What can we do to improve the Joie de Vivre in LGBT Category?

Question

I've been a participant on Yahoo! Answers for over a year now - in LGBT for almost as long. Aside from the incessant flow of questions from the (ir)religious trolls and the general bashing, I've noticed a marked rise in intra-LGBT discord.

First there were the g0ys, then the raft of "How come Ts are in this category", my personal bugbear "I've nothing against bisexuals but I'd never go out with one - I don't trust them..." etc.

Now, it seems, there have been a spate of oblique personal attacks. Whilst it can make for interesting questions and humorous reading - what is it doing to our "LGBT Family"?

Siblings endure rivalry with each other, I understand that well enough, but shouldn't they also respect one another and stand together against adversity?

Why are we allowing each other to make this place less enjoyable for some of our own? How should that make us feel? So what can we do to get back to enjoying life and Yahoo! Answers?

Answer 1

well, i'm still a newbie here, but i definitely get what you're saying. asking questions such as yours helps.
when i'm faced with a situation i don't necessarily agree with for my person life, i remind myself of how it felt to be disliked for being a gay man. and how much i disliked myself at one point. then i realize to come back to any other LGBT person with that kind of judgement would be doing the same. i try to give the most positive yet realistic answers i can. idon't answer every question (maybe that's why my points level is so low) and only put my two cents in if i think i have something worthwhile to say. i've learned a lot about other LGBT's here in this forum, and i guess that's why i keep coming back.

i'll get on my soapbox for a minute though...this forum leads to a lot of miscommunication. i mean that, many times we're given a question, and the intent is unknown. sometimes young people come in here with legitimate questions, and seriously want/need some direction. unfortunately, the trolls have made it difficult to weed through who is sincere, and who's just getting off being a butthead. maybe we can just be a little more civil and welcoming, and try to be a bit more understanding.

Answer 2

It's hard to want to be respectful when the medium it self, Yahoo! Answers has deletes entire accounts willy-nilly. This is my second account that I'm working on. My first account was 8 years old, and I had reached level 5. My enthusiasm is not as high as it once was. I'm more selective in answering, I never answer a troll, my bad words are cleaned up ridiculously clean, and I limit my personal connection to the folks who seem like they are in real pain, and need real help.

My first account I got best answer all the time (because I was on Yahoo Answers all the time), developed alot of good report with a bunch of great people, which I still have communication with, and in general felt very successful in yahoo answers.

Part of my success came from answering from my heart, and my thinking in the frame of mind of helping rather than scoring points, that's when I had great success. I love it when I know that some lonely frustrated, scared, teenage Gay-Boy or Lesbian-Girl, "Bi-Sexual" (bisexual in quotes because many of them are probably gay and cannot admit it yet) or Transgender-Person feels better after reading my post, and they email me to let me know! I was a confused, lonely, scared Gay-Boy once, and I would have loved to have a place like this to probe my sexual issues and learn something from others who have been there!!

I know it sounds trite, but stick to the Terms of Service and the Yahoo! Answers Guidelines. You can't go wrong! If your sense of humor is sarcastic, then be careful not to offend! There are some gray areas, but use your discretion and use your head!!

Be respectful, courteous, nice... if you just do those things then anything else is just falls into place.

Answer 3

Although I have a personal bias here, I thank you for an articulate and meaningful question. I think what we can do is have some kind of solidarity here. When people come on and ask questions that buck the trend and show there is more to a LGBT section than stereotypes and 'echoing' variants of the same questions we should answer those questions and (for fear of stating the obvious) not be afriad to ask them. I feel that when an automated and flawed system sometimes let's us down we just dust ourselves off, pick ourselves up and remember that being a participant in this section doesn't have to be one dimensional it can be as wide and varied as we are, as individuals!

Answer 4

This would be good if we can learn to do this!!!

me and a couple other users are trying to get a party thing going for LGBT people on a weekend in late September. We are looking at Provincetown in Massachusetts. I know that not everyone will be able to attend. Getting to know others personally and not through a computer would be one way to do that as well!

Answer 5

Oui! Oui! J'aime bien fort l'idee de <>!

In other words, great idea! Let's put aside the depressing junk and all have fun!

Maybe we should have an online Rodeo or Fashion Show, why not?

Better yet, let's trade our favorite summertime salad recipes, Louise?

Focusing on the positive is a good way to show the kooky naysayers that success and joy are the best revenge . . .

Answer 6

You can be sure that any question that starts with 'I've nothing against bisexuals...I don't want to sound racist...I don't dislike gay people BUT"---(the operative word is "but")--you can be guaranteed the asker is prejudiced.
In answer to your question. I don't really know. There is a core or really good people on here...there is a bunch of 'homophobes'(I'm not certain why they are here--maybe just to stir things up...they are very suspicious in that they keep coming back...for what? Even the joy of being reported must die after a while)..and there is a group of people on here that I don't quite know what they are up to and I don't trust their motives.
Personally, I try to keep my responses solely to people who 1. are part of the good core of people or 2. ask intelligent questions or 3. ask stupid questions but sound confused and upset about being gay. Beyond that I don't know what to do.

Answer 7

I read this twice. The way you layer longer story-related prose is admirable, and something I have much trouble with. You make it seem effortless, natural, but all of us who write know the opposite is true. I often measure the effectiveness of a piece by the number of TD's........Jealousy rears it's green head. Kudos to you, Mr Carney.

Answer 8

I completly understand and agree with the statment you are advising here, however the human condition regardless of sex, race or orintation believes in conflict and are driven by nature to fight your own corner. Look at war I know that is a slight bit far fetched, but when brought down to it, Yahoo Answers is the battle Ground and we are the armys fighting for our stake in it all. It really is a sick and dissapointing fact, but for all we fight for in our daily lifes we cant just shut down that fight or flight nature of the beast facade that nature has created over millenia, we cant fight ourseleves.

Answer 9

Who is this Joe person with his Viva paper towels?!?

:o) I have no qualms with anyone who comes to the LGBT issues area for positive, supportive purposes. [We all know certain people that this qualifier lets out.] I even smile at, and occasionally answer some of the more flighty "questions" here.

If this isn't all about fun, mixed with a heaping helping of social activism, it is not worth doing.

Answer 10

Like the song says:

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

I try to ignore the nasty comments, but it can be disheartening to see so much bickering and trolling going on. I guess all we can do is focus on things that are creative and reaffirming.