blue
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Hey, it's been a while since you'd last posted.
I liked this. I'd suggest some editing, maybe paring down, the Preface. Maybe tweak the first chapter here and there. I liked the hints we get.
I'm presuming he's having trouble with nervousness and self-image, and possibly hunger, or at least wanting food, and reassurance, if not actual hunger. -- Good take on character and traits.
I found myself wondering if his name's pronounced as in English, "Air-ee-ell," or as in Spanish, "Ah-ree-ell." (For that matter, it could be Portuguese, Catalan, or French, or a few others.) That would depend on how his family says it as well as how much his friends insist on English versus Spanish/other. -- I've known people who did one or the other, or who switched depending on who they were talking with.
Nice start!
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The first installment is "First Visit to a New World," here in the forum.
Congratulations are in order. I see "First Visit to a New World" is now available at Codey's World. Congratulations, Paul_and_Paco!
I'll assume the next installment (this one) will be there soon.
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The second installment is here in the forum: Horses, Boys, and Baseball.
Congratulations are in order. I see "First Visit to a New World" is now available at Codey's World. Congratulations, Paul_and_Paco!
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It's tough to say whether the media or music people or fans will accept that.
Just look at how people act when a musician expands the genres/formats they sing or play in.
Or look at how people act about child singers. They make fun of the boys' high voices and boyish looks, while others go into fanboy/fangirl worship mode. Then when the boys' voices change and they step out of the spotlight while their voices and bodies adjust, the public forgets. Then the talented kid, now an older teen heading into young adulthood, has to start all over, plus meet up to expectations, when they can't be that boy anymore. It isn't quite as harsh for the girls, but it affects them too.
I bring that up because it's the voice change and looks sort of thing.
Hmm, as for the general public, the German (Austrian?) singer Bill from Tokio Hotel [ sic, German spelling ] caught lots of negatives from the public for his gender-bending looks and voice.
I dunno. Drag is not my thing. I'm not transgender. Uh, I'm glad to be male, I happen to like guys. But that means some people don't like that, about me or anyone. Since I'm gay, hey, I know what it feels like inside to like someone, something, which some people do not understand. (....So avoiding saying, "grasp," hahaha.... Ahem....) I get it that it's difficult understanding it inside your own skin and mind, too.
But online, I've seen at least one transgender person, F to M. I knew her when she was female, and when she came out as gay, and then when she came out as transgender. And whew, the hormone therapy! She was aggressive before that. With the hormones, wow, get outta town, yikes! During that, he confided in me a little, then dropped out of site for a long while, before returning online occasionally. (That person's in science fiction fandom, so though I haven't met him in person, other people I know have.)
What came through was, first, that she, later he, was already that way, in personality, mindset, feelings. Her family kicked her out, because they couldn't have a gay daughter. Or a transgender daughter or son. Friends became surrogate family. What also came through was, this was how she, he, really felt. He's now been living as a man for a few years.
This was around the same time I was coming out. I'd never known anyone (as far as I knew) who was transgender. It was kind of an eye-opener. I didn't know what to think when he dropped out of sight for so long, and we're not in touch much anymore, though I've said hi when he has.
Surprisingly enough, I have run into a few transvestite or maybe transgender guys (as women) before. -- One of those, I still think of as an early clue how my mom thought of gay people, when I was a kid. (That poor guy didn't deserve my mom's defensive reaction, looking back on it.)
And again, well, y'know, when you're gay, it means you like what some people think is strange and you get lumped in right along with anyone gay, bi, transgender, and a few other things besides, by people who can't wrap their heads around, for example, why a guy might like guys (and guy parts) or why a guy or girl might feel like they're in the wrong body, or wrong clothes and manners, at least.
Yes, life has made me more radicalized and outspoken than I used to be. I tend to be quieter about it in person. But I'm not as quiet as I used to be.
Anyway -- I hope the transition goes well and people accept the new Laura. Ya gotta be yourself, after all. -- So what if being out isn't always a picnic. I'd rather be out than in. Freedom to be yourself is a good thing. (And yes, if someone's under 18 and it's not safe to be out yet, then OK, wait until you can be how you want, and then figure out what suits you best.)
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I've seen a couple of dues ex machina situations recently where it was clever enough and fit well enough that you were left with a wow factor or a, never saw that one coming, factor.
To me, it needs to fit well to be believable, about like already said. I don't like when it's an easy, obvious out.
