Menzoberranzen

Yeah...I never really found the Teletubbies to be very good gay icons. I mean Liza Minnelli, OK, but the Teletubbies???

He kissed Topher Grace. It was the first prime-time, onscreen gay kiss in North America.

Who does that? *shudders*

It's true that there are different types of intelligence, but it is also true that 'different learning' styles can only explain so much. At some point we must recognize it in ourselves and in others when someone is not 'smart.' Not being smart doesn't make someone stupid which is an important distinction to make. Graeme, you are right when you say that thinking differently doesn't make one son stupid, but the converse is also true: it doesn't make him smart.

You raise a valid point. I most certainly didn't mean to imply that wisdom and knowledge have nothing to do with intelligence. I meant only to state that knowledge and wisdom do not equate to intelligence (I expressed myself poorly, I admit.)

Neither wisdom nor knowledge has anything to do with intelligence. A poor child in india might have the potential to be the next Einstein. The fact that he is not wise (because of his age) and has no knowledge (because he hasn't had access to education) doesn't diminish his intelligence. As a matter of fact, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the 20th centry (Srinivasa Ramanujan) was not well educated and had little formal training. Wisdom is arguably more important than intelligence, but the two are not the same. Wisdom, as you said, is accquired while intelligence is inherent.

A psychologist told my mom I was gay when I was 4 years old... I also have a gay uncle. I'm definitely of the opinion it's genetic, but it really isn't something that concerns me much.

Today's generation is most decidedly not more intelligent that previous generations. I've encountered this apparent phenomenon on other forums and I believe that only the more intelligent youth take the time to participate in discussion forums such as this one. I am finished my first degree, and even now most of the people around me are morons. I dislike people my own age (although as I age, this diminishes) because I find the vast majority of them to be uneducated, disinterested people who look for the easy way out of solutions. I could go on for ages about the state of today's youth (myself excluded, of course ) Also, arrogance and slipping educational standards make people appear smarter than they are. An 'A' now just means you show up to class and have a reasonable capacity for thought. Now I'm all worked up...grrr!

Life has no inherent purpose. (Yay for nihilism) Most people live only to die and be forgotten. What purpose did they serve? That is up to the individual to decide. Ayn Rand raised this point in her defense of selfishness as a moral option. We have no higher purpose than ourselves, and therefore it is a moral imperative to pursue our own happiness. I'm not saying I agree with everything she says - and complete selfishness leads to unhappiness anyway - but it is the most rational 'purpose' that I have heard so far.

I agree with the people who said labels are useful. Also, in response to to the initial question, I do think sexual orientation (labeled or otherwise) is a small, but integral part of who we are. I do not define myself by my sexuality, but I believe that it is more important to a GLBT person than to a straight person. Like it or not, being gay (or anything other than straight) sets us apart from the 'norm' and therefore it becomes a more distinguishing characteristic. I also find that by embracing the negative terms, you rob people of their only real means of degrading you. Just as black people (notably rappers) fought racism by using 'nigger' amongst themselves, I think that 'fag' and 'faggot' can be useful to diffuse the negatives that go along with the label (although I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this one). It's late, so I'll quit before I start rambling.... Menzo

How...stereotypical. I, alas, have had a fairly mundane life and I don't have anything off the top of my head to confess.

What? Don't you? I know I bite straight people whenever I can...spread homosexual lycanthropy!

Whoohoo! I get two birthday threads Thanks very much!

Happy Birthday!! May 15th is an excellent day for a birthday

I think everyone has lots of contradictions to their personality; I certainly do. I also know that I couldn't even begin to describe the complexity of my true self in a paragraph. Hell, I can't even decide for myself sometimes. Who I really am is not something I share with the world; even those closest to me don't know my exact self.

Awww, shucks! I'll be more excited for 21, but it's nice to no longer be a teenager Thanks so much! ~Menzo

Full of Grace is an amazing song! Great pick. Sister Blister ~ Alanis Morissette You and me we're cut from the same cloth It seems to some we famously get along But you and me are strangers to each other Cuz you and me: competitive to the bone Such tragedy to trample on each other with how much we've endured With the state this land is in You and me feel joined only by gender We are not all for one and one for all Sister blister we fight to please the brothers We think their acceptance is how we win They're happy we're climbing over each other To beg the club of boys to let us in You and me estranged from the mother You and me have felt impotent in our skin You and me have taken it out on each other You and me disloyal to the feminine Such a pity to disavow each other with how far we've come With how strong we've been You and me are on this pendulum together You and me with scarcity still fueling Sister blister we fight to please the brothers We think their acceptance is how we win They're happy we're climbing over each other To beg the club of boys to let us in We may not have priorities same We may not even like each other We may not be hugely anti-men But such a cost to dishonor a sister You and me have made it harder for the other We forget how hard separatism has been You and me we can help change their minds together You and me in alignment until the end Sister blister we fight to please the brothers We think their acceptance is how we win They're happy we're climbing over each other To beg the club of boys to let us in

I'd say my first was probably Johnaton Taylor Thomas but my longest lasting one was/is Jesse Spencer from the show 'House.'

Here in Canada, as appears to be the case elsewhere, only homosexual sex prevents you from giving blood. In response to the Clintonian question of 'what is sex?' in Canada, only oral and anal penetration are sufficient cause for a lifetime ban. It's a foolish law in my opinion, as black women are actually (at least here) the demographic with the highest HIV prevalency rate.

Amen. This is one more step towards the revelation that the gay community has a whole has infinitely superior taste to the straight community!

I have a teacher who simply makes the entire class remain silent for the first and last five minutes of class. She's into symbolism, but it seemed to work alright.

My name is Pat, although I usually just use the alias Menzo when I'm online. I have posted two stories that are in progress at the moment, but the real reason I made my way here, I must confess, is because I'm a Domaholic. Anyway, just thought I'd make a brief introduction, Menzo