I just love it when you take my name in vain, Antiseptic.

>>Besides, who do I harm by my use? If you don't want to do it, then don't, but trying to influence my choice will have Pericles down on you like a tonne of bricks, Sunshine.<<

I just know that you are about to come out with some made-up nonsense with which to have a really good sneer.

You are probably top of the sneer brigade at the moment, congratulations.

"Influencing the choice of others", as you very well know, covers a spectrum of activities from an advertisement for chocolate, right the way through to standover tactics and extortion.

So, could you be an absolute dear in future, and not make such stupid generalizations?

As far as "influencing your choice" to smoke weed, that strikes me as entirely irrelevant.

If I explained to you that I had no choice but to dob you in to the bizzies, the only reason that might "influence" you, is because your activity is illegal. It wouldn't have quite the same effect if you were gay, because the rozzers would laugh at me, rather than arrest you.

Geddit?

>>Does the fact that I don't announce my deep passion for the game of golf on first meeting someone mean I'm scared of discrimination or that I know from long experience that most people just don't want to know?<<

Exactly. You are exercising restraint in confessing something shameful, which is your prerogative, and your choice.

But if you were told that declaring yourself a golfer would cause you to be ostracized by your peer group (which it bloody well should, after all), you would consider that a form of persecution, I'm sure.

Despite the act itself being legal (although it really should be banned from polite society), your choice - to confess to being a golfer - would be significantly affected.

Although unlike a gay person, you could actually choose to give it away instead.

Pericles,
If your declared interest in golf suggested the distinct possibility of you wanting to handle my club and balls and maybe later putting yours in my hole, then you would definitely have gone a fairway toward deserving to be kicked out of the locker room.

>> Great article Jim - and a nice counter to much of the homophobic bile and nonsense that's been written at OLO about this subject.

Thanks CJ.

In fact OLO's homophobes are responsible for the article. Pericles' comment http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3665#89096 made me realise that they are the ones in the closet - some even switch pseudonyms like a drag queen changes gowns.

Rather than react in the discussion threads to each of their defecations, I decided that a full article arguing the power of openness was a much better way to go.

No doubt OLO would welcome a well-argued piece countering mine, but I'm confident it won't be coming from any of this lot.

Why are we still discussing this in 21st Century Australia? Why is sexual orientation even an issue?

Oh Jim, why didn't you just say you couldn't counter the arguments put forward? Pericles had the guts to finally acknowledge he was wrong (although the kicking and screaming "no you can't make me say that" did detract from the grace of the performance.

Stamping your foot and saying "I wanna play here 'cos they're mean and their sandpit is dirty" doesn't cut it. I'm sensing a lot of hostility here Jim and I'm starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. Are you suggesting that I should just shut the f@#$ up and take what you say as gospel?

What makes you so special?

Antiseptic: << You;re assuming that all GLBTQI people are defined by their sexuality, which I say is rubbish. >>

I didn't say anything at all about "QLBTQI" people at all - you did. You seem to be developing an annoying habit of putting your words in other people's mouths.

Was it because you couldn't provide any evidence to support your contention that homosexuals choose their sexuality the same way that you choose to smoke dope? Sorry old chap, didn't work.

What is "rubbish" is your specious analogy, and the more you wriggle the worse it smells. But as we know, you'll undoubtedly keep on digging.

As for golf - what Pericles said.