Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!decwrl!levasseur@morgan.DEC (Ray EMD & S Admin 223-5027) From: levasseur@morgan.DEC (Ray EMD & S Admin 223-5027) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: FLAMING on Ignorance Message-ID: <578@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 10:56:45 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.578 Posted: Wed Sep 25 10:56:45 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 04:35:26 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 113 SET HEAT/RANGE=HIGH SET FLAME/HEIGHT=MAX I SHOULD ENTER THIS WITH THE CAPS LOCK ON but I won't....geeeeze! I hate yelling. I did something last night which I've never done, called a radio talk show. In Boston from 6-9pm on WBZ am 1030 khz they have the Peter Meade talk show which I listen to on the way home from work. The subject last night was gay teachers, the defeat of the Boston Gay Rights Bill and AIDS. Peter took a neutral if not pro-gay stance as the homophobic calls came pouring in. All the way home I was gripping the steering wheel and gritting my teeth. When I got to my apartment I immediatly called the station (figuring I'de never actually get on the air). The secretary asked my name and which subject I'd like to discuss, then put me on hold. I did have the foresight to turn on my reciever and set the cassette roecorder to the record/pause mode. Within 30 seconds peter answered, "Hello Ray, you're on the air" (gulp!) I started by stating that I was gay (pause on Peter's part), then went on to calmly rebutt some of the claims made by the homophobic callers as Peter directed the questions. P : Ray do you feel that your homosexuality was a conscious choice? ME : In no way was it a choice. It is something I've been since childhood, This is a point many people miss? P : Do you feel that it's an illness? ME : Not in itself. I believe that homophobia is a form of neurosis. There are also many mentally maladjusted gay people due to the pressures that society places on them. P : Do you believe that AIDS had anything to do with the defeat of the Boston gay rights bill this time? ME : Not totally since it's been voted on many times and always turned down, but I don't believe it helped the cause at all due to all the ignorance on the subject. P : Do you feel that AIDS is a gay disease? ME : Not really. It was just unfortunate that it got recognized in the gay community first. It could have popped up in the heterosexual community first; as fate would have it, unfortunately it showed up where it did. P : Where do you meet gay people? ME : Let me qualify by saying that, contrary to the beliefs of some listeners, we do not meet for JUST sex but to socialize like everyone else. There are gay social/support groups, church groups, professional and outdoor groups and of couse bars. P : Ray Do you think that AIDS has affected the gay community in any ways? ME : Definitely! there is a very keen awareness of the hazards. People are quite concerned and afraid. I would say that the topic comes up quite often now in conversations between gay men and women. There is also a lot of concern and downright anger at the ignorance shown by many non-gay people at large. The conversation lasted about 8-10 minutes, then he went on to the next call. Of course most of the callers considered me either deluded or misled. One man re-butted me by saying that the gay clubs he knew were all sex clubs. He was referrring to the closing of many of San Francisco's Baths but didn't state the fact. Another stated that all the gay teachers he knew only took the jobs to recruit children into the ranks. He supposedly knew this as fact. It went on and on. Finally one brave woman took my side and stated she was the mother of a gay son and was proud of him. She went on to say it's very easy to remain ignorant until you're faced with the realization that you have a gay loved one. The subject matter then switched to Orson Wells and War of the Worlds. I did it! I put my 2 cents worth in and did a good job of it I think! If nothing else the Million+++ listeners of WBZ radio got the chance to hear a real gay person's feelings. I think that the ignorance and homophobia are bothering me more now than ever. one caller said that he was a supervisor at some computer firm and that if he found out about a gay co-worker, he would have to let him go because of how the threat of AIDS would affect others. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHh! SET HEAT/RANGE=INTENSE SET FLAME HEIGHT=MAX * 10 This morning I called my mother, a 70 year old woman who swears by any- thing printed in supermarket checkout rack Scandal Rags. I called to just see how she was doing and she immediately changed the topic to AIDS. Before this all started she was semi-accepting/tolerant, but now her opinion is that we have brought this horrible scourge on society. As she stated further, if you stay gay you deserve anything that comes to you. Hey! don't come crying to me when you get fired at work! (she knows I'm out at work). If you get AIDS don't come home, I don't want to have it infecting the rest of us! I tried reasoning with her but just sarcasticly replied, "Don't worry, I'll quit work and live in the woods. If I get AIDS, I won't bother you, don't worry the relatives will never find out". Her reply was silence....then.."ok"....Bye! MA! glad to see you're soooo understanding HEAT VENTS/OPEN Whew! it's hot in here! Sorry but I'm just VERY angered by all the bullshit. Has anyone else noticed any changes in the way that non-gay friends or loved ones have treated you since this issue has become a household topic? I'll say one thing for the poor unfortunate gay person who contracts the disease; they sure as hell will know who their TRUE friends and loved ones are; the people who will still give them a big hug and say, "I'm still here and love you", the ones who will keep them company when they need it most. If you happen to listen to radio talk shows and the topic of us comes up, don't be afraid to call in if the homophobes are spouting bullshit. It's up to us toi sow inderstanding where there is ignorance. I'm discovering that there are more and more non-gays who think that we're homoSEXuals, insatiable little fuck machines, and not real people. I'm sorry kids if I got carried away. Right now I have to take a dive into the mill pond outside my building to cool off Ray Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com