Responding to hatred

Chase said:
Good point, just so long as we make it clear "we" are the educational systems and workplaces showing diversity is better than intolerance, and it isn't that "they" are not good; it's that "their" behaviors are not good.

Another good point, PuyoPiyo, is I for one have learned far more about GLBT from the educational system here than any other. Good work in that area.
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I would consider those good points too :)
 
"Hate" is such an ugly thing. There so many type of hates and there also lot of "hate" crimes too. Hate crimes send a message that certain groups of us are not welcome and unsafe in a particular community. As a result, studies indicate that hate crimes appear to have more serious psychological effects on the victims and the communities they represent than do other crimes. Research indicates that victims of hate crimes often link their vulnerability to their personal, cultural, or spiritual identity. The result is that victims of hate crimes often suffer greater emotional trauma than other crime victims.
 
What is the purpose of the previous post? After the first two sentences, the paragraph is an abrupt departure from the style and syntax of the member posting it. It's quite obvious that the remainder was cut from some on-line site defining hate crimes and pasted here.

This sort of thing is always curiously out of sync with the topic -- only one reason it's against AllDeaf policy for posting.
 
Chase said:
Shel, My point wasn't how to respond. Your second option -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me" -- is best. Yep, ignore them.

My point is how did the hecklers immediately know of Ophilia's friends' preferences? Were they openly engaged in romance? Did they wear clothing to make that particular statement? If so, it was certainly their right to do so under the first amendment of our constitution. But they also should expect comment. Comment is freedom of speech, too.
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I guess I should have added a giggly face after my comment. I was being sarcastic. Of course by responding in that manner will more likely lead to bigger problems. I wasnt taking your post literally. :)
 
VamPyroX said:
There will always be stupid people in the world. Whether what they said is fully true, partially true, or a lie, but done in a mean way... just ignore them.

When a person can't get better or feel better, they will sometimes try to make others feel worse. If others acknowledge that they are feeling worse, then this person will know that he/she is succeeding and keep it up. In most cases, if they see that it doesn't work... they give up.

If they do keep it up, then it's more of an obsession and that would be what most people call a mental problem. In that case, you're just fine... it's that person who's mentally messed up. :)
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A lot of truth in your post. Those who feel inferior about themselves often act as if they are superior by putting others down. They are very insecure people.
 
shel90 said:
I guess I should have added a giggly face after my comment. I was being sarcastic. Of course by responding in that manner will more likely lead to bigger problems. I wasnt taking your post literally. :)
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Shel, I do apologize for coming off too defensive. I guess I thought my first rant on the subject was too vague, too obscure . . . which unfortunately I tend to be at times.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of sarcasm, especially yours.

<<This post has been declared 99.44% hate-free by the League Of Sarcastic Eldery Retirees Society (LOSERS) so it's not off-topic>>
 
Chase said:
Shel, I do apologize for coming off too defensive. I guess I thought my first rant on the subject was too vague, too obscure . . . which unfortunately I tend to be at times.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of sarcasm, especially yours.

<<This post has been declared 99.44% hate-free by the League Of Sarcastic Eldery Retirees Society (LOSERS) so it's not off-topic>>
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I can't wait to join the league! I love sarcasm! Or as I prefer to call it, "cerebral humor".:giggle:
 
Geez - I am really distressed to learn that this happened in Toronto! :( I'm from Toronto - been out for 40 years and I have never once been taunted or heckled in public. Course - it's always possible that I didn't hear it! :dunno: But I have not heard of that happening recently (in the last few years) to any of my friends.

posted by Byrdie
I never expereince this in my neighborhood or anywhere in the United States.

But when I went to Toronto, Ontario, it was a different matter. A group of us were walking down the street, shopping, and a car load of guys saw us and screamed, "Faggots" and other unmentionable names.

I was in shock that this type of behavior would happen in Toronto of all the places!

Then the guys drove around the block and did it again!

We then went into a restaurant and didn't see them again.
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As you were posting this - and Ophelia mentioned also that it happened in Canada, I had this insane image of one car of homophobic jerks driving around Toronto shouting out hate from their windows. Of course that is just me wishing maybe there is just this one lone car of losers - maybe there aren't lots more cars full of jerks of out there. But of course there are! I am truly upset that this happened to you and any of you who have been subject to this hateful treatment. Personally I would ignore it. Chances are that I wouldn't understand the words anyway - though the tone would, I expect, be quite loud and clear.

For anyone's info - the Church St. gaybourhood is a very open and welcoming place - and we have one of the biggest Pride Celebrations in North America with hundred's of thousand so of visitors every year - shutting down most of the downtown area for celebration. Just a little rah rah for my home town.
 
jewels10 said:
For anyone's info - the Church St. gaybourhood is a very open and welcoming place - and we have one of the biggest Pride Celebrations in North America with hundred's of thousand so of visitors every year - shutting down most of the downtown area for celebration. Just a little rah rah for my home town.
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I went to Gay Pride Celebration in Toronto in June 2006. It was AWESOME. :)
 
OpheliaSpeaks said:
Yes, I agree. The whole thing just caught me off guard. I think it's impossible to educate those who do not wish to be educated. There will always exit intolerance, so I guess the only thing to do is take a stand at the moment and not tolerate it. I was just wondering if anything similar had ever happened to other members and how they responded.
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Education would be cool and it is necessary, but there are those who chose to wallow in their ignorance because they have their own agenda. You may never reach those people.

the thing I think is important is that you do not allow them to poison your beautiful heart with their cancerous attitude. It will eat you up if you chose to hate them back. Be proud of who you are, and pray for them. Cuz it is gonna take a miracle to fix the ignorance and prejudice in this world.

Always remember that you are loved, and cherish and revel in that instead of becoming just as bad as they are. You are too beautiful become a poison container.. Just let your love flow and sew seeds of goodness, and maybe one day the seeds will grow up to crowd out the weeds. Until then, don't let them distract you from the wonderful contributions that you make to this world just by being you.
 
I lived for a long time in Seattle, which is overall a very liberal city. It's easy to forget that there are so many homophobes. I was reminded of it one night when I was walking down Broadway and a bunch of teenagers screaming "fucking faggots" drove by in a car and pelted me and others around me with eggs. I suppose it's good to keep aware of reality.

It helps somehow to know that what they are really doing is expressing their fear. People say "homophobia" is not accurate, that they aren't afraid of gays, they just hate them. I say, "bullshit," because hate never just exists on its own. It's a "response" emotion to something else, and in my mind, it's fear - of the unknown, and especially in the case of homophobes, one's own gay leanings. Because a study showed that 80% of homophobic men registered considerable erection when they saw films of gay sex.
 
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