Tolerance of gay hikers (ie homophobia and trail safety question)

[Jack Tarlin]

rcl:

No harm, no foul, but, no, you're quite wrong when you say I had no information about these guys except that they were gay.

I had some other significant information, and that's that they were hiking this year.

In my book, and unless I hear something verifiably horrible about someone who's hiking, then that's enough information for me, and they're welcome to stay at my place.

The fact that they are on the Trail (and have arrived in Hanover, after hiking either 1736 or 442 miles to get there!) is why they're welcome to enjoy what limited hospitality I can provide.....

The fact that they might be gay has nothing to do with it.

And quick note to Max Patch, who asked: Hanover is the quintessential small college town. It also happens to be the quintessestial small New England college town, drawing most of its students from the Northeast. The two largest employers are the college-connected medical facility, and the college itself. There's a very liberal mindset here: Of the 7500 -odd folks who voted in town in the Presidential election, Obama beat McCain 6140 to 1328.

So the answer to your question is yeah, Hanover is one of the most liberal communities in New Hampshire and is friendly to gays. In fact, it's friendly to everyone.

[saimyoji]

Is it true there's no laundromat in Hanover?

[generoll]

I think he was asking if Braemer Castle has shuttle service?? I could be wrong but that's not any slang I know of.

I think our resident ham was trying to speak tongue in cheek. Hope he didn't bite himself. Some folks are just determined to stamp out thread creep.

[KG4FAM]

I think he was asking if Braemer Castle has shuttle service?? I could be wrong but that's not any slang I know of.

That makes sense, what doesn't make sense is that it is in the "Tolerance of gay hikers" thread

[Tin Man]

Is it true there's no laundromat in Hanover?

that would make hanover dirty hiker clothes unfriendly

[Christus Cowboy]

WritinginCT... This thread has many interesting thoughts. I do think it is quite unfortunate that your friends are concerned about personal safety but obviously they have had some personal experience to warrant the concern. If my experience section hiking is an indicator, I don't believe there will be a problem.... in fact in the course of their travels they will probably wind up having the same complaints as their hetero counterparts.... blisters, weather, gear issues, or some inconsiderate behavior in general. While the southern part of the country is generally more conservative toward these issues, I believe your friends will be pleasantly surprised to find that southern hospitality will be extended to them and their kindness reciprocated if they just show a little respect for the communities that they travel through.... You can also find some interesting information on the thread listed below where I posted on an entry made by a homosexual by the name of Needles (He's on Whiteblaze and you may want to contact him for his perspective). The thread may be a good one to have your friends to read as well....

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...630#post672630

At any rate, Needle's experience was in stark contrast to the prevailing opinion that many in the gay community have of the southern part of the country and I'm hopeful that will be the experience of your friends as well. With that said, I thought I would throw my 2 cents in some other thoughts posted on this thread.....

Some random thoughts:
I personally find overtly heterosexual couples annoying on or off trail
I personally find overtly homosexual couples equally offensive
I was around a lesbian for a few days on the AT. I knew she was a lesbian because she took every single opportunity to discuss her "partner". After each mention of partner, she would wait expectantly for me to ask if she was gay. I never did.
After awhile I just ran like hell because if I talked about ticks or dirty water sources, she would mention her "partner".
If you get "in-your-face" about any issue, fine, just expect "in-your-face" responses

I have to generally agree with Montana here.... the watchword being here is kindness and respect. Whether it is a lesbian who constantly ties every unrelated topic of conversation to her "partner", or overt public displays of affection whether it be homosexual or heterosexual, or the Amway salesman who turns every conversation on the trail into a full blown presentation of their products that need to be purchased, or the overzealous Christian who engages in "Christian mugging" rather than just living out their faith with humility, or the atheist who becomes argumentative and demeaning to those who happen believe in the existence of God, or the nude hiker who doesn't care if they hike naked in the presence of small children... Each of these cases illustrate a condition where someone has elevated the exercise of their preferences or beliefs above the hiking experiences of others. Yet in most of these cases, with a little bit of discretion, maturity, kindness, and respect, most of these preferences can be accomodated without having to trample on the hiking experience of others.... After all there's 2,175 miles of trail certainly there's enough space to allow for such a diversity of hiking experiences...

