Acceptance is a one way street.

[Tynan]

Feel free to move this where you see fit.

Okay now to the issue at hand. It goes really hand in hand of the acceptance of the LGBT community. As we all know not everyone is accepting of people in that community which I do agree is wrong we should accept everyone for who they are.

But where it really annoys me is when the people in that community or that support them are always more negative towards people who choose not to accept the fact that someone is gay.

So my question is should we just accept the fact that some people wont accept it? And what is your reasoning behind your answer?

[Aletheia*]

I think we just need to accept that not everyone is going to be accepting of someone else's choice. It's just the way it is. For religious beliefs, obviously, they aren't going to think it's okay because they were taught it wasn't okay by God, their churches, their families. For the older generation, it was unheard of (at least, not made public) same sex couples, so seeing it so openly accepted today is harder on them because they grew up in a different era, they were taught different things and they chose to accept those things.

Let's face it: Everyone has an opinion, and we can't make someone choose to think differently. They are able to feel whatever they want to feel. Do I think it's right? Not really. But, the truth is, we can't make anyone feel anything if they don't want it.

[Loving Linux Penguin]

We certainly can't necessarily change everyone's opinions to reflect our own. And I have no quarrel with people who aren't accepting, so long as they keep it to themselves. Any time they harrass, bully, joke about, etc. someone who is a member of the LGBT community (or any community in question) I have NO tolerance for it at all.

[thebigmole]

I can accept some else's opinion. What I can't accept is if they take action on that opinion in the form of insulting, or trying to limit the rights of the gay community simply because of their opinion. You can have whatever opinion you like, no matter how closed minded and ignorant it may be, but as they say your right to swing your first ends at the other guy's nose.

[TigerTank77]

I don't think we should force everyone to approve of it. What we should do is get people to the point of view that if it really doesn't effect you, don't try to take away someone's right to do it, regardless of whether or not you like it.

[Iris. ♥]

I'm not personally a part of the LGBTQ community, but I'm a supporter of those who are in it. Unfortunately, it's never going to be a completely accepted part of society. I think we just need to learn to ignore that. Some people have been raised thinking it's wrong. Some people are just so conservative that they fail to recognize that homosexuals deserve just as much respect as heterosexuals. It's something that we'll just have to accept and move past.

[Sincerely Yours ♥]

Honestly, I just keep to myself. If someone doesn't agree with me, I keep my mouth shut & I don't keep pressing it.

[Koharuchan]

I believe in equal rights for homosexuals. I have many friends who are gay, and I consider myself an activist for gay rights. I may not like the opinion that gays should not be allowed to marry, etc, but I respect that others have their opinion just as I have my own. However, I do not tolerate when others of a different opinion try to force their opinion on others or try to force me to change my own opinion.

[ShimmeringFaerie]

Well, it really depends on what you mean by accepting. Do I mentally accept that other people do not support the LGBT community as I do? Of course, it's just a fact that people have different opinions. But will I sit back and let someone say/think unfair, untrue, or nasty things about homosexuals because "it's their opinion"? No.

Honestly, if we just sit back and don't say anything, then that's not really showing support at all, is it? If we sit back and accept that other people have different opinions and don't try to change them, then how can we ever hope to gain equal rights for all people? In Australia, women and our Indigenous population didn't gain equal rights because they accepted that other people didn't think they deserved the same rights.

Obviously I'm not saying that it is okay for the LGBT community or their supporters to physically hurt or abuse people who have different opinions in any way. But you should be willing to stand up for your own beliefs by not accepting people who refuse to treat others fairly.

[BDF]

They don't have to accept it. It's entirely up to them, and I don't care what they do. The point at which I start caring is where them "not accepting" it turns into something more, such as bullying, hate crime etc.

So people can think what they like, but should keep it to themselves if it's something that's going to offend too many, provoke fights, or instigate hatred towards any minority (or majority).

[Guile]

I feel it's hypocritical to demand tolerance, and then not tolerate other people's views, such as mine. I don't pursue tolerance, I can justify not tolerating your views and deeming mine superior

[Marguerite]

Originally Posted by ShimmeringFaerie

Well, it really depends on what you mean by accepting. Do I mentally accept that other people do not support the LGBT community as I do? Of course, it's just a fact that people have different opinions. But will I sit back and let someone say/think unfair, untrue, or nasty things about homosexuals because "it's their opinion"? No.

