Homophobia alert

[sparkindarkness]

Via logophilos it would appear that this publisher is creating a scifi anthology.

But they don’t want anything that “promotes the gay lifestyle.” Which basically means no homosexual characters. Bad gays! Icky! Ok, that’s not fair. Presumably you could have gays there who die horribly/magically turn straight or otherwise avoid “promoting” the gay “lifestyle.” Well, they’ve earned themselves a place on my boycott list. I’m actually kind of impressed - it’s pretty rare these days for a company not affiliated to one of the hate groups to wear their hate so openly.

The words “gay lifestyle” are enough to raise my hackles anyway. Because it’s a lie - it’s used by the bigots in their attacks on us.

It’s used to imply that we chose to be gay and are being homosexuals to, well, they never really explain that. To spite them and their tyrant homophobe god apparently. I‘m always amazed that anyone with even a tenth of a brain would buy into the “being gay is a choice” bigoted lie. Because, y’know we all woke up one morning and thought “I know, I will force myself to have sex with my own gender because I really WANT society to treat me like shit and run the risk of violence every day. Hey, if I do it now I can work in some wonderful repression issues and be disowned by my parents! Yay, such fun!”

Alternatively it’s used to imply various negative behaviours (or, rather, behaviours they consider negative). Namely that we all go to clubs, shag everything that moves (like that isn’t a common enough STRAIGHT lifestyle!) wilfully spreading AIDS (which is god’s will of course) to good straight people (I’ve always kind of been confused by HOW we’re supposed to do that. But then I had one freak job accuse gay sufferers of AIDS of trying to “pollute” the emergency blood supply). in between trying to convert little children to our sinfulness.

My lifestyle? I work. I have a partner who loves me and also works. We live together in our home, our house that is jointly owned. We share a bed, a home and our lives with each other. Occasionally we go out to a restaurant, a pub or a club. We sometimes lay on the sofa entangled while watching TV or reading. We do our washing and clean our house and visit family and drink too much coffee and read the paper and 101 more standard things.

The only difference between my “gay” lifestyle and the lifestyles of millions of straight people? My partner’s male and so am I and occasionally we have to put up with agro/bad situations caused by bigots like the above who object to this insidious underground way of life. That’s IT.

Oh, and I’m better dressed. Obviously.

Comments

[ladyhelen.livejournal.com]

The only difference between my “gay” lifestyle and the lifestyles of millions of straight people? My partner’s male and so am I and occasionally we have to put up with agro/bad situations caused by bigots like the above who object to this insidious underground way of life. That’s IT. (and all of the preceding paragraph)

*applause* Can I borrow this next time I'm trying (and failing) to deal with the homophobia I have to deal with now and then? (I may not be gay, but it pisses me off just as much.)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

By all means borrow and use everywhere. It's a message we need to get out there

You'd think it wouldn't need broadcasting would you? We're people like everyone else, we just happen to be gay. *le sigh*

[meridae.livejournal.com]

OH NOES!!! We might catch teh gay if we reads about it! Oh . . wait . . I already DO read about it!!

And I thought that you 'chose' the gay lifestyle so you could have teh hawt man seXX0r, which, y'know, makes perfect sense to me. Teheheheh.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

You are infected! You must be cleansed!


LOL, hawt man seXX0r is the ultimate sense. yes yes it is

[logophilos.livejournal.com]

All I know that the insights I get occasionally into you and Beloved's 'gay lifestyle' just makes me feel warm and happy that there are such nice, decent people in the world who love each other and care about each other. I honestly don't give a shit how many dicks there are in your bed at night.

These people are interested in a 'golden age' of science fiction where there were no gay people, no feminists, no uppity minorities, petrol cost 3 cents a gallon and you got discount vouchers with it too. They think if they can hold back the gay hordes, then life will return to the serene and contented time of their childhoods, forgetting that childhood is usually often only wonderful because of its ignorance. Ignorance in adults just leads to stupid shit like this publisher's policy, and the death of Matthew Sheppard.