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Hospitals are not great, but some of the doctors, nurses, and techs are really gifted, special people. So are some of the patients and their loved ones.
Every kid deserves a better life. Some kids live with things like that. They are still just kids, like other kids, but things are a little different.
Between myself and friends and family, I've seen a lot of what that's like. It can feel scary at any age. It makes a big difference knowing people care.
Good for his family for answering questions so he'll feel better, and for being there.
I hope he comes through fine and can do what he wants soon.
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That second one's going to have me giggling every so often all night. Hahaha, thanks, Des.
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Hahahahaha! Though like Bruin, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. That thing's so full of holes in the argument, you could strain something.
How many of those would apply to straight men? To straight men who are comfortable with expressing their sexuality, unafraid of their bodies, who want to look good and don't mind showing it? Or to the part of the country?
So...a real man, a straight man, can't be affectionate or show his emotions or friendship to his buddies and family? Wow. Explains a lot of the problem, right there.
But the one that ticks me off is the assumption that "trust" means not only they share everything, but they have no privacy, and they scrutinize, hunting for something wrong. That is not trust or love. That's just plain wrong and mean. If you habitually search your husband's or wife's or children's actions or belongings, there is something wrong with *you* in the relationship, no matter what there may or may not be in the other person's side of it. Trust and love do not require that kind of spying. A real honest, trusting relationship gives each other elbow room, and has no problems with someone else doing something where they might see things, because there's nothing wrong to see. At the same time, a real relationship gives privacy because the other person doesn't need to be up in your business trying to find some wrong thing.
That is the one thing that says the most to me about the mindset of people like that group. They're actively looking for, wanting to find, something wrong so they can feel justified. So very wrong.
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I loved the broken finger joke and the vacuum joke.
I'm blond, on the sandy, darker blond end of the spectrum, lighter with more sun exposure.
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Cole Parker has a new novel, Doing Something, with two chapters posted so far.
As usual, Cole writes an engaging story and I was drawn in.
The story is about a family with each person broken and damaged by loss. The dad and son have just moved to a new place which is empty and old, and Troy, the son, is trying to find some way to adjust to this strange new life and begin making the place home. In the move, Troy has had to leave behind his closest friend too.
That theme of "doing something" can mean many things. We'll see what turns up. The theme of being broken, damaged, or neglected can transform into many things too. And the boxes of stuff.
This, I'm sure, has hit me personally, because...I'm still picking up, trying to rebuild my life. I know about boxes and feeling like everything you knew has fallen apart, including yourself, and having to start over. My life has been on hold for the last many years, and now, it is like I'm Rip Van Wynkel, waking up and seeing there's a weird new world out there, and even at home, things aren't quite the same. I've alluded to that before, but if you were to actually see it...well, I just wish I was making better progress. A bit here, a bit there, then something else happens and I'm playing catch-up again. Motivation, depression, anger, sadness, and the feeling that all those people I knew didn't care...are hard to ignore, or shut off, or turn into something positive again. When I get depressed or pissed off or get into self-pity mode, I try to remind myself it will get better, just keep working on it. I don't always believe it. I think what has hurt most was the friends and family who said they cared, and then showed they didn't. I have a few people who are still friends, some in person, some online, and I really value them. I'm the kind that misses friends from years ago. I don't let go easily, even when it should've been obvious, perhaps all along.
I was procrastinating on writing some more, then read Cole's story. It'll be hours before I feel like sleeping again. I'm sure I'll write some before then. I have some yard work to do, new at gardening, and oddly enough, putting out grass seed, because of last year's drought. I got a smile out of that bit in the story.
I get Troy. Unlike Troy, I get his dad too. My situation's different, but in some ways, enough the same to see it.
Thanks, Cole. This may be an odd way to say thank you and say how much I like the story. But there it is.
This is a really great story, and I'll be reading along with interest.
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A comment to Ben: I think you crank your expectation up a notch too far if you want gaydar to be demonstrated to give you signals about whether someone likes you, or is attracted to you.
You're right, of course. I hadn't quite realized that's what I was saying, or implying, but it was. Dang. No wonder, huh?
I think, though, that what I'm seeking from that "gaydar" (mine really doesn't work well, I don't think) is to be able to tell if a guy is gay, bi, or straight (oh I hate labels more and more) in order to know if he is...approachable, open to the possibility.
