What japanese think about homosexual people?

I am home, my friend! I am sitting in front of my PC, drinking some coffee. In fact, I just woke up. Look, I'm happy to accept that this misunderstanding was nothing more than a language quirk. Referring to homosexual people by saying, "She's a homosexual" or "She's a gay" is somewhat of an annoyance to me. It would be inferring that homosexuals are not people. In English, well, as far as I've encountered it, "They are(The person is question) a homosexual(description) person(their species/status). Some people have in fact used the opposite phrasing to denote homosexual people as merely homosexuals and not humans too.

For the record, I have accepted that this has been nothing more than a simple language quirk. I know how tacky it is, but small things like that are more than easily used as insults. For me, it's a sort of harkening back to ignorant close-minded people. I don't like it. I guess it would be hard to understand.

Referring to homosexual people by saying, "She's a homosexual" or "She's a gay" is somewhat of an annoyance to me. It would be inferring that homosexuals are not people. In English, well, as far as I've encountered it, "They are(The person is question) a homosexual(description) person(their species/status). Some people have in fact used the opposite phrasing to denote homosexual people as merely homosexuals and not humans too.

Click to expand...

Take this comment as you will. Often times people make comments like this not as a comment on whether they are less or more than human but to categorize them in their minds and try to put them into a place where they are comfortable with due to their lack of understanding and acceptance of someone different than themselves. Chances are that the person in question does the same thing when discussing someone of color, of another nationality, handicapped, whatever.

It's safer for them to look at people this way. Many if not most have fears based upon ignorance.

You are coming to a conclusion that may not be on target and are in a matter of speaking just as guilty for allowing yourself to categorize someone. You can not honestly say how someone actually feels without asking them why they comment in the manner that they do.

Accepting people for who and what they are sometimes is very difficult because it may call into question your own personal feelings, thoughts, opinions, and most importantly preconceived notions or ideas.

KirinMan said:

Take this comment as you will. Often times people make comments like this not as a comment on whether they are less or more than human but to categorize them in their minds and try to put them into a place where they are comfortable with due to their lack of understanding and acceptance of someone different than themselves. Chances are that the person in question does the same thing when discussing someone of color, of another nationality, handicapped, whatever.

It's safer for them to look at people this way. Many if not most have fears based upon ignorance.

You are coming to a conclusion that may not be on target and are in a matter of speaking just as guilty for allowing yourself to categorize someone. You can not honestly say how someone actually feels without asking them why they comment in the manner that they do.

Accepting people for who and what they are sometimes is very difficult because it may call into question your own personal feelings, thoughts, opinions, and most importantly preconceived notions or ideas.

Click to expand...

I have no problem with people of the homosexual persuasion. In fact, hey, one of my favorite hangout areas in Chicago is Boystown. I take what I know from those guys and gals. Language is such a simple affair, KirinMan. That cannot be denied. And with that simplicity, it is often so easy to slight someone or something. Let's come up with an example. You can tell someone to have a wonderful day, but if you use a certain cynical tone, it can come off as a terrible insult. That is the most minimal of perceived slights. Whereas the common person would come to the conclusion that referring to someone as, "a gay" instead of "gay person" or "homosexual person" is perfectly acceptable, those in the LGBT community know that it can be indifference towards offending someone of the homosexual persuasion, intentionally offensive to someone of the LGBT community, or a simple misstep of the tongue. All in all though, it can come off as nothing or everything.

Thor said:

I have no problem with people of the homosexual persuasion.

Click to expand...

So you view homosexuality as a choice, then?

In light of a past thread of yours regarding your love of and sexual attraction toward another man, I can't help but wonder why you use the third-person pronoun to refer to the LGBT community. Is there a reason for linguistically distancing yourself from them like that?

Language is such a simple affair, KirinMan. That cannot be denied. And with that simplicity, it is often so easy to slight someone or something.

Click to expand...

I disagree strongly with you your premise about language being "a simple affair". There are too many examples throughout history where "simple language" could have saved or avoided disasters that affected the entire world.

If language was so simple there would be no slights, there would be no misunderstandings, there would be no pain inflicted upon others due to one's lack of ability to use said language.

Language is only simple in the hands of one who knows what or how to use it effectively.

