[MCP] Homophobia vs. racism

[John Lindsay]

It appears that Steve's incorrect interpretation of Lafe's initial comments is the problem.
 
How do you jump from "The close quarter design bred violence and aggression, homosexuality" to "your slur against homosexuals, attributing homosexuality to the depraving conditions of same-sex imprisonment?!"
 
What "slur?"
Two, Steve's comments about ancient Greece were a red herring that further drove the topic away from "do prison conditions give rise to homosexual relations between men."
Ancient Greece is totally irrelevant.
 
Steve, would you have raised such an objection if Lafe had written "bred violence, aggression, and same sex activities? 
 
If we narrowly define homosexuality as "a sexual act involving people of the same sex," then Lafe's sentence would be correct.
If we define homosexuality as "involving more than just sexual relationships between people of the same sex," then Lafe would be wrong.
  
However, there is a ton of research describing how "heterosexual men do engage in sex with other men in prison, but once released.....return to their usual heterosexual sexual habits."
 
Hence, based on the definition of homosexual sex, can what these heterosexual men do while confined be considered as homosexual in nature? 
Should they be considered as homosexuals? 
Well, that's the question. 
 
Homosexuals will seek out relationships with the same sex....regardless of their circumstances: free or in prison.
 
On the other hand, some, not all, heterosexual men will seek out other men for sex ONLY when their access to women is restricted, whether due to prison confinement or some personal characteristic that inhibits their access to women while they are outside of prison, i.e. "unattractiveness," extreme shyness of the opposite sex, drug/alcohol abuse, etc.
 
Relatedly, I've heard stories of addicted men who engaged in homosexual sex in order to receive drugs. I've also heard of heterosexual drug dealers making addicted heterosexual men with no money perform oral sex on them in trade for illicit drugs. Would any of these heterosexual men be considered as homosexual?! 
 
Well, that's the same question I raised above in relation to "restricted access" or "limited choices." 
 
I haven't kept up with the research since I read the article years ago describing "heterosexual men engaging in same sex activities while in prison."
 
Among the questions we need an answer to is:
 
What trait(s) make(s) it likely that a self-described heterosexual will engage in same-sex activities while confined in prison OR when her/his access (outside of prison) to persons of the opposite sex are governed by an addiction, personal "unattractiveness," etc. ?
 
  
John L. 



 
Subject: Re: [MCP] Fwd:  "minority kid burning"...








From: steve greaves <sgreavess at yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, November 12, 2007 3:25 pm
To: "Multicultural Pavilion's discussion group on equity, social 
justice, and multicultural education." <mcp at edchange.org>


Lafe, your letter sounded pretty tight, but for your slur 
against homosexuals, attributing homosexuality to the 
depraving conditions of same-sex imprisonment, which on the 
face of it is absurd.  Homosexuality was highly regarded in 
the first democracy, ancient Greece, although a key element 
of it would nowadays be called child sexual abuse.  
 
Lafe Taylor <lafe at lafetaylor.com> wrote:

       I remember studying psychology and 
discussing the adverse affect of "GHETTO" style living among 
rats.  The close quarter design bred violence and

 aggression, homosexuality (look at the prison system) and 
disease.  
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.edchange.org/pipermail/mcp_edchange.org/attachments/20071113/3614726f/attachment.html