CivGeneral said:
Displaying a dildo is offensive because it is a sex toy. Its not suppost to belong out in public for all to see. Its suppost to remain in the privacy in someone elses home. I realy dont want to see anyone waving around a dildo in public because to me, it makes me think that that person is sexualy obsessed.
And you also suggest that we removed all traces of religion as well? I dont know what is offensive about Jesus on the cross since I dont see it as offensive. I dont care if you dont want your children to be looking at it. If youre not a Christian, or you dont like it, and you dont want the Crucifix to be displayed.
God bless ya, but here is something if youre going to stop me from showing my crucifix and professing my faith because it offends ya, I will still wear it because its my country too ![Stick Out Tongue :p :p](/data/assets/smilies/tongue.gif)
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I guess we still haven't agreed on what's more offensive: violence or sex. But I think you hit on something else important here: sometimes a dildo can be like a cross (ooh, I can feel the heat of the flames already
![Wink ;) ;)](/data/assets/smilies/wink.gif)
). But let me explain myself:
Many christians wear a cross to profess thier faith, and I give them props: its not an easy thing to put your beleifs right there on your lapel, even if you are in the majority in your area. It tells something definite about that person, what they beleive, and to what community they belong. The sacrifice of christ on the cross and the goodwill to humanity that His act symbolizes is what defines christianity, and that is why christians will always display the cross in thier communities, even if its not popular to do.
Homosexuals, OTOH, are defined by thier sexuality. The one thing that makes a gay man different from a straight on is who they are sexually attracted to. So when queers take to the streets at pride parades to profess thier sexuality, the hardships that come with it, and the community to which they belong, they don't want to make any bones about thier message: a gay man is gay because of his preference for a penis over a vagina, and he wants to make sure that everyone knows that he is openly professing that preference, loudly and unabashedly. What else would he use as a symbol of that proclamation?
I know that while political and personal proclamations are all nice and good, some folks still don't like this kind of behaviour at pride parades because open displays of sexuality are considered vulgar in our society. IMHO, that is a completely valid argument, but I know that a lot of people in the queer community belive this to be a double standard, given that most days on thier lives, they are subjected to a myriad of hetero-sexuality images in the form of commercials, movies/television and music that can make them uncomfortable in thier daily lives, especially when they have to tone down thier own sexuality to be able to fit in to mainstream society.
Long and the short: I think that pride parades are a great outing for anyone looking to laugh and have a bit of fun, and serve as an important role instrengthening the queer community and making inroads into mainstream society. On that same note, I dont think I would take any kids I had to one until i knew that I could properly explain things to them. But then again, I don't think that I would take them to a military parade until I could explain the horrors of war to them either.