All in all though, it can come off as nothing or everything.

Click to expand...

Which is determined purely by how one takes what is being said. When talking about issues regarding homosexuals and homosexuality people have become hyper sensitive.

You work overtime attempting to be PC and unwittingly come across as having reservations, questions, curiosity, fear, and maybe some ignorance as well. Homosexuality is different to every individual and the greatest problem for heterosexuals as I see it, is fear that association or acceptance somehow calls into question their own sexuality.

That comes from not understanding or (not) being educated about what it is to be homosexual, and for many in the US being raised in a Judeo-Christian background, there is guilt associated with anything related to sexuality. Society as well, while trying to be more accepting of the gay and lesbian communities, is still and always will, as long as religion dominates society, have problems and misunderstandings with said communities and people. It is an us vs them attitude which in the long run divides and hurts us all.

Until American's from young children on up come face to face with their sexuality and are educated to be accepting of people for who they are, this problem will continue to exist for eternity.

Also I wouldnt be surprised if a Japanese person said ''Homosexual'' or ''A Homosexual'' as they dont typically use definate and indefinate articles like ''a, an, the'' in the same way as us or in some cases at all. When I'm speaking to my Japanese friend by text I often miss out 'the' and 'and' because its often easier to understand, yesterday she text me saying ''I am a bus stop'' missing out the 'the' but I still know what she means and if it was in Japanese it wouldnt be necessary to define it as the specific bus stop or just a bus stop in general because its obvious from the context so there wouldnt be a special particle denoting it as such either. Another example we were at the reception yesterday and she said ''hello I am international student'' to the woman behind the desk. Really thats no different from the linguistic confusion earlier of ''I am homosexual'' or ''I am A homosexual''. Its their language... When their talking in English unless their very proficient theyll slide between the two articles i.e. the general and specific whilst still trying to convey the same meaning.

Mike Cash said:

So you view homosexuality as a choice, then?

In light of a past thread of yours regarding your love of and sexual attraction toward another man, I can't help but wonder why you use the third-person pronoun to refer to the LGBT community. Is there a reason for linguistically distancing yourself from them like that?

Click to expand...

I am not homosexual is all, Mike Cash. I guess I am apart of the LGBT community though, to an extent. It doesn't really matter. And naw, homosexuality isn't a choice. I can see that much. Having a friend cry hysterically to me about being afraid that they'll go to hell and that their parents will hate them for being homosexual irrevocably assured me that it isn't a choice.

Truth be told, I have a bit of gender dysphoria. And by a bit, I mean quite a bit. But it isn't something I want to talk about. It drives me mad. I try to reject it, deny it, and I end up falling on my face in the end. I hate myself. It is so hard to come to terms with.

KirinMan said:

I disagree strongly with you your premise about language being "a simple affair". There are too many examples throughout history where "simple language" could have saved or avoided disasters that affected the entire world.

Click to expand...

*sigh* No, you're right. I misspoke. Maybe you could see that with the remainder of my post, about it being so easy to slight someone with a simple misstep of the tongue.

When your friend is dead he is simply dead and will cease to exist, its that simple. I can tell your friend and his parents are being ****** by religion again. If the parents cant accept your friend for who he/she is then its their fault for being being deluded *****s. Your friend wont be going to hell because the place is a work of fiction. Even if there were such a place ''God'' would not send him there, theres more passages in that fictious book that support homosexuality than condemn it believe me.

And about the gender dysphoria its documented as extremely rare and uncommon but it doesnt take a genius to work out why that is so. Many people have it and many people embrace it and make choices regarding their own life based upon it. Its your life **** what other people think be proud of who you are those who support you are the people worthy of respect.

Thor said:

I am not homosexual is all, Mike Cash.

Click to expand...

Last I remember, you told us and your family you are homosexual (or perhaps bisexual).

I guess I am apart of the LGBT community though, to an extent.

Click to expand...

Is using "apart" instead of "a part" due to not knowing the difference, or was it your subconscious attempting to deny your homosexuality/bisexuality by verbally distancing yourself from them?

It doesn't really matter. And naw, homosexuality isn't a choice.

Click to expand...

Then why did you refer to it as a "persuasion"?