One of the big things, one of the big indicators we do not have equality and equal acceptance, is very simple. -- A guy cannot simply walk up to another guy and say he likes him and ask him to dance or ask him to go out. Yet any guy can go up to any girl and ask her, and no one would think twice about it. Oh, she might say no, thanks, but she is not going to deck him unless he's an ass about it, even if she doesn't like him or if she's already going with someone. Counter that with being gay. A gay boy can't ask another boy out of the blue, no preamble or getting to know him first. If he asks privately or publicly, there can be consequences, unless that boy happens to be accepting or interested too.
I suppose that's what I meant and what I want, some way to know if the guy might be approachable, accepting, or even interested.
Now, on the other hand, getting to know someone first, becoming friends, finding out what they think about things, is a great thing. Highly recommended.
But even so...with friends growing up, or even now, I often was not / am not sure quite what someone thinks. There are degrees, shadings, of acceptance. It's one thing to say you are OK with gay people. It is another to actually be OK with gay people, including gay people expressing themselves, and including gay people showing gay love. It is another thing again to be OK with a gay friend asking you if you'd like to date...or dance...or pass go and never mind about that Monopoly money (i.e., bypassing everything and having sex). -- Now, (1) Perhaps I'm splitting hairs there. Possibly it shows my own fears or lack of experience. Or maybe it's an accurate assessment. And (2) I don't think immediately hopping in the sack is a brilliant idea. Even if it's someone you know pretty well before doing that, it is a bit sudden to go from "friend" to "benefits" or to "sex" and risk bypassing "love." The idea of entering a couples relationship or sexual relationship, and bypassing or losing either love or the friendship, is a poor trade, I think. But I brought it up because it's one of the things that can happen in starting a relationship. I wonder sometimes if I've missed out on the possibility of love, because I was too reluctant to take a first step which might include the more direct approach. Or perhaps it's just my personality and my past experiences getting in the way. When those past experiences didn't have a chance to start, or were disappointments (failed crushes, saying no), or were bad experiences (ouch, emotionally or physically), then you develop a certain reluctance, if you're already a bit shy and trying to figure your gay self out. Uh, and yes, that libido is there all the same. I'm not a saint. Yeah, see how it's all tied up in knots? Frustrating.
But my main point was, I wish it were more possible to tell if someone is gay or if someone's approachable. I wish it were as easily acceptable for a boy to tell another boy he likes him and ask if he'd like to go out, as it is for a boy to ask a girl like that. For that matter, why can't the girl ask the boy as easily? And yes, very obviously, it should be as OK for a girl to ask a girl as for a boy to ask a boy. I wish it was as acceptable for two boys to walk holding hands or arms around each other hugging, or kissing in public, as it is for a boy and a girl couple. I wish it was acceptable for a boy to show all his emotions, instead of being a sissy or unmanly for doing so.
I suppose it will take generations to get out of this mess, since we didn't get into this mess overnight. But I'm impatient to see the change.
My biological clock is running and my batting record so far is not exactly stellar. (Not zero, thankfully, but not what I'd like, either.) Sure wish my gaydar worked better, but I think it got shoved over near the off switch, almost. Dang it.
Nothing profound to say, I'm just trying to figure it all out.
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Mr. Rogers. Simple, honest, genuine, friendly, humble. He had a way of making you think you were a very special kid, welcome in his home, where he just happened to invite you over, as though you were his neighbor's kid or his child or grandchild. He was one of my childhood heroes, especially as a little boy.
It was strange hearing news clips of him speaking to college graduates. He spoke to them as adults, but there was still that same gentle and genteel manner, a ton of compassion, as though each of them could be a friend, a neighbor, one of his family. It was strange because you don't hear that from other people, and you'd have expected his speaking persona would have been more different. Yet by all accounts, that WAS the real him.
Mr. Fred Rogers was a minister as well as one of the very first TV educators when PBS began showing children's educational TV. He was a pioneer. Anyone in my generation grew up as little kids seeing Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, the Electric Company, Zoom, and many others. He took his work as a mission, to make sure each kid felt special and loved and learned something about being a neighbor, a friend, and learning what was possible, ideas and doing.
I recall seeing something that he'd had a few people approach him as young adults, to thank him. They were gay or lesbian, and wanted to tell him his "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" had helped them. But they were sometimes concerned: Would Mr. Rogers accept them or turn away? Mr. Fred Rogers said it was OK. He loved them just the same.