A pox on them.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Yes, that's basically it- we have a loving, normal wonderful intimate life in a wonderful relationship that is joyful and happy. Why these people care that there are 2 dicks rather than one, and a distinct absence of boobies I do not know.


Ah, the freaky nostalgia thing (I want to go back in time when i was allowed to be an arrogant, thoughtless jerk and it didn't matter). Things aren't as shiny as they used to be, so they need a scape goat. It;s either the gays or the feminists, or prayer in schools or whatever else they plan on forcing through in a desperate attempt to make the world like ti was in their childhoods.

I pity them almost because the world must be a scary place for them - but my pity fades when I think of the pain - and even the death (like poor Matthew Sheppard, poor sod) they cause. A pox on them in deed, and I give thanks that they are losing and things are getting better

[logophilos.livejournal.com]

ahem

http://community.livejournal.com/thisthingwedo/3737.html

Feel like giving them some interesting data when they look at their referrer stats? :)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

LO< they have referrer stats? Oh so ideal

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

They don't want any sexual content at all. Oh, if I had the skill to write something that would have the same feeling say "OMG teh gay ONOZ" but be between two nonsexual characters...two self-pollinating trees pollinating each other, two computers of the same type exchanging data packets, two identical androids discovering affection, a worshipful drone bee or ant and her queen, etc.

I've said before, I will probably say again, and I'm trying to teach my children that the important part of any kind of people is PEOPLE. I hope you and your Beloved have a long, happy, and healthy time together.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

See, that's the thing. They had already vetoed all sex (fair enough) so it's not like they were afraid of the scary mansex/lesbian sex. It's ANY portrayal of gays in a positive light

An ideal way of getting the message across without breaking their silly rule :)

Thank you, and that is a wonderful lesson for kids to learn

[stormcat.livejournal.com]

The gay lifestyle: much like mine with cleaner floors and y'all keep hogging/being all the good men.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

My men! :)

[stormcat.livejournal.com]

Share, dammit! My kiddo's going to need a sibling sooner or later (preferably later)!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *collects all the good men*. Mine! *selfish pout*

[stormcat.livejournal.com]

Meanie!!!!! I'll... I'll...

Waitaminnit, -I- see what this is! It's the Homosexual Agenda! Turning women into Lezbeens by hogging all the eligible men!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Noooo. She knows too much! We must send the fabulous mafia round to collect her!

[zero_pixel_count]

*makes with the angry-face*

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Yep, instant reaction myself

[mnemsyne.livejournal.com]

Hear hear!

Reading this post after reading this post is quite a change. I love talking to people who actually deal with being bigoted against, and then talking to the bigots.

I'm sorry that there are people in the world like that, who would so blindly hate you simply because you choose to love. I truly hope that your life goes well. :)

[helbling.livejournal.com]

heh, I went in reverse order - wish I'd read this one last, might have been better for my annoyance level.

I've got to second what someone else (somewhere, I've been browsing links) said; what do you reckon the number of people in that company's target audience is? No 'gay' and no sex, but scifi? They weren't going to be reaching a whole lot of people even with just the latter stipulation. Add the former, and their numbers are going to be rock bottom. I'm going to take some comfort in that.

Well, that and the fact that you and Beloved are probably happier than they ever will be.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

it;s been deleted now, but I saw it first. *shudder*

I think we're all sorry these hateful weirdos exist - but glad that they are decreasing.

Thank you

[amynnah.livejournal.com]

I was told the other day by a male friend of mine that if he didn't know better, he'd swear I was into the ladies (I'm a straight female). I took that as a complement. :)

I'll be sure to boycott that publisher. Thank you very much for the heads up. :D

You're luckier in love than I am... ::hugs:: You have a partner who respects you, whom you respect, with mutual love, trust, etc. I've yet to locate a straight guy with those traits.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

heeee :) I love derrailing people like that

Thank you for boycotting them

I am truly blessed in love. Really fell on my feet with this one

[sapphybelle.livejournal.com]

I so know exactly what you mean... except people think that one of us is butch and the other femme (no), that we're loud feminist protestors (oh HELL no), that we hate all men, etc etc etc. Fucking stereotypes.