I should think that to any member of the LGBT community who is firmly of the belief that sexual/gender orientation is a matter of genetics that it would be insulting to have it called a "persuasion"....as though they were all heterosexuals who were recruited into what mainstream society tends to consider a deviant lifestyle by devious people.

Or did you not mean it that way at all?......Of course, you didn't. But it is certainly just as deserving of a PC Speech Cop tirade as was your ridiculous rant over the omission of the word "person".

Glass houses, stone throwing, etc etc etc.

Yeah, I posted that when I was when I was around 14-15 years old. Holy crap, it's awfully creepy that you thought to look for such an old thread. I remember the incident which prompted that thread. But hey, what can I say? Life is not simple. It's a series of grueling experiences that make you who you are. I've questioned myself plenty of times in the past and will continue to do so until I die, as I'm sure you have and will continue to do so. And for the record, I still identify as bisexual! Gender dysphoria has nothing to do with what gender I am attracted to, but more so what gender I identify as, and I really hope you'll understand me when I say that it isn't something I want to discuss presently or in the near future. What is amusing though, is that certain negative feelings I have towards my gender of birth finally got a name for me around that time too. Oh honestly, thinking back to those years make me cringe. Such an awful time for me and I'm still struggling with what to do.

Feel free to look it up on Wikipedia. I've browsed that article, and as brief as it is, it will give you a good idea of what it is.

Mike Cash said:

Is using "apart" instead of "a part" due to not knowing the difference, or was it your subconscious attempting to deny your homosexuality/bisexuality by verbally distancing yourself from them?

Click to expand...

Entirely conscious effort on my part, Mike Cash. I clearly have no problems with homosexuality, as I am a part of the larger LGBT community, but there is a great difference between actually denying something to yourself and not wanting to announce such to a group of people I've found to be somewhat close-minded in regards to certain past threads. Specifically the gay gene thread in srs bznz discussions. Oh boy, that annoyed the crap out of me. Why I'm doing it now? Simple. It's pointless. Business will carry on as usual. Go about your day, citizen.

Isn't it sort of disingenuous to say, "I'm not homosexual" in this thread after having made your previous thread about being in love with and turned on by another guy? If I were a member of the LGBT community I do believe I would find that sort of distancing denial far more insulting than somebody not adding the word "person" after "homosexual".

It isn't at all "creepy" of me to remember your thread. You have to admit it was of a rather unique sort for JREF.

What adjective would you apply to your own behavior in denying your own sexual attraction to men in this thread (through the hair-splitting distinction of being a bisexual instead of a homosexual) until having it pointed out?

I do hope you got my much larger point, which really has nothing to do with your sexuality or gender identity, You are just as liable to using words, phrasings, and expressions in an entirely innocent and blameless manner which can a person with an axe to grind can go ballistic over as is anyone else. Before launching into unwarranted spittle-flecked tirades call to mind the axiom, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

Can we please stay on topic, thank you.

HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE JAPANESE BUDDHIST TRADITION

us japanese view gays as americans view gays some people dont like them (i dont know why) and some do

Japanese variety shows have quite a few gay, trans-gender, "new halfs" etc etc that make the rounds on TV:

Ai Haruna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matsuko Deluxe - AsianMediaWiki
The two middle-aged twin brothers who usually on Tamori-san's show (can't recall the name).
"Miss Mangrove" (don't know the actual name) who was the one who introduced her friend Matsuko Deluxe to the mainstream media.

I am sure there are more but I am not a regular TV watcher. Anyways, I don't think it is as closeted as it used to be or at least it seems to be becoming more publicly accepted/acknowledged imo (at least in the mainstream media).

I was hoping to read some interesting facts here, but I read 2 pages of arguing about whether we should add 'person' after 'gay'. Haha. Congratulations to Davey for getting it back on topic.

I do wonder, though, does Thor find Man and Woman offensive, as opposed to male person and female person?

(I know this was a long time ago, but I'd still like to give an answer) Japanese gays do exist. Actually, Shinjuku Ni-chōme in Tokyo holds the worlds highest concentration of gay bars. I'm a lesbian. I'm originally from Hawaii, but I do have strong Japanese roots. Glenski was right, it should really be seen as, "I haven't MET a Japanese homosexual" Instead of, "I haven't seen one". Thank you for the question, have a nice day. ^~^