Do you think that in today's society, it's considered "kewl" to be gay?

No, it’s not considered “cool”. It’s just a part of life. Homosexuality is viewed differently, because people are coming to the realization that gay people are just as human as straight people, and we didn’t make the choice of being that way – we were born that way.

It’s obviously a trend for some, I’ve noticed that, but I like to think that for the majority, it’s accepted, rather than just being “kewl”...of course, it being a trend for some is much better than it was handled 50 years ago I’d say.

I don’t know if I’d say that it is cool to be raped, beaten, and even murdered just because you happen to like people who have the same reproductive equipment as you. Sure, there are alot of kids who like to say they are “bi” or whatever now, but homosexuality or even fluid sexuality is still considered an offense worthy of abuse by most of society.

I think the mainstream media has had a hand in this way of thinking. In many TV shows there’s the token gay guy who is just so ‘Deliciously Gay’ basically a teenage Graham Norton. Not all gay people are like this (outlandish and hugely gay) many are just gay and don’t run around saying Fabulous! Sure the public is much more accepting of gay people in this day and age but I don’t believe that it is chic to be Gay. And if I was Gay, frankly I would find it offensive to see people being gay because its ‘Cool’

I’d like to add, though, that many middle-school/high-school kids do think it’s cool to be “bisexual”. This is something they usually grow out of. Most call it a phase.

It’s not cool, it’s hot (on some).

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard very true, however look at it this way…if you are teased and treated meanly throughout adolesence by the time they would reach maturity, there skins would be quite “weatherized” and tough enough to withstand future attacks

@joeysefika perfect example: Richard Simmons

It seems odd that it could be considered a trend. Hearing someone say “I was into homosexuality last year, I’m over it now” sounds ridiculous. I think people feel more free to express themselves openly and less hesitant to venture outside the narrow confines of what’s considered acceptable behavior for either sex/sexual orientation.

@kewlguy_exABuser I don’t like “weatherized” skin. It forces me to be though while I am and want to be and want to stay soft and sensitive.

Geeks are now sexy I think we’re ready as a society for gay to be chic.

@delirium Geeks? Not in my world.

No, I don’t think people think it’s cool (in general; I’m sure some do), but I do think people are more willing to experiment now. In the past, if you had any bisexual tendencies, you would just write them off and stick to the heterosexual attractions you felt. Nowadays, however, people (especially teenagers) are more willing to explore homoerotic tendencies. It isn’t about people “choosing to be gay because it’s cool”, it’s about people who are gay feeling more free to be open about it and people who have some homoerotic tendencies feeling more free to explore them. That said, while being gay is more accepted than it used to be, it is still pretty poorly accepted in many areas and many situations. I can’t tell you how many gay teens I’ve met on the internet who are completely unaccepted by their parents.

I’m gay. For those of you newbies here, just thought I’d let you know. :)

You’re missing out. But more for me, I always say. Anyways, I’m pretty sure you’re not their type either.

So you enjoy guys like this?

If he were incredibly smart and built helicopters in his free time or something equally mmm, I’d keep an open mind.

Aloha, Kewlguy! Being gay is more than cool. It’s great!

@DominicX A lot of my friends came out during their teenage years and had big issues with their parents not accepting them. By now the parents have had a few years to get used to it and are slowly coming around. It just makes me so sad and frustrated that parents give their kids such a hard time about this during their teenage years, because that’s when their acceptance would have really mattered the most.

I don’t think being gay itself is considered cool, because it’s just a state of being that you don’t have any choice over. A lot of gay people are not just cool, they’re beloved, because of their efforts and all the awesome things they have done.

OOH, another example. Want. Randall. Munoe. So. Much.

@Haleth

Exactly. Being gay as a teen is hard enough and to have your parents accept you would help so many LGBT teens. The worst part of my situation is that I could’ve come out a long long time ago. Not that my high school life wasn’t great, it was, but there was always that part of me that wasn’t fully showing itself. I knew that my parents would be fine with it and yet I still waited until after college started. Oh well… :P So far since I’ve come out, there hasn’t been a single person who’s reacted negatively. At least, they haven’t shown it to me.

i think theres nothing to be cool about its just a state of being and is more and more accepted maybe its considered secretly cool to someone still in the closet.

I think it’s a fairly safe bet that anybody who thinks society considers homosexuality to be positive isn’t gay.

@MacBean Huh?

@DominicX So, sort of an instinct for self-preservation? It sounds like otherwise, things have gone really well for you, but it can’t have felt good to hide it.

I’m bisexual, and I think the stakes are a bit lower if you’re coming out as a bisexual person. When I figured it out I pretty much told everyone right away, and I did get some negative reactions from people, but overall it wasn’t that bad of an experience. My parents are still pretty uncomfortable about it, and a lot of people at first thought I was just trying to be trendy and didn’t believe me. I think overall bi people don’t get taken very seriously sometimes. My first girlfriend in high school wasn’t out to her family because they were very traditional. I tried to be there for her in any way I could, but it’s a lot harder to tell your strict Bolivian parents that you’re gay than it is to do what I did, so I don’t think I fully understood what she was going through at the time.

I think it is in some circles. I know that when I was a teenager it was “kewl” to be a girl and to be (or at least, pretend to me) bisexual. To be gay, not as extensively “kewl”, but a lot of people are attracted to that.

