For me, it's the same as most others. I don't care if they're gay, let them do what they want, why should I care? But... stop sticking it in my face and in the media! Like, if you don't want to be bullied for being gay, stop running around with "Gay Pride!" or "Gay 4 Life!" signs stapled on you. Like, do what you want but stop bugging me about it, I don't care what you do.
You've offended me, honestly. Only because I'm not sure why homosexuals don't have the right to be present in the media. It's because of this cold shoulder the media gives homosexuals that homosexuality is so unaccepted. I've grown up with the media telling me that the only "correct" kind of relationship is the one between a man and a woman. To this day I'm having trouble imagining myself--or feeling comfortable--in a relationship with another man. While the media certainly isn't the
only cause for it, it is also certainly a
big cause for it.
So, shunning homosexuals from media attention is not the way to go. I agree that Gay Pride parades are often not the best way for homosexuals to gain attention, but the other side of the spectrum--making homosexuals completely absent in the media--is, in my opinion, the exact wrong way to go.
I believe that homosexuality should be as abundant in the media as heterosexuality. TV shows should depict homosexual relationships alongside heterosexual relationships. Commercial ads should cater to both homosexuals and heterosexuals (given the product they're trying to sell isn't inherently exclusive). Doing this would push for societal acceptance, because suddenly the media--the subconscious-or-not governor of what is "normal" in our culture--would be telling people that it's OK for two men or two women to love one another romantically. We already take so much from the media and apply it to our ideas of what is "supposed to be," so I don't see the problem in throwing homosexuality into the mix, since it is also something that's "supposed to be."
Conversely, I don't believe it's right to just say "leave me alone, gay people. Do what you want, but leave me out of it." Because that's teaching tolerance, not acceptance, and that's giving the message that it's OK to just ignore the things you don't like. Again, tolerating or ignoring stuff is not the way to go--accepting them is. I applaud you for at least not saying "gays suck," but in my eyes, ignoring them (us) is not much better.
I'm just going to watch this turn into pointlessness again.
Aw, have some more faith in Sunny. ^_^ Also, you should read the Debate Forum clean-up plan in the OP, and refrain from posting like this again.