It didn't matter if you were a handicapped kid, a black or white kid or some other color or place of origin. It didn't matter if you were Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist...any of the others. Short or tall, skinny or fat. Smart or not so smart. What mattered to him was that you were special, unique, for being you, and you had something to contribute and people who loved and liked you.
Now, not everyone needs to go around with Mr. Rogers' very quiet persona, which I think he worked at on purpose.
But his acceptance and joy in others' differences, and his eagerness to see others learning and doing great things or little things -- that, we could use much more of.
What a truly fine man.
And yeah, that remix, by Symphony of Sciene, is pretty awesome. There's also one for Dr. Carl Sagan, also awesome.
All those bullies and gossips and all those people spewing hate from lecture podiums and pulpits -- ought to have to watch Mr. Rogers' entire series and Dr. Sagan's Cosmos series. If they did, perhaps their minds and hearts might unshrivel a bit. Hmm, speaking of that, let's add Dr. Seuss and Charles Schulz' Peanuts. Made of awesome.
Mr. Rogers, rockin' the neighborhood. Heheh, geek pride, baby.
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Character decomposition is another matter altogether. Gotta watch out for those zombies, vampires, werewolves, mummies, daddies, and so on.
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Looks like a good ratatouille recipe. I can vouch for ratatouille. Very good veggie dish.
Hah, granny 1, gator 0. Mess with granny and granny messes you up. :D I'll bet the gator said he was sorry for bein' so full o' meanness before he expired. ;) C'est ça!
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I had some sort of comment worked out because Merkin was right, but a thunderstorm took out my power for a bit earlier today, and apparently a few of my brain cells along with it.
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I shop at Trader Joe's all the time. I've never seen alligator meat there. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right cooler.
C
Cooler? What about the suitcases? Look for the snap lock lids? Something that has a bite to it?
There are Whole Foods Markets and Central Markets in town, but I'll have to look up Trader Joe's. Heard of it, haven't been in one.
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Several hours later, I have a very rough first draft of an op-ed essay. It needs to cover at least one point better. It is too repetitious and long and rambling. (Whoo meeee?) But it's a start. -- It's unrelated to the story and addressing Pecman's point about how/why it takes some people longer to figure out they're gay. There are so many factors in that, it'd be tough to cover them all.
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Hmm, to that point, I have one or two possible answers, but rather than running the thread on a tangent, which I'm too prone to do, I think it's worth a topic in itself. Or a blog post. Lemme put on my thinking cap. (Don't worry, I can do op-ed without taking forever, unlike stories. ;) )
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That was wonderful. Much liked. Thanks to Greg.
It is also nice to know I'm not the only one who writes poetry as if it were prose, or writes prose and pretends it's poetry. :)
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In the immortal words of a very strange song I mostly can't remember the rest of right now --
"Bow wow wow, yippe-oh yippe-ay, yippee bow wow wow yippe-ay, yo!"
Yes, I'd be afraid to google that one too, wouldn't you? ;)
(I think it's either "Who Let the Dogs Out" or some old school punk song I'm not thinking of.)
I still need to read the story.
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Hahaha, wow!
First, you gotta catch dat-dere crocogator, ça! Den you gotta avoid him smotherin' you for his hors d'oeuvres!
You know, it is just possible gator is available around here somewhere. We already had regular trade with our neighboring state, and with Katrina, Rita, and Ike, that has meant a big influx of Louisianans here. The stew pot gets mixed in the Gulf for sure.
Oh, this is probably a good chance to plug Colin's story, Escaping Katrina.
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Great article. Great skeptical points and very funny.
One other point would be, if there is such a thing, if you (observer) can tell if he or she (observed) is gay, that so-called gaydar, then -- do only gay/bi people have gaydar, or do straight people have gaydar too? No, seriously, if "gayness" (or "bi-ness") shows up just by looking at a face, then can your straight buddies tell too? Just what exactly IS it that "gaydar" supposedly senses? Looks? Sound? Movement? What? ...And I dare any of that not to sound somehow like picking up a stereotype. Is it hormonal, pheromonal? If so, we'd sense it in person, but not from photos.
It's a legitimate question. Is there some way you know a guy is gay or a girl is gay? (Yeah, yeah, somebody's gonna say, well, maybe the fact he's kissing a guy is a clue....) But no, I mean it seriously. Just how DO you think we (gay or straight) know for sure (and accurately) if someone is gay? Does it kick in at puberty? Can you tell if some kindergartener is gay? Honestly, it's a question.
