You know, I've never known a gay "sexual predator"

[CatWoman]

I have tons and tons of gay friends. my very best friend is gay. When we were stationed in Germany, we would only party at the gay clubs. I always had an excellent time partying with them, and I never, ever saw any evidence of gays "turning" or sexually harassing anyone.

I do know that when Tailhook scandal struck, we were in the middle of the whole "Don't ask, don't tell" debate. Yet those were straight men preying on and sexually harassing women.

[Warpy]

1. I've known a few

and I knew one guy who was a victim but who remained with the uncle who had preyed on him when he was fourteen until the uncle died of AIDS in the mid 80s. He said he missed his uncle very much.

The ones I knew were always lusting after boys in the mid to late teens. I have no idea if they ever acted on it.

[niyad]

2. and, as usual, the men involved in Tailhook got, at most, a slap

on the wrist, if anything. I was there, and the way the men treated the situation was absolutely disgusting. men were told not to cooperate with the investigation, and, in some cases, proudly admitted that they were so doing.

[buff2]

3. Foley was preying on these young kids

He's got more problems to deal with than his sexual preferences.He is a sicko,not because he is gay but because he is a repuke.

[ruggerson]

4. I've never known a gay person who is an abuser or suffered from abuse

I'm gay.

I had a strong father figure.

My parents did not abuse me.

Nobody abused me.

I grew up in a happy, healthy home.

I played sports and never put on a dress nor played with dolls.

I've been with my partner for 10 years now.

Monogamously.

Almost all of the gay friends we have have came from similar environments.

The religious rightwing are liars. They KNOW they are liars. They are truly the scummiest people on the planet.

[CatWoman]

5. *smooch*

that was lovely. Thanks

[mn9driver]

6. It happens.

First hand knowledge.

[MamaBear]

7. Interesting observation.

I have known one gay man who told me he had preferences for 15-year-olds. I don't know if he ever acted on it, and I haven't seen him for over 25 years now.

I have heard the tale of a gay teen who said he was date raped by a teen who was older than he was by a couple of years.

And I'm on the far side of fifty, and have known gay people all my adult life.

I've known a few gay guys who have talked big, but in a couple of cases their friends would shake their heads sadly and say, no way.

[SharonAnn]

10. Our 80 year old neighbor was just arrested for "fondling" boys in

the restroom at a public park near here. I guess the sheriff's department had been watching him for some time becasue of reports of the "fondling" and "oral sex" reports.

I just thought he was weird.

And my high school principal, who obviously didn't like girls, was fired for his "relationships" with some of the boys in our school. He was a Catholic priest and we later learned that he had a record before and after of this kind of behavior.

[Kurovski]

8. I knew one when I was 14.

But I was an asshole even at 14, and he got NOWHERE.

That's not entirely true, he got in trouble.

[Annces]

9. It happened to my boyfriend

He worked at a radio station, and his boss was gay, and was always egging him on and teasing him. My boyfriend was pretty upset about it, just like a woman would be.

[Pied Piper]

11. I knew a guy a long time ago

... when we were grad students. He loved to bring home "homeless" boys who were usually 17-20, and "nurture" them. I sniffed my nose at the time, since my friend was only 22, not such a huge age difference. But he was still doing it at 35; it was no longer amusing. I broke off contact with him, and I learned, just a year or two ago, that he had moved back to his himetown, where, presumably, the same behavior continues (he's about 40 now).