On a related note, I am bisexual, and I made every effort not to reveal myself as such for fear that people would interpret it as an effort to join the “I’m so cool, Im a bisexual” crowd. I don’t see that happening so much with the gay community.

I think you are born being hetero or homosexual and so ‘cool’ has nothing to do with it. Am I cool for being what I am? No, cause I’m just a woman who likes men? If I was gay I’d be cooler?

Where are you, pdworkin?

It’s not a matter of cool if it is what someone is. If you think of it as cool, you are trying to be something, rather than simply being.

@StupidGirl: If a person thinks society views homosexuality in a positive light, I’m pretty sure they aren’t gay. And if they are, that must be a nice bubble they’re living in.

@MacBean: oh right, for a minute there I thought I had read “anyone who views homosexuality as positive isn’t gay”. My bad. (where’s the blushing emoticon?)

@StupidGirl: Aw, no blushing. It was only a mistake; it happens. I just read “egoistic” as “agnostic” in another thread and was thoroughly confused for a couple of seconds. XD

In highschools (At least where I’m from) it’s certainly a fad to act like it. However I only know one genuinely homosexual person- and he cetainly acts nothing like what the media portrays as ‘gay’.

no this isn’t some kind of a new style or some new handbag – this is important to people..you only trivialize it by calling it ‘kewl’ (what is with that spelling anyway?)

I don’t think its about being cool. I think it is most important being true to yourself. Gay, bi or straight just be honest and true, not trying to be something your not. So many lives can be messed up by trying to be something you are not…trying to be straight, marry and have kids…then come out…that can have devastating results for your kids…I think many people are more understanding when they see a good relationship, good person and not have certain aspects in their face regardless of straight, bi or gay….

In terms of American society as a whole, it is not in any way cool or chic to be gay. Trust me. I’ve gotten enough dirty looks on the street or in supermarkets for holding hands with people I’ve dated. Once a van drove up to me and the girl I was dating while we were walking down the street holding hands and tried to get us to come to some christian meeting of some sort. And I live in the liberal bastion of Massachusetts! Think of people living in the south? Yes, it is more accepted than it was in the heyday of gay-hating in America, but it’s definitely not seen as something positive. Maybe neutral, if you’re lucky.

@DominicX being gay can be very tough lifestyle to live, there is alot of bullshit they have to deal with including hate and acceptance, some deal with it quite well where as others do not. My thoughts about about parents “completely unaccepting” their child because they are gay just blows my mind because that is their flesh and blood and you would think that they would support them no matter what they choose, even if they didn’t like it.

@fireinthepriory Exactly. How can society consider it to be ‘cool’ if, when I’m holding hands with my girlfriend as we’re walking through the mall, punks sitting outside of Hot Topic scream “LESBIANS!” until we disappear around the corner? No one does that to “cool” people.

If it were “cool” to be gay, people wouldn’t commit hate crimes against gays every day.

And yes, it does put a sour taste in my mouth when people ask questions like this, because not only is it borderline homophobic, but it makes it seem as if we had the choice.

If any of us had the choice, I’m sure most of us wouldn’t be gay. Why would you choose to be something that causes ignorant people to hate you (call you a ‘fag’, etc), and could possibly get you killed?

@stemnyjones: I don’t think asking things like this is homophobic at all, because there doesn’t seem to be anything malicious about it. It’s just innocently ignorant. It comes from a place of privilege, not hate.
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Edit: “Innocently ignorant” sounds much more negative than I meant it to. “Naive” is a better term.

@MacBean I suppose you’re right. That’s the AB defensiveness coming out in me. My apologies.

@stemnyjones “borderline homophobic??” I really don’t think so, I have been on both sides of the fence and am not afraid to admit to it, the question was in respect to how being gay is, in my eyes, being seen by the younger generation these days – I am always hearing kids saying, “he/she is so cool, and they are gay!”

@kewlguy_exABuser: ”he/she is so cool, and they are gay!” sounds more like “It’s amazing that they’re cool, even though they’re a fag!” than “It’s cool to be gay!” to me.

@MacBean I knew somebody was going to intrepret that phrase that way!

Being gay is not a
lifestyle. A lifestyle is being a swimmer or into Harleys. Gay is about understanding who one truly is and living authentically.

If someone thinks being gay is cool, well, I’m going with that person is not gay.

Kids follow all kinds of trends, cool or not. I’m sure the trend followers will give it up the moment they face the negative consequences of being perceived as gay.

@kewlguy_exABuser It rings that way to me, too. If you heard someone say “He’s so cool… and he’s black!” wouldn’t you think that was kinda racist?

@fireinthepriory well since you put it that way…..

I think it is more accepted now to just “be you” Gay, Bi, straight, soccer mom, stay at home dad, EMO kid, everything is being more accepted. I don’t believe behaviors towards it have changed as much though. People are still being hurt emotionally and physically. I do hope in time these behaviors stop. I do also notice many now stand up for others rights. That has been a great positive. That didn’t happen as often in the past.

“Trendy to be gay and Bi”...I am older and I never thought there would be such a wonderful day as the day it became trendy…in my day you couldn’t even crack the closet door! We have come a long way in accepting people, all types for who they are and I see that as a wonderful and beautiful thing…this world may seem like it is going to hell in a hand basket at times…but when you stop and see the positve..like this..it isn’t really so bad.

Maybe gays are just kewl, regardless of the fact they’re gay.