OK, let's say you have a foolproof answer all thought out. Now how do you explain how one person can have a "reliable" (accurate) gaydar, and another one can't tell most of the time, or at all? Yes, this can readily affect the person, at least in his dating life and perhaps in getting hit (or missed). The theory would need to account for that too.
I'm being very honest there, because, well, I've never felt I had a gaydar that worked even half the time. That was definitely true before I came out, and still is mostly true afterwards. Being totally honest, as a teen, I was usually pretty clueless about whether someone liked me (was attracted) or how to take that or show I was attracted, without being obnoxious, or at all, pretty much. It seemed like, even to me, that I was blissfully unaware. Yet hey, I did want the chance to date and maybe find out. I had the desire, and the equipment seemed to work fine. (Except it seemed to work when thinking about guys instead of girls. Hmm.....)
I'm trying not to get too off-track there. What I'm trying to say is, if someone's going to prove "gaydar," they have to explain how gay/bi people know a person is gay; they have to explain how straight people can or can't have gaydar; and they have to explain how gaydar develops along with developing sexual awareness and sexual emotional maturation.
What about that girl or boy who seems blissfully unaware that some boy or girl likes him/her, or how to let that person, or the person they like, know that yes, they like them.
What about that gaydar? Come on, you're just as gay (or bi or straight) if your gaydar works or if it doesn't, right? But how does it work? How would you know if he or she is gay? Can you...auto-tune your gaydar?
Meh. I liked it a lot better getting a good laugh out of it. But it'd be nice to know if there is some real kind of gaydar, or how that all works, or the auto-tune thing.
Besides, I still wonder if Bobby just wanted to hang out, or if, like I was kinda hoping.... :angel:
Oh well, that one will always be a mystery. Darn it.
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Three years ago now, I had a chance to visit cousins with a teenage daughter and son. The boy was very quiet then, mostly, though I think he's finally growing out of it. The daughter, though, is the kind of girl who knows her own mind and what she wants and where she's going. (Dang, don't you admire people like that?) However, well, you know, she's a teenage girl. So...OMG! The Jonas Brothers! Justin Bieber! The.... (And so on.) And then when we drove by the neighborhood of the boy she liked, OMG! He's so.... You don't want to know the reaction when we actually went by and saw the young guy, skateboarding and shirtless. You'd have thought a major earthquake hit the van, hahaha. Hmm, and I have no idea of his personality (...apparently, he's hot, cute, and soooo dreamy, and Mama, can she stop for just a minute and talk...) but hey, if I were that age, he was indeed good looking. Except, you know, for a 9th grade athletic skater type boy. He'd have to grow up a few years. Definitely my female cousin's thing, though!
Watching and hearing all the reactions from the young female cousin was, OMG! sooo amazing! -- particularly when she was otherwise very together, poised, and well spoken...when not experiencing massive teenage girl hormones, hahaha. Her brother was too quiet to really know yet. I got the feeling he'd be reserved, even on his favorite subjects, at the time, or about girls. (He was much better about all that last time they visited.) (Uh, and I think he's probably straight.) All the teenage fangirl drama, though, was hilarious to watch, only a little tough on the hearing. :D
I do wonder, though, about the teenage guys' reactions. I can bet (from similar memories of friends that age) they'd be very busy downplaying Bieber or boy bands or other teenage male stars, unless they're somehow "cool" (and undeniably macho enough to be safe to say they like them). Yet those same guys likely dress and talk somewhat (or a lot like) those very same stars, and if you catch 'em off guard, they may even like listening to them.
Then you'll have the guys who are less hung up about liking those male teen stars and their music / acting / etc.
Then you have a few guys who are fans, fanboys, and they're not the least bit worried to say so. It doesn't prove one way or the other if they're gay. It does say they are comfortable enough in their own skin to say they like who and what they like.
I'd bet it can get very interesting seeing how teen guys and girls react to, say, Glee. I'd bet you'd get that range of opinions.
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Another point that I've come to realize I need to work on: C.J. Cherryh, an author whose work I really like, made some comments (I wish I had a link/copy to cite) about writing characters and stories.
She said she thinks stories are primarily character-driven, instead of plot-driven. You as the audience relate to the story, the story is shaped, by the characters, how they feel, think, and how they act. A leads to B leads to C or D or E.