I love this icon...


...and this one!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Oh the STEREOTYPES! The PAIN. They ask you buthc or femme (ye gods, please!) and I have been asked more times than i can count "who is the woman in your relationship" In fact, no, I'm going to have to make a whole new rant about that one!


Oooh, I love them. Are those icons stealable?

[sapphybelle.livejournal.com]

Yes... yes they are. I got the "homosexual agenda" one from userpicks a while ago but not sure where I got the other one.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

it's almost nice of them to make it so easy to add them to the 'bigotted organisations not to support' list.


*growls*

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

It is isn't it? I thought ti was surprisingly refreshing to see the hate so open so I know exactly how to treat them

[electra310.livejournal.com]

Well damn, I was under the distinct impression that the gay lifestyle involved dungarees for everyone, and I was very excited. Perhaps that was the gay agenda. I think I'm getting confused. In any case, as long as dungarees are made available to all and sundry, I'm on board.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Ah, i can see the confusion. You are mixing up gay lifestyle (act like everyone else) and the gay AGENDA (take over the world to make it well groomed, dungeree clad and FABULOUS darling!)

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Truly pathetic. Them, not you.

What really hacks me off is that 'mild romance' is acceptable. Obviously they think that only straight people are capable of romance.

Wankers!

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

I suppose the morons would've turned down Ethan of Athos or Virgin Planet

Sheesh

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Gay people don't have romance. We have evil sinful sex, y'know. Then god punishes us and gives us AIDS before we can corrupt the children *eye roll*

It's almost, ALMOST funny. If it weren't so sickeningly pathetic

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Ok.
Write something in that genre. Write it very well. Do exactly what they have refused to accept. Well just present a gay couple as a couple. As if no one cared other than they were happy. Make it a damn good story. Sell it to some other anthology.

I'm not sure who you'd send it to. Try Baen's Universe.

http://www.baens-universe.com/

If it's accepted they are a professional outfit so you get paid and you can use that as a means of recognition because they're tough.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I wish I had the talent for it because that would be such a perfect revenge

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

i cry bullshit, sir.

take one of those killer legal tales of yours (as they're complete, short, and never fail to get a reaction), reset the scenerio in one of your 'verses, using the appropriate world building details that you have keep teasing us with, and you'd blow any of those other hacks out of the water.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Thank you muchly :) Very high praise. Thank you

Aaaand Rebecca is a lawyer.... hmmm

[althaea101.livejournal.com]

"Oh, and I’m better dressed. Obviously.".....*snickers* :)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

:) clearly. 'tis important my clothes :)

[beladibaby.livejournal.com]

Just when I think the stupidity of mankind at large can't surprise me.....

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I do that. I keep thinking "ok, this is the limit. It doesn't get worse than this."

And it does!

[thisdaydreamer.livejournal.com]

Well duh! I mean, my gay friends have clearly turned me into a total lesbian!

I just can't figure out why I'm still attracted to men instead of women. Very strange.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

You ahve caught teh gay! You will be assimilated into the Rainbow Borg! Resistance is futile!

Now you're just being awkward!

[only-playing.livejournal.com]

I too have caught teh gay from you Sparky! Last weekend I ended up kissing more girls than my straight guy friends. That could be because all of them are geeks and afraid of girls though...

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Heh, I've kissed more girls than some of my straight friends (much to their envyu and horrror)

But I spread teh gay all around! Fear me!

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

...*reads* ...you've got to be fucking kidding me. yay for them bringing back the golden age--including everything that was WRONG with it. *give them the boot*

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Yeash, aren't we PAST this kind of crap now? *bemused*