Wal-Mart Goes Gay

[roshni]

An ‘unsavory alliance?’ (Gay)
Wal-Mart’s gay biz partnership angers conservatives

WAL-MART’S DECISION TO link with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is expected to open doors to gay-owned business suppliers, but the deal sparked a backlash from religious groups that called the partnership an “unsavory alliance.”

Link: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/...ctionalert.cfm

[michtif]

Thats Awesome! I hope they have a Gay Day like Disney does! Woop woop!!

[bob clark]

My brother is gay and it makes no difference to me who he wants to be with, intimately and otherwise. I love him no matter what lifestyle he chooses. Normally you wouldn't even suspect that he's gay but get a few beers in him and he can do the gay sexual dancing and acting out thing. Before my SCI I'd gotten into a few scrapes protecting him. I'm the younger brother but (was) the tougher one. You shouldn't flame in a straight sportsman or cowboy bar or you're just looking for trouble. And there are only too many straight guys, especially if they're drunk, who are very willing to oblige.

I'm bothered when a group of flaming activist gay men and lesbian women want their own special "section" in such things as NYC's Saint Paddy's Day parade and the like. It's a parade for the general public to view that celebrates a Saint, not an opportunity for some troublemaking gay activists and their loyal following to rain on someone else's parade and turn it into a political and a "thumb in yer eye" event.

And even having a special gay and lesbian day at Disney World and Disneyland strikes a sour chord with me. Disney World/Land are places where families bring their children and for them to see openly flaming gay men parade around in outrageously sexual outfits (asscheeks exposed, wearing tiny thongs and fake boobs etc.) and holding each other by the ass seems to be out of place and out of line. A family with young kids can unwittingly plan their yearly vacation during the Disney Gay Day or weekend and have it turn into an expensive disaster. If gays and lesbian who are "normally" dressed want to hold hands in public at Disney World I guess that's okay. But there always seems to be those who have to blatantly flaunt their sexuality in public as though it's a badge of honor and use it as an "in your face" assault for its shock value.

If gay men and lesbian women want to get a legal permit and hold a gay parade or have a gay pride day that's fine by me. Families can keep their children home and away from that sort of public exhibition. Personally I find the gay parade they hold in San Francisco every year to be hilarious. Some of those outfits are just a scream. But IMO, there's a time and place for everything and Disney World and Disneyland doesn't seem to be the right place. Plus they're privately owned so shouldn't be forced to host an event that is not suitable for children.

Didn't Disney World stop the Gay Day thing for awhile and then allow it again? By court order or pressure from the gay community?

I've never heard of a Heterosexual Day Parade.

How does mom and dad explain this to their 8 or 9 year old?

[Juke_spin]

How does mom and dad explain this to their 8 or 9 year old?

What, nothing about your six year old greyhound's misbehaviors? We're feeling left out and cheated.

[bob clark]

What, nothing about your six year old greyhound's misbehaviors? We're feeling left out and cheated.

Hi Steve,

My greyhound is 42 in people years and knows the difference between a straight and gay kennel so dresses and behaves accordingly. When at home, if the misbehavior of urinating on the carpeting is some type of untoward sexual "water sport" fetish, an appropriate punishment would definitely be in order!

When participating in a legally sanctioned canine gay parade as in San Francisco, the below apparel would be perfectly appropriate. But would be totally inappropriate at Disney World here in Florida with puppies scampering about. Lest we forget that politically speaking CA is a Blue or Democrat state while FL is a Red or Republican state. Lotta Bible thumping going on down here.



When participating in the NYC's Saint Paddy's Day Parade this festive attire would be appropriate since it is in sync with the theme of the event and enhances, not detracts from it. And is suitable for dogs of all ages.



Off topic, but do you get the Sundance Channel?

[Juke_spin]

When participating in the NYC's Saint Paddy's Day Parade this festive attire would be appropriate since it is in sync with the theme of the event and enhances, not detracts from it. And is suitable for dogs of all ages.



Off topic, but do you get the Sundance Channel?

Bob, LOL on the whole doggie do/don't bit.

No HD feed of any kind = no Sundance Channel.

[ButtMonkey]

An ‘unsavory alliance?’ (Gay)
Wal-Mart’s gay biz partnership angers conservatives

WAL-MART’S DECISION TO link with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is expected to open doors to gay-owned business suppliers, but the deal sparked a backlash from religious groups that called the partnership an “unsavory alliance.”

