Gays

There's something I thought about a little while back, but pretty much slipped out of my mind until I was reminded of it last night.

Gay men and their defenders like to declare that there really is no reason for the average straight man to get all uptight and worried about their presence. After all, the same principles apply here as they do for relations and interaction between straight men and women. Straight guys do not find every women they meet to be attractive, nor do straight women gaze with lustful eyes upon every man they encounter. If you, as a straight man, do not find that you are being sexually harassed at every turn by countless hordes of women, there really appears to be no need to be overly worried about gay men lusting for your ass.

In other words, what makes you think gay men find you attractive? Why should you be any more uncomfortable interacting with gay men than with straight women? There's no need to flee to the most hidden corners of the gym dressing room to avoid being naked under the gaze of people you think are gay.

Ok, here's the thing. That's bullshit. The reasoning is correct. There is no reason to assume that homosexuals find you particularly attractive. Most men who think that they are the object of gay affection probably hold too high an opinion of themselves, and too low an opinion of the standards of homosexuals. It is ridiculous to constantly worry about gay men looking at your ass in the street.

However, simply think about the situation as similar to that between straight men and women. It is true that not all straight men and women find each other attractive, but even without actual attraction, there does exist a definite level of tension between the genders. Simply because there does exist the very real possibility of sexual relations occurring, barriers and distinctions are made. Men and women do not share dressing rooms, no matter the actual attraction between individuals. Or shall we designate three separate sets of dressing rooms, one for men, one for women, and a shared one for ugly men and women?

The very idea is preposterous, yet that is the natural conclusion of the argument deriding the lack of comfort some straight men have with gay men. I might not be worried about a particular gay man finding me attractive, but I would still not be comfortable undressing in front of him, simply because there is a possibility of it. I would not undress in front of an unfamiliar woman either, whether or not I think she might find me attractive. I would be rather upset if an ugly woman walked into the room and started changing before me.

If homosexuals are to be treated equally with the general population, then they should be regarded equally. Equal does not mean forced acceptance of whatever standards they choose to preach, but the applications of the same social norms to them as to every other person in society.

Tired, don’t want to go into detail.