This thread is in response Poagao’s statement here. He writes:
As I said in the other thread, I do not find the above photo offensive. But I don’t think it’s really much of a mystery why many people would consider it offensive. Many people consider gays to be at best misguided or biologically impaired, at worst wicked and depraved. That sentiment is alive and well in many parts of the US and within conservative religious communities in other Western countries as well. I realize that is the minority view in the latter, and that laws are changing, general public opinion is changing, etc., but the negative perceptions remain. In Israel, Orthodox Jews organize protests during gay pride parades in Tel Aviv. Conservative political parties muscle gay clubs and bars out of their communities, and the yeshivas all preach of the iniquity of gays and pray for a return of Biblical law (in which gays would be stoned to death). Intimate gay relations is still illegal in most Muslim countries; Tehran has executed over 4,000 gays since 1979.
I’m glad if the Taiwanese public perception of gays is that tolerant. But public attitudes in the US towards gays has not reached that level beyond places like Seattle or San Francisco. It would be unheard for a person to object to photos of say, a black family. But unless I am just really out of touch with American society, the tolerance level is still pretty low for gays, especially gays holding hands in public, kissing, etc. Heck, the late Jerry Falwell believed that 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina were brought on because of the mere presence of gays. Say what you will about him, he was a popular religious figure. Pat Robertson has made similar remarks.
