I'm kind of hot and tired, so perhaps I am reading your post wrong, or missing something essential about what you are saying that is causing me to misinterpret you, and it is not my intent to do that.
I do not feel like going to the online dictionary at the moment, but I basically define prejudice and bigotry as irrational hatreds and/or overt intent to discriminate or harm whole groups of people simply because of their color or creed or religion or, in this case, their sexual identity.
I think you may believe you are safe here because you are talking about disapproving of the BEHAVIORS of individuals or groups. (How would you describe group behavior, incidentally. What does it include?) However, there is certainly a lot more research showing that sexual identity is fixed prenatally or at least by early childhood than there is showing that it is a choice. So in the case of homosexuals, it seems disingenuous to say you are discriminating not against the individual but against the behavior (if that is what you are saying).
I do not think opinions should be regulated. But I think bigotry and discrimination are just really terrible things, and I think there should be massive educational efforts against them. I don't know how from my statements you could have determined that I believe they should be punished. However, when they pop up at Feelies I think it is appropriate to say something, because if you hear a bigoted remark and do not protest, you are part of the problem, not the solution. Bigotry could be ended almost immediately in America if there was absolutely no tolerance for its public expression, in my opinion. Then children would not learn it, and in a generation things would be much improved, at least.
By insinuating that that APA changed its findings because of political or social pressure instead of because technically homosexuality did not fall within the definition of a psychiatric disorder, you seemed to be disputing their findings. Were you agreeing with them instead? Did you read and see and understand why homosexuality does not fall within the definition of a psychiatric disorder? It is not my intent to misunderstand people, so I would appreciate a clarification. |