Link: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/...ctionalert.cfm

What a bummer that the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce would want to be associated with Wal-Mart.
It seems suspiscious that Wal-Mart would try to do something seemingly good... must be part of some greater evil plan.

[justadildo]

they wouldn't need their own "special section" as it was put, if others didn't openly discriminate against them..... and it's not like wal-mart is putting in a "gay and lesbian products aisle" .....whats to explain to the 8 or 9 year old?...explaining different sexual orientation is part of parenting.......

[artsyguy1954]

What a bummer that the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce would want to be associated with Wal-Mart.
It seems suspiscious that Wal-Mart would try to do something seemingly good... must be part of some greater evil plan.

Groan, more Wal-mart bashing. What's wrong with Wal-mart. I don't get it.

[michtif]

they wouldn't need their own "special section" as it was put, if others didn't openly discriminate against them..... and it's not like wal-mart is putting in a "gay and lesbian products aisle" .....whats to explain to the 8 or 9 year old?...explaining different sexual orientation is part of parenting.......

I couldn't have said it better myself. It is absolutely a part of parenting. I live with my fiance, my sister and her two kids also live with us. She explains that we are together, and that there is nothing wrong with it. Besides, it's not as if being gay is a decision. Thanks, Tiff***

[bob clark]

they wouldn't need their own "special section" as it was put, if others didn't openly discriminate against them....

There are gays and lesbians interlaced throughout our society. It's estimated that 5-10% of all the people on the planet are gay and lesbian. Policemen, firemen, commercial airline pilots, soldiers fighting and dying and being paralyzed in Iraq, NFL linebackers etc. And of course all the lesbians who hold jobs of this nature... hell, jobs of all sorts. If they choose to "come out of the closet" or make their sexual orientation known then that's their business. Like I said, my brother is gay (plus I have two 1st cousins who are too) and I'm fully acceptive of their lifestyles. I could care less about what they do in their bedrooms or in private.

As I've already written, I'm all for gays and lesbians having their own parade if they choose to organize one and get the requisite permits.

It's when they want to "disassociate" themselves from the rest of the St. Paddy's Day Parade and have their own float or section or marching band and inject and even flaunt their sexual lifestyle (as in those pictures I posted) into a non-sexual, non-political event and deliberately call special attention to themselves.

There's a time and a place for everything and the St. Paddy's Day Parade isn't the time or place for expressing one's sexual orientation or for gay and lesbian political activism.

No one is excluding gays and lesbians from the parade, they are interwoven into the fabric of society and can play a clarinet in a marching band or drive a firetruck down Broadway.... or whatever thoroughfare the parade is held on.

And no one is excluding gays and lesbians from Disney World. They go there every day just like everyone else does. They just don't need a special and broadly advertised day set aside for themselves (in a private venue.... unless a deal is struck and they're able to rent it $$$ for a day or two) to proclaim to the world that they're gay and lesbian and in effect declaring de facto the venue their's for a day or two making the general public feel excluded.

I live an hour from Daytona Beach and "Bike Week" is held there every year. And that's fine.... all types of bikes (mostly Harleys I hope) and all types of people. What I don't understand and have come to fully accept is "The Black College Reunion" 3 day event held in Daytona Beach every year. Why can't it be called "The College Reunion" 3 day event..... like Spring Break.... inviting all races, ethnicities and sexual orientations? I think The Black College Reunion 3 day event further separates the races and is a step backwards for Brown v. The Board of Education and the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965. And full and true integration of everyone in the US. But if some black college leaders want to organize it and black college students want to attend, so be it. The Chamber of Commerce loves it.

.....whats to explain to the 8 or 9 year old?...explaining different sexual orientation is part of parenting.......

There's a time and place to explain to children about the birds and the bees and sexual orientation etc. I don't believe a parent should be forced to explain on the streets of NYC, while they're watching a parade of all things, why adult men are dressed up in woman's clothes and acting out in a bizarre sexual manner.

I have no objection to books like "Heather Has Two Mommies" being in our school's libraries as long as it's access is age appropriate. And that decision should be left up to our elected schoolboards in association with the school principal and librarian. Or discussing sex and sexual orientation in health class. But that's usually not done in grade, elementary or grammar school to 8 and 9 year olds. I first had health class/Sex Ed in Junior High School when I was 12 or 13.

