Mindy, I'm gay, and no offence taken at the question. Ask your gay pals "what does 'gay culture' meant to you?" and you will likely get your underlying why question answered without offence. It's not like you are asking them, "So why do you poofters hang around together and do your nasty, weird, poofter thing, and eat your nasty foreign poofter muck and have your nasty faggy Mardis Gras?

As for Mr Peeved, he is over his head.

WSS

I've been looking over the forums for what's interesting. I've always been curious about homosexuality. Wouldn't dare ask the homosexuals I know, afraid to offend.

Mindy

So what I perceive as gay culture is an off-shoot of gay society, which is perfectly understandable. I didn't know gay culture was "waning." Makes sense. Interesting. Thanks for the info.

Mindy

I suppose, William, if you simply have to go through life playing "The Victim" then you can invent things which do not actually exist in order to justify everything....

http://nzcapitalist.blogspot.com/

Mindy, you can safely ignore Moonberry's peevish non-answer.

Landon gives a clue to why distinct gay 'culture' or subcultures arose, diffused and persisted in Western lands. When homosexual behaviour was reviled, illegal, and viewed with contempt and disgust, gay people, both lesbians and male homosexuals, found and developed and maintained distinct precincts and codes and practices that allowed them a certain freedom unavailable in the rest of an often hostile world.

In recent years, gay people's acceptance in the broader community has made such separate precincts much less necessary.

To make a rather simplistic analogy, consider other minority subcultures that persist and sometimes wane . . . gay people aren't born to gay families and taught a gay language or celebrated for being examplars of traditional gaiety as might be other minorities within a cultural milieu. Gay people built their own 'families' and supportive networks in opposition to uncomprehending birth cultures, cleaved to places that allowed them to be home and safe and understood without effort. For an older gay cohort, gay culture was a refuge and a playground.

Today, gay culture is waning as a separate, guarded enclave. In my country, Canada, for example, there is broad toleration of gay sexuality, gay liasons, gay marriages, gay adoption, gay whatever.

For a lengthy review of the waning of a uniform 'gay culture,' see Andrew Sullivan's article "The End of Gay Culture" -- his is a perceptive eye, albeit restricted to American lands.

WSS

Pigmatic...to parapharse Margaret Thatcher.."there is no such thing as gay society. There are individuals, men who want a shag"

(out of curiousity, why did you dig this thread up after a year?)

http://nzcapitalist.blogspot.com/

I don't mean gay society, but gay culture, or subculture.

For one thing it would suck to have to take a chance on getting punched anytime you asked someone out.

---Landon

Never mistake contempt for compassion, or power lust for ambition.

http://www.myspace.com/wickedlakes

Why is there a gay culture?

favourite quotation from 'Fight Club' is when Brad Pitt says "Stop trying to control everything and just let go"

(Imagine an Aries Control Freak trying to do that!)

However, back to the topic...

Thank you for the contributions which have been made.
Quite an eye opener in parts, although rather a shame at the heterosexuality some of you profess.

"I can see in his eyes that he would eat me alive. Oh, if only that could be!!!"

Very poetic, it almost reads like a haiku.

I can see in his eyes that he would eat me alive. Oh, if only that could be!!!

Kelly

It's an odd movie but I managed to get a laugh or two out of it. He may play the tough guy on screen but you can see it in his eyes, he’d be kind in bed. I guarantee it. Wow we really may have elaborated on this point for far too long.

looked baaaaad... but if you've seen Fight Club then expecting a smooth ride from that guy might be wishful thinking.

Have YOU seen Death To Smoochy???

have you SEEN American History X???

Edward Norton, Because I think he'd be gentle.

I'd rather die.

Daniel Craig, and even then it might not take a gun to my head. A general threat of low-level violence or even mild unpleasantness could just about do it.
The man has lips like two slugs mating. I know fine form when I see it!

not in a million years

Now to spice things up...

This is a question for everyone: if a gun was put to your head, who would you swap teams for?

an no quere!

Straight as an arrow.

Straight as an arrow. "I'm here and not queer! I'm here and not queer! I'm here an not queer!"

However I do believe in the South Park philosophy: 'we're all a little gay.' 

With Judy Garland posters all over it.

