It's getting worse

[Thai Dyed]

It is getting pathetically worse. Here's the latest in a recent run of horror stories, this time from Brazil, a place most people look upon as a "gay paradise".

Last Sunday we lost another friend. Caio Lhennysson da Silva, 18, was found dead on a farm. He was half-naked; his mouth was full of sand and his body was showing signs of strangulation. He didnтАЩt do anything to deserve that. He wasnтАЩt involved with any criminal activity. He was a happy, beautiful teenager. What made him different from many people is that he was openly gay and androgynous.

[attachment=0:2wydbdoa]Lhennysson da Silva murdered - Brazil.jpg[/attachment:2wydbdoa]

[1PR4BKK]

This is very sad indeed. My heart goes out to the loved ones of this kid.

I will be heading to Brazil in a few months with my very beautiful and feminine friends. I am hoping that this is not the beginning of some "gay bashing" trend. I hate playing the bodyguard all of the time and I was under the impression that I could ease up a bit while in Rio de Janeiro. I guess we'll see....

[thonglor55]

It is getting pathetically worse.I see no evidence that it's getting worse. There's more prominence given to such stories because they are less frequent, IMHO. Queer-bashing was the local sport where I was growing up; it's now almost completely (but not totally) vanished so I'm told. Those who opposed decriminalising homosexual behavior often point out that their argument that there would be more homosexuals around if the behavior was decriminalised is true; just look how many queers there are now. The fact may well be that homosexuals are more visible, not more numerous. Equally when gay-bashing was an everyday thing, it simply wasn't worth reporting. Now it makes a good story for the media because, perhaps, it's less frequent.

[Thai Dyed]

just look how many queers there are now. The fact may well be that homosexuals are more visible, not more numerous.

One of the oldest gay ghettos in the world is Christopher Street, just off Sixth Avenue in New York City. One would be hard pressed to find a straight person anywhere in the area! Yet just two months ago, only a few steps from Stonewall, this happened. My point is that while gays may have found some tolerance in some quarters of society in the West, they are also far more hated in among others.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/30/ ... h-village/ (http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/30/man-beaten-in-possible-anti-gay-hate-crime-in-greenwich-village/)

Oh shit, I just found this!!! What is even more hilarious about this is that the 21 year old guy who beat the shit out of this dude is gay too. Well, I guess that makes sense after all. I think I would be frightened to run into a lot of people who write on these gay forums and have to deal with them face to face. In fact, the mere thought of meeting some of the guys here scares the fucking shit out of me. Welcome to "gay liberation". Now we can kill each other just like straights do and soon we will be able to get married and lead lives of abject misery just like the straight world too! More! More!

http://www.urbanmusic2000.com/wordpress ... s-gay-too/ (http://www.urbanmusic2000.com/wordpress/man-arrested-in-damian-furtch-mcdonald%E2%80%99s-beating-says-he%E2%80%99s-gay-too/)

[thonglor55]

My point is that while gays may have found some tolerance in some quarters of society in the West, they are also far more hated in among others.My point is you have absolutely no way of measuring this. Perhaps you should go and have a dialog with thaiguest who keeps wittering on in the thread about throwaway gay magazines in the Thailand Forum about how he is a "glass half full" guy. I think in his cliche obsessed mind he'd find you a "glass half empty" kinda guy. Both of you in my view have prejudices masquerading as opinions.

[Koh Samui Luv]

you in my view have prejudices masquerading as opinions.

Of course, thonglor55, the most prejudiced poster here, beachlover alone excepted, becomes nothing more than a hypocrite when he makes this statement.

Oh Great Thonglor, we hail and salute thee, as only thou art beyond illusion! Ommmmmmmmm.....

[attachment=0:2vxma9jf]thonglor.jpg[/attachment:2vxma9jf]

[thonglor55]

Oh Great Thonglor, we hail and salute thee ...As well you might!

[Beachlover]

My point is that while gays may have found some tolerance in some quarters of society in the West, they are also far more hated in among others.
So how does this point equate to "it's getting worse"?

When you say "far more hated" do you factor in the fact that gays have far greater visibility and acknowledgement in most society today? With greater visibility comes greater attention, which magnifies everything, including any existing hatred of gays.

Saying that incidents like these indicates gays becoming "far more hated" as gays become more visible is an irrelevant conclusion. It's like saying that any rise in racial hate crimes during an influx of immigrants shows society is become "far more racist". In such a situation, the level of racisim didn't necessarily change. The racial hate crimes are likely a factor of more immigrants, not more racism.

Gradually, acceptance of immigrants rises and racism declines. Just as gradually, acceptance of gays should rise and gay hate crimes and discrimination should decline.

I believe acknowledgement and acceptance of gays is higher than it's ever been in Western society. Greater awareness and visibility of gays is required before greater acceptance can be achieved.

Along the way, as gays become more visible, those elements of society who dislike gays will obviously make more noise (or violence). But that's only a reaction to the rising visibility of gays. There's still a long way to go but it's getting better...

Along the way, as gays become more visible... There's still a long way to go but it's getting better...
But not better enough for you to come out of the closet and become more visible? Your little sermon would carry a lot more weight if you were out and proud. Don't presume to lecture those of us who are.

тАЬSparta, the greatest military power in Greece, could not be more different from Athens, and yet stories of the Spartans remain a part of western civilization┬┤s collective psyche.тАЭ

http://www.oceansbridge.com/paintings/artists/masters/small/b/bruegel/pieter_e/11/08crippl_painting.jpg

CRIPPLELOVER: тАЬI believe acknowledgement and acceptance of CRIPPLES is higher than it's ever been in Western society. Greater awareness and visibility of CRIPPLES is required before greater acceptance can be achieved.тАЭ

[Brisboy82]

Despite the flamboyance of the Brazilian culture and the large gay scene there. Violence towards gay people is a long established tradition in that country and nothing new. It's a very homophobic culture despite what might appear on the surface.