No, Gilda, but your arguments sound more like a "pity me because I'm different and misunderstood" more than anything else. I'm not trying to be a dick, but it applies quite simply to ALL people everywhere. In fact, many of your counter-points were fairly moot. For example:
Quote:
I happen to be married to a Japanese woman. Her father, a Japanese-American man has no problem with two of his daughters being in relationships with other women, one with a white woman.
|
For reference, the entirety of what I said was,
Quote:
Try spending time in Japan as a Westerner. Yes, you'll generally be treated well, but not always, and people will often stare at you. You can't just go over there and date any old Japanese girl since many have father's who'd rather have family members die honorably than have a daughter marry a white guy (especially an American).
|
First of all, by saying he's a Japanese-American (which makes no sense... I'm not an Irish American or a Ukrainian American... I'm just an American) you muddle the issue. Is he a naturalized American citizen born in Japan, or a second or later generation American of Japanese heritage? Also, my statements were not blanket statements and I think I made that fairly clear. That, in fact, bolsters my point. You may see (somewhat often) the term YMMV on this very board. Everyone mileage in life varies. If you lived in San Fransisco, do you think you'd have been denied housing due to your sexuality? If I lived in India, do you think I'd easily be admitted to an Indian Institute of Science as a white American? The world is bigger than your town, your county or your state... Whether you want to wear blinders and disbelieve me is up to you, but I've also been denied things because of who I am. *shrug* Sorry sister, the poor poor me boat extends outside of the scope of sexuality, race and gender. But, unfortunately it seems to make many people feel better about themselves when they ARE in a minority to become the center of attention when they are treated differently. People are ALWAYS treated differently. I automatically treat people differently based on things I don't even think about. I almost automatically treat women with more respect than men because I was raised by a single mother and have a deep seeded respect for women. I get more angry about lazy poor people than lazy rich people because lazy poor people often use their poorness as an excuse to do nothing. The wealthy have less to gain. Down here in Arizona, I'm much LESS likely to be agitated by black people. It's nothing to do with the color of their skin, but their inherent attitude and disrespect for me. In Detroit, I'd get glared at, get attitudes at restaurants, etc. Here, because blacks aren't in the same impoverished situation, they are much more polite and pleasant. In fact, aside from skin color, I've yet to meet people around here that are much different than I am, to include people of varying races and creeds. When a minority actively looks sideways at a majority, the majority will tend to feel threatened and will surely do what they can to make sure these people they believe look down on them do not move forward. It's a road that needs cooperation from both sides, but generally NEITHER is willing to come to terms.
Oh, and as for this:
Quote:
I hear this a lot, but I don't see it much. I do the same things with my wife and with my marriage that heterosexual people do. I make casual references to my wife. I have pictures of her on my desk at work. We hold hands in public and sometimes I'll give her a kiss goodbye as we're parting after lunch. If that is flaunting homosexuality, then the vast majority of opposite sex couples are flaunting their heterosexuality.
Sure there are the flamboyant types, but they are not representative. Most of us want to be treated the same. What I do with Grace is no more flaunting my sexuality than any heterosexual woman who does the same with her husband.
|
What are you trying to prove? There are PLENTY of people that are offended by a man and a woman showing affection in public. People are going to stare and wonder regardless of you thinking you might be special, different or otherwise. You don't have it any better or worse than anyone else, and life is, quite literally, only what you make of it.