General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Cynthia Nixon (Sex & the City) says being gay is a choice [View all]HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts). . . but rather the irresponsibility of saying it.
That's all well and good for an actress with gobs of money and freedom to publicly say "for ME, it's a choice". Cynthia Nixon isn't being oppressed or suppressed in any way, shape or form.
Does the same standard hold true for a gay teen with intolerant parents in Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, rural Ohio or Montana? Often times, they can't just move to a gay-friendlier area if they want to come out from under their parent's thumb. They have nowhere to go. They don't have a voice. Sometimes, it doesn't "get better". Who speaks for them while their parents are under the impression that they CAN be "cured"? Even in adulthood, these problems with parents, relatives and colleagues still exist. Multiply this by thousands upon thousands, and you'll see why it's an issue with some.
At the same time people attest that the bigots cannot and do not get to define what "gayness" is, let's not discount the reality of the anti-gay movement's ubiquitousness that, whether you like it or not, WILL and IS ALREADY defining that. They have money, power, the churches, more than a few congresspersons and Senators, presidential candidates, their own networks, etc. They read something like this and, whether you think it's stupid or not, it DOES give them a case.