Totally agree with this.

Believing homosexuals are going to hell/are unnatural/don't exist/are peverted/should die is an opinion. Ideologies and view points are meant to be questioned.

Being gay is just a state of being.

It's like if I were to say to a black person "Hey buddy, if you want people to accept you, it's a two way street. You better accept the KKK, otherwise you're being totally hypocritical!"

[BDF]

Originally Posted by Guile

I feel it's hypocritical to demand tolerance, and then not tolerate other people's views, such as mine. I don't pursue tolerance, I can justify not tolerating your views and deeming mine superior

If there's any way whatsoever to measure whose views are or aren't superior... it's by judging how many other people share them. From that angle, yours are hardly superior.

[ShimmeringFaerie]

Originally Posted by Guile

I feel it's hypocritical to demand tolerance, and then not tolerate other people's views, such as mine. I don't pursue tolerance, I can justify not tolerating your views and deeming mine superior

That's not really what hypocritical means. It would be hypocritical for me to says "we should tolerate everyone's opinions and I won't tolerate anyone who thinks otherwise". It's not hypocritical to want equal rights for people regardless of their sexuality and stand up to people who try to stand in the way of equal rights.

[Dez]

Originally Posted by Loving Linux Penguin

We certainly can't necessarily change everyone's opinions to reflect our own. And I have no quarrel with people who aren't accepting, so long as they keep it to themselves. Any time they harrass, bully, joke about, etc. someone who is a member of the LGBT community (or any community in question) I have NO tolerance for it at all.

I agree with Chris. I know that not everybody will accept it for whatever reason and that is fine with me. Everyone has their own opinions and that's cool, just don't try forcing your beliefs on others or start bashing the LGBT community entirely just because you don't accept it.

[Maverick.]

Every community has hatred towards their own. Whether it be race, sexual preference or religious communities. I don't think that is ever going to change.

[Marguerite]

I just wanted to expand on my earlier comment because of a quote that's been on my mind since I saw this thread. I had to read this chapter for my Aboriginal studies course, and the idea in the following quote has stuck with me. It's by Jan Pettman.

There may be some cultural values which we do not want taught or practiced in Australia. Thus I am strongly opposed to racism or anti-Semitism. It is not that I have a 'prejudice against prejudice'. I oppose them on a variety of reasonable grounds including evidence of enormous damage done when such views have gone unchallenged. I am, however open to challenge on my views, and must defend them, critically and openly.

Though this is talking about racism I think it is spot on and can be applied to any prejudice.

I went to a forum a few months ago on gay marriage. A speaker got up and spoke against gay marriage and listed reasons for why it would be damaging for society. Now, don't get me wrong, I completely disagree with the man. But he spoke reasonably and gave evidence for his opinion (which again, I dispute, but it is besides the point). Some people got angry and were shouting things at him, which I thought was uncalled for because although his opinion may have been offensive to some he backed it up and expressed it in a reasonable way. For me to say "No, I'm not listening, shut up, you're an idiot" etc etc would have been rude and intolerent.

But when someone actually starts spouting ridiculous things like saying homosexuals don't exist, or they're disgusting, or they should be killed, or that they're unnatural... it is not being intolerent of intolerence to not give their opinion the time of day and call them on their BS. The fact is that they are unfounded beliefs with no evidence and driven purely on hate. If you think X is bad, 'just because', which causes you to discriminate, your views shouldn't be tolerated quite frankly. That is not to say that these people are not entitled to their opinion, but prejudice and opinion are two different things. All prejudice is opinion based but not all opinions are prejudiced. I can accept someone's right to an opinion, but that does not mean I welcome, appreciate or give credence to their prejudice.

[JKmadu619]

I do not believe that hating gays (Which is my umbrella term for any sexual identity from this point on) is right. I think that people who express hatred towards gays have unsolved psychological issues, however consider this:

If it's a free country and a gay is allowed to express their gay pride, why can the same not be allowed to those who oppose gays?

It's wrong, sure. But what is the point in freedom of speech if we still monitor what is allowed to be said, and what is too offesnive.

- Justin