yo yo, debators. i agree with shambles that this should now be a separate thread. absolutely no songs allowed!

okay, here are my feelings about the gay community. shambles, was it you who said we (queers) should risk a diminishment of our (illusory) safety in order to mesh with the larger society? i totally agree. i absolutely believe that GLBT's should hold hands, dance, smooch, and exchange audible words of love with each other way out in the open, in front of god and all straight folks. in fact, that's the heart of what being "out of the closet" means. however, if you've ever felt the looks, the jabs, the whispers, and the semi-polite requests to take that filth elsewhere, you'll know how unbelievably exhausting it can be. it's hard work to be different, and day after day after day of that kind of emotional stress can drive a person bonkers. and here is where the gay community performs its most valuable service. every now and then, it feels really good to be among people you can trust to understand you and treat you with kindness.

more in a moment...