BS: Are folkies homophobic?

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Alasdair
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:58 AM

Bgpuss, GUESTOpenminded, Grab - I think you guys are having a communication breakdown, think you're all actually saying the same thing in reality.

Al

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:45 AM

I wasn't denigrating all guest posters here. But there has been a clear pattern on this site of anonymous posters who dont even use a handle, coming on and making a single post to stir shit. I was just making the point that we shouldnt make any conclusions about this site or folkies in general on the basis of a shit stirrer who doesnt even use a consistent name. I'm sorry if i gave the impression that i though all guest posters were a problem, that is no the case.

Yes I use an alias, like many people on this site, but I make no secret of my identity and I use my handle consistently, so if anyone wants to check what I have said in the past they are perfectly able to do so, and they will most likely find places where i have mentioned my real name, where I live and all sorts of other stuff.

"if some degenerate comes on here asserting that just because somebody is gay they must be a paedophile.then we as hopefully more intelligient folk should say a few words in the direction of what is right..."

My point was that that wasn't what the guest in question said. he implied that the person was a paedophile. For all I know he may have has a multitude of reasons for doing so, and only he/she can tell us what they were. In any case, making unbacked, anonymous personal attacks on a person in that way is cowardly and reprehensible. And if indeed we was making a judgement on all homosexuals, then that too is reprehensible. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clearer in my original post.

However the title of this thread was "Are fokies homophobic?" - so I thought I would address that question, by pointing out that you can't judge a group on the actions of a cowardly few.

I really don't understand why you reacted so badly to my post - I didn't in any way condone the words and actions of the original guest, just questioned the interpretation of it. I can only assume that you took offence as you thought I was attacking all guest posters, and I hope I have made it clear that I wasn't.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Grab
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:38 AM

Bagpuss, I believe the guest was saying not to dismiss him just bcos he didn't sign a name to it, bcos your name doesn't say explicitly who you are either.

However for the guest's benefit, *any* name does tell us that the same person is posting each time, which isn't something we get to find out about with guests. So if I post something dumb on one thread, my plausibility suffers everywhere (and if I post something intelligent - as if! - then if goes the other way). By contrast, a guest can post something dumb in one place and we don't know who it was, so at their next post we can't take into account that they have a track record of talking rubbish (or vice versa again, we can't take into account that we should pay more attention to a well-informed person posting as a guest).

This is particularly relevant given Alasdair's reason for starting the thread, which was in response to some flamebait post by an anonymous guest.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: GUEST,Openminded
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:30 AM

Bagpuss you are using an alias yourself...he or she who lives in glass houses shouldnt throw stones comes to mind ha ha...But surely if some degenerate comes on here asserting that just because somebody is gay they must be a paedophile.then we as hopefully more intelligient folk should say a few words in the direction of what is right...but I do agree that such hateful nonsense is not worthy of dignifying by acknowledgement rather than because they are anonymous. perhaps the Mudcat administration should delete such libelous rubbish..

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:20 AM

Guest - openminded - I think you misunderstood me. I was referring to the anonymous guest who made the comment in the original thread - which I assume wasn't you!

I only said it didnt necessarily look like a homophobic comment, because the Guest may have been making an accusation of paedophilia for whatever reason, not necessarily because he was assuming that all gay men are paedophiles. However I did state that if he was implying that all gay men are paedophiles, then it WAS a homophobic comment, rather than a specific accusation against the musician in question. So I don't understand why you have a problem with what I said.

"you after all are a character from a childrens tale how transparent is that"

Transparent? In what way, could you please explain what you are implying here?

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Alasdair
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:16 AM

Hey Bagpuss - was no brush-tarring going on. As I said in my first note, I don't think this would represent the attitudes of most people here, nor of most folkies. Thought it might make for some interesting discussion.

I think that the GUEST used "buggering boys" as a homophobic slurr since there's no reason to Ashley MacIsaac is a paedophile.

I find folkie environments are something of a mixed bag in this respect. People are often really chilled out but at the same time strangely conservative. I was at the Fleadh Cheoil na hEirann last year, attended by about 300,000 people (so I believe). I can't remember the last time I was in such a large crowd with no apparent queer element.

Al

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: GUEST,Openminded
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:11 AM

I suppose if we assert that every heterosexual may have been engaged in underage sex then that is not being hetero-phobic.of course most folkies are normal rational people not obsessed with a burning hatred of gay people,but the few that initialy responded to alasdairs opening discussion certainly seemed a little prejidicial in their outlook...So could we not balance this with something more than dismissing my comments as an anonymous guest..you after all are a character from a childrens tale how transparent is that ha ha..

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: DMcG
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:07 AM

I can't think of any good reason why folkies should be more or less homophobic than any other group of people.

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Catarina
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 07:07 AM

Dunno about folkies. I surely ain't! Homophobic, I mean. But, mind you, lots of people are. My parents are. My own brothers are. Most of my fellows at work are. I've even met a few gay guys that are. It's a mad world realy!

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:51 AM

Since the comment you received was from an anonymous guest, I wouldn't count it as representative of folkies, or of this site in general. Incidentally, I didn't read the phrase "buggering boys" as necessarily homophobic, more an accusation of paedophilia. Of course this could be a homophobic comment if the person was putting across his opinion that all gay men are paedophiles.

Anyway, I haven't heard any homophobic comments among folkies that I know, and I wouldn't like to tar a whole community with one brush because of the comment of one anomymous guest.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: GUEST,Openminded
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:42 AM

Alasdair theres certainly a few phobes around here judging by the catty little responses your worthwhile attempt at starting a discussion has drawn..

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Alasdair
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:27 AM

Dave - who's Roy Bailey?

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Cluin
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:16 AM

I dunno.... I wouldn't have said he was that great a fiddler anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:14 AM

Twas either you or I betrayed
The handsome cabin boy

Subject: RE: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 06:12 AM

Perhaps you should try asking Roy Bailey.

Subject: BS: Are folkies homophobic?
From: Alasdair
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 04:09 AM

I had a question to ask about Ashley MacIsaac a day or so ago. One of the anwers I got was:

"he's a great fiddler when he's not buggering boys...."

which I found rather shocking. I doubt that this sort of statement represents the attitude of most MudCatters, however I thought it might be worth a discussion.

Any out gay folkies out there? If so, what's your experience in terms of acceptance in the folk community?

Is the folk world an exclusively straight domain?

Al