Hi ya'll, I just thought I'd add this to the topic list because I find it as an issue in itself. I'm 21 gay male and discovering that there is alot of either hate or discrimmination within my own community.

As the LGBTQ culture grows, becoming more noticable on TV and in pop-culture(we have our own TV Network for god/dess sake!), I have found that our community segregates itself and creating different cultures in itself.

We as a culture have been oppressed for generations, but ever since our PRIDE founders from the Stonewall Riots, they have liborated us and gave us a voice and chance to fight to be who we feel like being.

Labels were left in High School, why do we still use them? Lables like TWINK, JOCK, BEAR/CUB, LIPSTICK/BUTCH, SOFT STUD, etc. are used to separate us as a whole when we have tryed for so long to actually stand together and be heard.

It could be to separate the types of men and women we are attracted to or who seem more desireable. That or there are many different lifestyles that others take on within the LGBTQ culture.....idk.

We faught to be accepted by (heterosexual)society itself, why are we still not accepting eachother?

What do you all think?

As a bisexual, I've experianced a different kind of disrimination within the gay community. Some people (both gay and straight) seem to think that bisexuality isn't real. That I'm either going through a curious phase, or am simply taking a rest-stop on the "highway to homo". That is not the case at all. I've always been attracted to both sexes for as far back as I can remember.

Any input?

iamastar, I agree with what you said. We are too caught up in what others label us instead of worrying how we label ourselves. I do not like that label stuff at all. People should express themselves which ever they feel, and they should just be themselves. I just wish people put the name calling aside, and just accept people for who they are. Everyone is unique and different and people should respect everyone for who they are.

Even though we fight for the same cause - to be accepted by the straights - every group of people are going to have their sets of issues.

As far as an explanation for the labels, you're right - they should be left in high school. But for some people those words are their identity, or a way to describe themselves, so they feel comfortable in them.

As for myself, yes I'm a lesbian, but that's only one part of who I am. Yes, I would describe myself sometimes as a stud or butch, but if you were to sit down and get to know me you would start to see the rest of the picture. I don't let others views of me or their words define me as a whole.

Maybe that is what's wrong with our community - we are too caught up in what others label us instead of worrying how we label ourselves.

Hope this helps and makes sense.