Gay Pride to stop every queer from getting beaten up every time they step outside their doors.

Let me put it like this: Gay Pride gives non-straight people a guaranteed week in which to feel as comfortable hanging out with people like them as straight folks get every. single. day. of their lives.

Gay Pride is not about straight people. Period.

And if you can't understand that, if you can't find a parallel to your own life to help you get it, then you simply won't ever understand. And so I'm done.

[ninepointfivemm.livejournal.com]

You know, Atlanta has Midtown, which has a combination of gays and hipsters. Trust me, ain't any easier being gay in a "gay centric" neighborhood than it is being in a "straight centric" neighborhood.

I wouldn't know from personal experience, but there have been attacks/raids in ATL gay bars within the very recent past, and I do have friends of friends who have personally experienced anti-gay related violence in their own "safe" part of town. Just because a part of town is more "welcome" to gays doesn't mean the violence doesn't happen.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

Just like there are attacks on anyone, in any town in the country, and especially in large cities.

Sorry, but I do not hold one victim as more valuable because of their sexual practices than I do another. All persons are equal in value. I also don't go with the victimhood mentality. If you want to see real victimhood, this would be it:

Gay activists disrupt Sunday service at Michigan church (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/gay_activists_disrupt_sunday_service_at_michigan_church/)

But of course no one ever says a word or cares about that.

Like I said before, this entire issue is about forcing those of us who do not agree with homosexuality to be shamed into accepting it. That's why the use of names like "homophobe" (as though anyone is afraid of homosexuality or homosexuals) or "hater" (as though disagreeing = hating someone and/or beating them up.)

[dark-weezing.livejournal.com]

After considering, I think I shall respond here! (Apologies to dark_weezing for hijacking the thread so much!)

No worries with me. I'm glad it inspired thought, from both you and everyone else.