If you want to teach your 8 and 9 year old children at home about sex, sexual orientation, transvestitism, gay bath houses and S&M clubs etc that's your business. But don't force it on your neighbor's children. Let children be children for awhile.

....She explains that we are together, and that there is nothing wrong with it. Besides, it's not as if being gay is a decision. Thanks, Tiff***

Just as in the book "Heather Has Two Mommies". I didn't say that being gay was a decision made by an individual. Or that being heterosexual is a decision made by one. We are what we are.

[Le Todd]

I agree with Bob Clark on this one. Sometimes the gay community as a result of being ostracized will do things that only further separate them from other communities. There's no need to be overtly sexual in public just to spite other people's sensibilities. That only gives them the impression that being gay is only about sex and provocative behavior and it isn't.

[dan_nc]

What a bummer that the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce would want to be associated with Wal-Mart.
It seems suspiscious that Wal-Mart would try to do something seemingly good... must be part of some greater evil plan.

I agree with Katie. Like making a deal with the devil.

[dan_nc]

I agree with Bob Clark on this one. Sometimes the gay community as a result of being ostracized will do things that only further separate them from other communities. There's no need to be overtly sexual in public just to spite other people's sensibilities. That only gives them the impression that being gay is only about sex and provocative behavior and it isn't.

"Sometimes, the Asian community, as a result of being ostracized, will do things than only further separate them from other communities. There's no need to be overtly Asian in public just to spite other [str8 WASP majority] people's sensibilities. That only gives them [str8 WASP majority] the impression that being Asian means eatting really nasty organ parts of domestic animals like cats and dogs or raw fish, speaking pidgin english, not being able to pronounce Rs and Ls, trying to scam nice normal white americans on ebay and iving in shantytowns that smell like rotten fish."

"Sometimes, the black community, as a result of being ostracized, will do things that only further separate them from other communities. There's no need to be overtly black in public just to spite other [the heterosexual white-anglo-saxon-protestant] people's sensibilities. That only gives them [the heterosexual white-anglo-saxon-protestant] the impression that being black is only about poor grammar, speaking ebonics, basketball and dancing with rhythm and it isn't."

Todd, throughout US history, gays have been subject to violence (sometimes fatal), imprisonment, shame and discrimination. Up until 2003 [when the US Supreme Court abolished antisodomy laws), gay sex between consenting adults was still illegal in many states.

This guy said it quite clearly

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum....tag=ab-gaylife

From ramon76710
To Sqwertman No! Gay Pride Parades are not an embarrassment. If it were not for the Queens and the flamboyant segment of our community, we would not be as far as we are today. It was the so-called fairies and dykes who delt with the rath of mainstream middle America while many of the so-called "normal" gays and lesbians hid in the closet because they were able to hide their sexual orientation. Effeminate boys and men could not. They were faced with daily harassment, so they were the ones who fought back by bringing glamour and exuberance to the gay community. They also put their lives on the line and fought for acceptance of the community as a whole. Not the more "normal" gays. They were MIA. Now you have the audacity to tell them to get lost because you are embarrassed by them. The problem with self-hatred is so bad, many " staight-acting, manly and normal" gays don't even want to have fem guys as friends. You need to look no further than the personal ads that say "no fems and no fats." Why? You don't want your friends to know that you suck c_ck? My point is, if the Gay Pride Parades go away, who is going to say that we exist. It wasn't too long ago that homosexuality was considered a mental illness. And gay relationships were confined to a dark park or seedy motel room. Don't forget where you come from and who did the work?

I'm glad we have reminders of slavery and the abuses that occured during darker times in our nation's history. I'm glad we have reminders of the reason for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Minority Schools). I'm glad Gay Pride parades are celebrated to commemorate the riots at Stonewall Inn. In order to have a culturally diverse society, we should be celebrating diversity, not asking those of diverse backgrounds to blend in with WASP america for fear of offending sensibilities.

[dan_nc]

Groan, more Wal-mart bashing. What's wrong with Wal-mart. I don't get it.

http://www.intellectualpoison.com/20...art-facts.html

Walmart is pure evil.