LGBT & Q Families

1) In the piece Dan describes the stereotypical gay male that is portrayed on television. He describes the feminine ways and styles associated with gay men like the classic hand bag. He also touches on the point that on television they always make the gay man seem like sex is the only thing on his mind at all times. He talked about how the media makes gay man seem like they are the only ones that have sexual fantasies. He finished it off by talking about the gay man with the poodle but not just any poodle a pink poodle. Television makes gay people look like they all fit into a universal category. From watching television I noticed that gay men are portrayed as professional men, usually wealthy and living in suburban settings. There is no illustration on television of poor or working class gay men from urban environments I wonder why that is?

2) Honestly I don't watch a lot of television and when I do it is usually sports center or animal planet but I can recall a movie called Remember the Titans which illustrated a gay male that went against stereotypical norms. In the movie there was a quarterback named William who came from California. Williams father was in the army therefore had to move around a lot. When his father became stationed in Virginia he brought his son to try out for the high school football team. The country boys from Virginia made the assumption that he was gay before they even meet due to his long blond hair and feminine swagger. As time went one and William got to know the team he shocked everyone by kissing the captain Gary Berdet on the lips after practice. From that point on everyone new he was gay and gave him the nick name "sunshine". The team accepted him and treated him like the other players. Sunshine didn't go around slapping his team mates butts while in the showers, or fantasizing about his team mates. Sunshine didn't carry a purse around and didn't own a pink poodle. The movie portrayed sunshine in a non stereotypical way and showed viewers that gay men don't all fit into that universal box.

3) Adopting a child is a touchy matter I don't agree or disagree I'm in the middle. I think that gay men should be able to adopt a child because I would much rather see a child go into a loving home oppose to living in an orphanage any day. Regardless if the parents are gay men the life in a orphanage and the life provided in a loving and stable home are night and day. On the other hand from a religious stand point I am against homosexuality. I feel like it is wrong and unnatural for two men or two women to be together intimately. I believe man and women is the natural way and what is right. Don't get me wrong I am not homophobic (anymore) and I don't hate gay people I just don't think that that life style is right. I have gay family members, Friend and customers and treat them with the same leave of respect as I do toward my straight Friends , family members and customers. When A child becomes involved in that type of environment I think a lot of complications can occur. ( Hopefully we can discuss those complications in class)

4) After reading I wasn't really shocked I had learned about some of these statistics in other classes so it wasn't very new to me. At the end of the day family is family whether it is two moms or two dads or a mom and a dad, if a child has a support system and a loving environment anything is possible. I am for families, the lack of the family structure is partly to blame for societal problems we are faced with today. People will always be different and see things different no matter what. The reading didn't falter my expectations or surprise me.