Reply #513: Part of the problem here is that gay people have to choose between self-respect and party loyalty.

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And this has probably been said much better by smarter people elsewhere, ad nauseum, but I'm going to take a stab at it, while it's fresh in my mind.

I think it's indisputable that Obama and Biden are both technically homophobic, as well as most members of the Democratic Party. Mountains of things provide evidence of that.

At the same time, like many other gay people with an ounce of self-respect, I am 100%, 24/7 gay. I enjoy being gay, it's an essential part of who I am, I am fully open about it and I can NEVER accept anything less than full equality with heterosexuals.

Yet, we see time after time that many in the Democratic Party demand that we sit in the back of the bus, wait our turn ('this is not the right time') or else. No wonder we get angry and say "fuck you." We see that condescension in Democratic leaders and right here on DU. You know, the pony and chess bullshit. 'You're either with Obama or you're Republican.'

I'm older than most here and I guess seasoned in how to dance with homophobes, so I don't really lose it very often; I just either make them embarrass themselves or put them on ignore. When I do talk back, I hold nothing back and I guarantee you it's almost always for a valid reason. But others are young and inexperienced, and may live in scary places like rural Florida or Wyoming, where they live in the closet, in a manner that may be unhealthy psychologically, as a means of survival. I know, because that's what I had to do before setting out to support myself as an adult.

That's all for now, I may add stuff later.