posted October 14, 2007 01:20 AM         

It's as natural for me to be straight as it is for someone else to be gay.

It's not us but the messages that we get from society that are screwed up.

How the Native Americans viewed homosexuality:

In many Native cultures, particularly before 'white' influence made homosexuality and/or crossdressing taboo, homosexuals were revered as being very sacred beings. It was believed that homosexuals were born being part of both male and female worlds, and could serve as kind of a liason between the sexes. Called 'berdache', they were often given as wives to a clan's most valued warriors.

In many native american cultures one was considered blessed to be born homosexual.

posted October 14, 2007 02:28 AM         

I especially liked this quote.

"The holiness of the berdache has to do with Indian [sic] views that everything that exists is a reflection of the spiritual. If a person is different from the average individual, this means that the spirit must have taken particular care in creating this person... by this reasoning, such an individual must be especially close to the spirits."
- Will Roscoe, author of 'The Zuni Man-Woman'

THis one is interesting, because it describes the exact roles I am drawn to:

"Unlike European Americans, gender or sexual divergence did not threaten the Indians. Berdache males in particular often became healers, surgeons, counselors, therapists, high religious priests, shamans, witch doctors and medicine men. They were regarded as a kind of holy men."

I think gays are traditionally drawn to religious positions, mysticism, medicine and counseling. Unfortunately, because the way our society works, the only interpretation of gays in mass media is the hair stylists, hair dresses, and fashion designers.

posted October 14, 2007 02:38 AM         

I think that what our society is like today is basically due to the Christian notion taken from literal bible interpretations, especially the letters of Paul of Tarsus and that it is very wrong when it is used to breed intolerance and bigotry. But that is where the root of all the intolerance began and is still perpetuated. Especially by the Religious Right or fundamentalist types of religions.

posted October 14, 2007 02:44 AM         

quote:

---

My reason for posting this wasn't to start a thread on gayness, it was more a response to the typical question, why are gay people gay? Well, why are straight people straight?

---

Because it comes natural from birth for both straights and gays to be as they are.

I just like the native american view of it better than what we have in society now. It just rings more true to me.

Goodnight

posted October 14, 2007 07:24 AM         

Because I am incapable of feeling love for another woman...because I'm not *physical* enough - there is more to life than sex...and because men's bodies just *do* it for me...press all the right buttons LOL...

Love,

posted October 14, 2007 07:30 AM         

quote:

---

Well, why aren't you?

---

Coz despite underlying "daddy" issues, I like men..........ALOT.

quote:

---

In many Native cultures, particularly before 'white' influence made homosexuality and/or crossdressing taboo, homosexuals were revered as being very sacred beings. It was believed that homosexuals were born being part of both male and female worlds, and could serve as kind of a liason between the sexes. Called 'berdache', they were often given as wives to a clan's most valued warriors.

In many native american cultures one was considered blessed to be born homosexual.

---

I wish I could say the same for my own culture but sadly I cannot.

posted October 14, 2007 07:46 AM         

Because life just isn't as straight forward as that.

posted October 14, 2007 11:30 AM         

To answer your question, BR:

I don't know.

But this is all very interesting. I never knew about Berdache, but I've always had a similar view of bisexuality, homosexuality, and transexuality. I would imagine that, in the history of "the white man", we would find many parallels to the views of natives cultures, notwithstanding the cult of Christianity, which has only been popular in the small space of time known as the last 2,000 years, and which has therefor, unfortunately, become identified with whites in general. I suspect the pagans held different views, but I'm not educated on that. I know that, in the Hermetic Tradition, which is really the esoteric heritage of the West, the concept of "The Divine Androgyne" is a prevalent symbol used to represent the balanced individual, who has survived "The Alchemical Wedding" of masculine and feminine polarities. Polarity, or Duality, as it is more commonly known, has always been important to Eastern cultures, in particular. Reconciling and balancing those opposites within oneself is generally considered the path to liberation, while the presence of anything to the exclusion of its opposite is said to indicate imbalance and dis-ease. Compassion, traditionally considered a feminine trait, is perhaps the most characteristic quality of yogis and bodhisattvas. Hindu gods are said to exist and incarnate alternately in both male and female forms (i.e. Shiva's feminine form, who is also his divine consort, is the goddess Shakti). Even in the Christian Tradition, angels are described as androgynous.

posted October 14, 2007 12:39 PM         

I am no expert in these things but it is what I have read. Pidaua could probably shed more light on that as it is her field of study and knowledge. It's what she does for a living.

For this reason should something happen that would cause women to perish from the planet or become so much more fewer in number than men, men have the natural capability due to both the X and Y chromosomes to find a way to propagate the human race and continue it on. Albeit not by the sexual act. Women, with only the X chromosome by nature, could not do that. The human race would vanish if only women were for any reason the only gender left on the planet.

Again, I am not speaking as an expert on these matters. Just from what I have read about it.

edited to add a thought*

posted October 14, 2007 12:55 PM         

In any case, I see no reason to conclude that a Y chromosome brings balance, excess, or either of these. The ability of a man or woman to reproduce without assistance from a person of the opposite sex is specious and has never been demonstrated, as far as I know.

posted October 14, 2007 02:13 PM         

What is the purpose of your life? Is it defined or do you create it?

posted October 14, 2007 03:40 PM         

quote:

---

Why aren't you gay?

---

Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?