But then here's what really was valuable about what she wrote: She said when you write, you need to remember each character is the hero of his/her own story. Each person thinks he or she is the central character, and has his/her own feelings and ideas about where things are going. For example, the villain thinks he's right, and the villain isn't all bad, any more than the hero is all good. So while A is doing A things, B is over here doing B things, which may be in concert with A, or may be at odds with A. Meanwhile, C is over there doing something completely different that may affect A and B later...or sooner. So each character is doing something to add excitement and richness to the story. Now, granted, not every character is a major character. Somebody has to be the extra or the supporting character.
It explained one big reason why I like her writing. There's always something going on with every character. The sidekicks and the villains are strong characters and so is the hero. There may be many heroes or villains. They all do something.
This was something she expanded on after the more usual advice of the writing exercise of writing the same scene through each character's eyes.
I wish I was even ten percent as good at it. That advice was really something.
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Huh. Really? Cool.
in News & Views
Posted
:: Looks around. :: Oh, hmm... reads... ::
The statement by the webmasters at Bulbagarden || Bulbapedia.com is just fantastic. Everyone should get the chance to enjoy the things they love without being made to feel excluded, ignored, or unwelcome, simply because of who they are. It's anime and gaming, for cryin' out loud. Those are for enjoyment, for imagination, to relax, to have fun, darn it.
I have seen people act derogatory in fan forums, simply because someone was gay or lesbian or transgender, and it is counter to what fandom is and should be about. When you're in a place that values being different, pointing at the guy or girl who is different and making fun and abusing them, picking a fight, makes no sense. It's not cool, either. If being a giant alien critter or an android or a half-naked barbarian or wizard or beast is acceptable, but being gay and human is not...someone has their priorities wacked.
I've never really watched Pokémon. It struck me as a kids' deal. That's cool, kids need kid-stuff too. But this makes me curious. I do know that boys and girls both like Pokémon, including teens. So, two thumbs up.
OK, I gotta say, I loved the gaygamer site slogan, but I had to do a double-take on the FilipinaCupid banner ad on the left. Huh? OK, if you're a lesbian or bi or friendly straight, haha, I can see why hubba-hubba cute girls in bikinis would appeal, but lol, perhaps not the optimum target audience for gay boys.
Just saying.
Also gotta say, I do love that slogan: "For boys who like boys who like joysticks."
Uh, say, if a boy offers to show a boy his Pokémon.... OK, sometimes a cute game thing is just a cute game thing. Even if it does translate as Pocket Monster. :)
The Japanese do have a somewhat different take on boy-boy relationships, thank goodness. If only I'd known that as a boy.
I'm not an online gamer or video gamer. Despite that, I have a story idea that involves a future VR immersive game. -- Hey, my idea of computer games is (mostly) stuck back with Zork or Asteroids. Yeah, I know, laugh! :D
However, I do like anime and sci-fi a lot. Cowboy Bebop, The original Dot-Hack, others. And I'd be more than fine with gay characters. -- I was surprised when a sci-fi fan friend suggested Gravitation, and explained it. (Huh? Really? Wow! Hmm....) Yes, I do know what shounen-ai and yaoi are, but I haven't seen much. I'm not big into manga, but I'm curious, and when budget allows, I'll try a couple of manga titles.
I'll have to say, I probably would've liked D&D if there'd been anyone I knew to play with, back in the day. Even in college, not many friends were into it. Yeah, weird friends, I know. :: shrugs ::
Um, and hey, the furry community ... why not? My only objection there is, dude, a furry costume in *this* kind of summer heat? Whew!
-- But otherwise, hey, if it suits 'em, why not?
There's a local sci-fi convention coming up sometime this month or July or August, but I'm not sure I'll get to go this year. Budget sucks like a black hole. But I enjoy going.
You'd probably never guess from most things about me, that I'd be open to all that. I suppose you'd say I have a stealth-mode freak side. -- This is one of the reasons I like EleCivil's punk side.
So -- being gay-friendly at a Pokémon forum? That is tremendous. Good job to the Bulbapedia and Bulbagarden pplz. Plus, gotta love someone who's called Webmaster Archaic or Webmaster Evil Figment.
This is, in fact, well worth passing along to the fan forums where I hang out. -- I am BlueCatShip at a few places, science fiction and fantasy forums and others. (Farscape, Firefly, etc.)