Is homosexuality inspired by the media?

Question

Most religions teach us that homosexuality is wrong. Do you believe that is it society which makes us think it's okay, and is making people confused about their faith?

I'm not trying to be disrespectful, just wondering what you think.

If someone is gay/lesbian, I can respect it, but I don't have to agree with it. Why does it need to be rubbed in our faces by gay pride parades and all? I know that your sexual orientation does not determine what kind of person you are so I would never say they are bad people just because they are gay, especially if I don't personally know them. But it is all over the place. I don't go around forcing my beliefs on people, because everyone has a right to their opinion.

Answer 1

If you notice, I don't think its the media I think society as a whole is moving away from religion.

Plus most religions tell us not to judge others as only God can judge therefore we should treat everyone equally anyway.

However, that said the media does help LGBT communtity see other LGBT people on TV and in music who are accepted which gives us support in rememberering that there is nothing wrong with who we are and shows Hetrosexual people that Homosexuals are just like them (Minus the obvious).

It's in your face because there is still tension between hetrosexuals and homosexuals. Once it is generally accepted properly I doubt it will be rubbed in your face so much.

Answer 2

Now, I don't mean to be rude...but, straight ppl force their beliefs on the world just as much as gay people do. Look at all of the heterosexual couples on television...or in the media. People are growing up thinking that they have no other option than heterosexuality.
For the first time the homosexual community has a voice in the media, though it may not be the most honest voice...at least something is happening to represent it. Like L-Word or Queer As Folk (to give two of the most popular examples). Homosexual and bisexual characters are finally appearing on television shows. They are coming into a world where heterosexuality is forced on us. A world that was previously dominated by heterosexuality.

So don't accuse the homosexual community of forcing anything in your face, cause it's all that the heterosexual media has been doing! Try to take notice. It's only because it's been labelled as so "normal" that it is so under the radar now.

Now, I don't have a problem with the heterosexual community...but if you are going to accuse the homosexual community of trying to have representation in the media, and saying how much it bothers you that it is in your face...then PLEASE think twice.

Answer 3

Homosexuality is not created or "inspired" by the media, but it certainly makes it more socially tolerable to be gay. I was one of those that came out of the closet right after Ellen did on her show, and it helped a lot because people had no idea how gay people lived. It also helped to bridge the communication gap with people who never knew a gay person.

An individual's faith, no matter what their belief system, should never be affected by the media. If I watch a movie like Fraility will it adversely affect my beliefs in God or a Greater Power? If it does, I'm an idiot.

Answer 4

If a religin needs heretics to survive, what is a religion to do? How can there the cohesion the communal sense of "us verus them" brings if there is no "them"?
It's not that homosexuality hasn't been around for all recorded history - it has. It is a convenient target when you need an enemy to shore up loyalty to 'the cause'. Hitler used this system to good effect (but he was more inclusive in his list of enemies). Bush, Mao Zedong, all of them. And especially religion.

Homosexuality is inspired by genetic and developmental processes, not seeing words on paper or pictures on a screen. About the only case you can use for "socially engineered" homosexuality is the Spartans of ancient Greece. And even that is shaky because they were under as high a pressure to "be gay" as gays in many societies are forced to be (act) straight - or suffer ostracism or even execution.

Answer 5

WTF!!!!!!???????

Until about ten years ago, there were almost no openly gay depictions on TV or most main stream media, unless it was some pathetic stereotype.

Using your logic, the media promotes black people, Hispanics and women who work, because until about 35 years ago there were almost no depictions of those groups either.

And as far as religion goes "The Holy Bible" says a lot of things are sins that 90% of its "loyal followers" simply ignore. Don't believe me when was the last time you did any of the following,

Ate Pork?
Ate meat on Friday?
Worked or went shopping, or mowed your lawn, or drove a car on the Sabbath?
Wore clothing of two different fabrics at the same time?
Touched a football?
(if female) Went out in public without a hat or head scarf?
Took the lord's name in vain?
Was rude or insulting to your Parents?

NEED I GO ON?

The reason that you notice more gay people is that WE are sick and tired of living a lie to fit into YOUR view of NORMAL culture, combined with the fact that more NORMAL people have stopped thinking of it as wrong.

And By the Way, many of us aren't christian and my religion Unitarian has never thought that homosexuality was a sin, neither do Quakers, Hindus, Buddhists, Reformed Judaism, or native American religious belief systems to name a few

Answer 6

have you ever thought its the homosexual movement that has inspired the media? and not the other way around...think about it. The media is a reflection of what is happening..thus we see more gay shows etc. As we move to more scientific reasoning we move away from religion and thats why more gay people are coming 'out' Its not because of the media that there are more gay people.

Answer 7

Homosexuality has been in existence long before the media as we know it. While the media does, to some extent, help to make it more acceptable, one of the pitfalls is that it also promotes a limited view of homosexuality. For example, when reality shows cast the "gay character" they usually cast someone who fits a stereotype, mainly, the effeminate man.

Answer 8

I don't think so. There are more LGBT TV shows and artists now than there used to be, but you see images of heterosexuality much, much more often than that. Advertisements in the mainstream media almost never bring up gayness. (I used this example last night--you *never* see lipstick ads that promise that the product won't rub off on "her"!) There are many older LGBT people who were queer long before the bit of openness we have now, too--I mean, there are people looking at retirement communities right now! (http://www.gaylesbianretiring.org/id4.html) These folks didn't need any media encouragement. All this is to say, nope.

Answer 9

There have been gays and lesbians since man developed from the Apes. In many ancient cultures, it was perfectly acceptable, though there were rules - see Roman and Greek culture.

Now, gay and lesbian culture is accepted in most western countries. Only the most backward middle east countries, and the southern states of the US, hold to fundamentalist views against homosexuality.

Gay culture vastly pre-dates modern media.

Answer 10

the media is just bringing the issues to the homes of families who needto know the truth. Homsexuality is not wrong and gays and lesbians should not be discriminated against. Most religions have a black and white view of how the world should be. They all need updating