Actually, I'm one of those "stealth gays" who are invisible to all but the most sensitive gaydar. I thought I was bi for a while, but then I realized that I was just kidding myself.

I have a framed Audrey Hepburn poster and a penchant for musical theatre, then I discovered sci-fi, comics and Linux, turns out I was just a geek.

Avenue Q:

If You Were Gay

ROD
Aah, an afternoon alone with
My favorite book, "Broadway
Musicals of the 1940s."
No roommate to bother me.
How could it get any better than this?

NICKY
Oh,hi Rod!

ROD
Hi Nicky.

NICKY
Hey Rod, you'll never
Guess what happened to
Me on the subway this morning.
This guy was smiling at me and talking to me

ROD
That's very interesting.

NICKY
He was being real friendly,
And I think he was coming on to me.
I think he might've thought I was gay!

ROD
Ahem, so, uh, why are you telling me this?
Why should I care?
I don't care.
What did you have for lunch today?

NICKY
Oh, you don't have to get
All defensive about it, Rod...

ROD
I'm NOT getting defensive!
What do I care about some gay guy you met, okay?
I'm trying to read.

NICKY
Oh, I didn't mean anything by it, Rod.
I just think it's something we should be able to talk about.

ROD
I don't want to talk about it,
Nicky! This conversation is over!!!

NICKY
Yeah, but...

ROD
OVER!!!

NICKY
Well, okay, but just so you know —
IF YOU WERE GAY
THAT'D BE OKAY.
I MEAN 'CAUSE, HEY,
I'D LIKE YOU ANYWAY.
BECAUSE YOU SEE,
IF IT WERE ME,
I WOULD FEEL FREE
TO SAY THAT I WAS GAY
(BUT I'M NOT GAY.)

ROD
Nicky, please!
I am trying to read....
What?!

NICKY
IF YOU WERE QUEER

ROD
Ah, Nicky!

NICKY
I'D STILL BE HERE,

ROD
Nicky, I'm trying to read this book.

NICKY
YEAR AFTER YEAR

ROD
Nicky!

NICKY
BECAUSE YOU'RE DEAR
TO ME,

ROD
Argh!

NICKY
AND I KNOW THAT YOU

ROD
What?

NICKY
WOULD ACCEPT ME TOO,

ROD
I would?

NICKY
IF I TOLD YOU TODAY,
"HEY! GUESS WHAT,
I'M GAY!"
(BUT I'M NOT GAY.)
I'M HAPPY
JUST BEING WITH YOU.

ROD
High Button Shoes, Pal Joey...

NICKY
SO WHAT SHOULD IT
MATTER TO ME
WHAT YOU DO IN BED
WITH GUYS?

ROD
Nicky, that's GROSS!

NICKY
No it's not!
IF YOU WERE GAY
I'D SHOUT HOORAY!

ROD
I am not listening!

NICKY
AND HERE I'D STAY,

ROD
La la la la la!

NICKY
BUT I WOULDN'T GET
IN YOUR WAY.

ROD
Aaaah!

NICKY
YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
TO ALWAYS BE
BESIDE YOU EVERY DAY,
TO TELL YOU IT'S OKAY,
YOU WERE JUST BORN
THAT WAY,
AND, AS THEY SAY,
IT'S IN YOUR DNA,
YOU'RE GAY!

ROD
BUT I'M NOT GAY!

NICKY
If you were gay.

ROD
Argh!

Am not gay, however I am far more interested in gay issues than any straight man should be.

Ironically though I also own the Madonna "Music" album.

---Landon

Inking is sexy.

http://www.angelfire.com/comics/wickedlakes

Hahahahaha. I actually laughed out loud for that one! 

Could you ask her to try harder?

I'm surprised the ex-feminazi didn't make me a homo...

you've got some mother issues then.

trapped inside a man's body...

that sounds awfully close to being a girly-man.

trapped inside a man's body.

but
a. I prefer the term heterosexually challenged.
b. my (x)boyfriend is.
c. I do have Madonna's MUSIC album.
d. I can't believe I just confessed to c. There goes my headbanger cred.

I guess I am gay.

************************************************

Spaceplayermusic.com

What about half homos who are women?!!!

Kelly

Here here. Do we have more homo's then women at this point?

Wm

Pleased to meet you. I'm Not.