As one who believes that I have the right to be critical of the behavior of any particular group to which I am, at least demographically speaking, associated, I have had strong reservations about the popular culture and accompanying values of gay men.
This culture with its values, I believe, demeans human beings, not least of which are gay men themselves.
With its overwhelming premium (bordering on obsession) on physical attractiveness and compulsive sexual behaviors, it leaves some gay men lonely, alienated, and desperate, which leads to another round of bar-hopping, sexual-partner swaps, etc.
One can feel dismayed, shocked, but also compassionate towards those caught in the vicious circle.
The capacity to experience love--to be aware of it, to feel it, to receive it--may be blindsided by the primacy given to sexual gratification and sensation.
Surely there is truth in that physical beauty is only skin-deep. From a Buddhist perspective, everything is in process and is changing. Our lifetime can teach us to let go, rather than to remain attached to "things" (including concepts).
At the same time, in contrast there seem to be much stronger human bonds within the lesbian community, ones that see the intrinsic worth of lesbians regardless of their capacity to arouse physical desire.
That said, I strongly support gay marriage...as a matter of human rights.
This culture with its values, I believe, demeans human beings, not least of which are gay men themselves.
With its overwhelming premium (bordering on obsession) on physical attractiveness and compulsive sexual behaviors, it leaves some gay men lonely, alienated, and desperate, which leads to another round of bar-hopping, sexual-partner swaps, etc.
One can feel dismayed, shocked, but also compassionate towards those caught in the vicious circle.
The capacity to experience love--to be aware of it, to feel it, to receive it--may be blindsided by the primacy given to sexual gratification and sensation.
Surely there is truth in that physical beauty is only skin-deep. From a Buddhist perspective, everything is in process and is changing. Our lifetime can teach us to let go, rather than to remain attached to "things" (including concepts).
At the same time, in contrast there seem to be much stronger human bonds within the lesbian community, ones that see the intrinsic worth of lesbians regardless of their capacity to arouse physical desire.
That said, I strongly support gay marriage...as a matter of human rights.
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