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Daniel Blatt's avatar

Been reading you for a while without paying. When I read your stuff, I range between saying, "Yes, exactly. That nails it" and "Well, interesting perspective, but...."

Today when I read something something, just one line, it really resonated: <<The needs of Lesbians and Gays get lost in the shuffle.>>. So much in those eleven words, so much about where our gay culture is today. (Are we allowed to say that anymore, "gay culture"?)

I upgraded to paid.

What I said above invites a longer conversation. But while I don't always agree with you, what you write often sparks thoughts about the world in which we gay men live. And I want to encourage you to keep putting your thoughts out there -- and to keeping us thinking and questioning.

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Edward H Sebesta's avatar

Thank you for your kinds comments. I don't expect everyone to agree with everything I write or even most of it, or even a large fraction of it. I am still struggling trying to come up with a comprehensive idea about being Gay. I have changed some of my ideas while in the middle of writing about something. So this writing is an excercise for me to develop my thoughts.

The more important thing is that I get a group of Gays start thinking in Gay centric ways about being Gay. Their ideas might quite different, but at least we are thinking about being Gay as Gays.

I would be happy if there was reader who disagreed with most of my writing. I often wonder how many readers do read my writing, or do they just view the art.

So your comments are an inspiration to keep at it.

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Daniel Blatt's avatar

You're welcome.

The wisest among us share that struggle, trying to come up with a comprehensive idea of being gay. But that shouldn't prevent us for thinking about it and questioning ideologies.

I fear, however, that that thinking and those questions are being subsumed into an intersectional brew. And you are one of the few (Matt Osborne and Andrew Sullivan are others) who dare to make thoughtful arguments that may be at odds with the trending orthodoxies...

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Anton's avatar

I worked in colleges for about 15 years leading into Covid. There's one trend I noticed which I think is a good thing overall but might make these numbers problematic.

In the last five years (2015-2020) I overheard more than a few all male conversations the gist of which was:

Gay/straight/bi/etc. is determined by whom you DATE. If you are known to have romantic interest /date only women … you are straight. End of story. Jumping into bed with another man because you're lonely, bored, or horny IN BETWEEN (that's the key point) girlfriends isn't part of the equation.

So.... Interesting...

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