One problem is that most dedicated, born again, Christians believe that the only way to achieve eternal life is through belief in Christ. Most seem to feel an obligation to tell us about their beliefs and to persuade us to share their beliefs.

As I read my Bible, it strikes me that they have an obligation to do so, if they also want to be "saved."
Weary

Weary... one of the things that I appreciate about your posts is that they are generally well thought out... I'll have to give you credit here as you have a pretty good grasp on what mainstream Christians believe. I would like to add a couple of points for the purposes of clarification and then try to bring this discussion around to the original point.

In respect to Christians feeling an obligation to tell others about their beliefs, this concept is generally tied to a passage of Scripture commonly referred to the Great Commission which is found in Matthew 28:16-20 should anyone wish to look it up.

In respect to Christians being required to share these beliefs with others or else they won't be "saved", salvation in the Christian sense is not predicated on "works" such as prosyletizing or any other work for that matter but rather on the concept of grace. This concept of grace can be found in Ephesians 2:8-9.

Often when asked or I divulge that I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, I'm immediately pigeon-holed as a 'Holy Roller' as you call it. I would say that stereotyping Christians is more tolerated than stereotyping just about any other group, but that's no surprise. Jesus warned us 2000 years ago about that! Case in point: this thread, which started about gay acceptance but has turned of late to Christian bashing.

I agree and I too have had this experience as well, though I would have to say that it is very rare on the trail... Regrettably, hollywood has made this mentality quite fashionable... Ironically, I have had conversations with homosexuals on this very point and have found them to be quite sympathetic. Even though we differed on questions of morality, they understood all too well the sterotyping that takes place. I guess sometimes life experiences have a unique way of establishing common ground even between those with divergent views. The trail has a way of doing that as well.... and I'm sure your friends will find that to be the case....

[TOW]

Jack,

Inviting hikers to stay at your place is a great thing. If you twist hard enough you can make this about anything you want. The "Dribble" was folks inviting someone to their place because they are gay. That is all the info you had when you invited them. Maybe that is all you need to know. That is your business. If so, I was outta line sorry, if not "Dribble" is a nice way to put it.

Clyde

Personally I don't give a damn if your gay, straight, transgendered or whatever walk of life you come from you are welcomed usually in my home, unless you conduct your attitude as an jackass. Then you can get on down the road.

I think your jumping to an assumption that you think those of us who have offered have offered because your friends are gay, am I reading you right? If not explain what you really meant.

[Tinker]

that would make hanover dirty hiker clothes unfriendly

There's definitely one just outside of Han(g)over, on Rte. 10, I believe, as I took Wrongway and Peanut there to do clothes last summer.

[YoungMoose]

i dont understand why people are making a big deal of it. so what they are a homo. we are all interested in backpacking. its hard enough to find people thats interested in this type of stuff.

[MOWGLI]

i dont understand why people are making a big deal of it. so what they are a homo. we are all interested in backpacking. its hard enough to find people thats interested in this type of stuff.

Out of the mouths of babes....

That's a compliment from before your time, kid.

[Tinker]

I think that we all need to remember that we all started life as human beings first.
Maybe we should continue to live as human beings first.
I used to be a self-righteous "born again" s.o.b. (truth hurts, don't it?), until I realized that hate is the very opposite of the God which I considered to be love, and that He, alone, is Judge. Since this revelation in my life, I've become a lot more "tolerant" of those who are different than I am, with the goal of showing, personally, "what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us" to all, even those who consider God and His followers their sworn enemies. The Lord Jesus commanded us to "love our enemies." I now consider this to mean "those who make us their enemies", not "those who "deserve" to be our enemies. We deserve nothing. We have so much. We should be intensley thankful to someone, something, that our lives change from being self-centered and self-serving to being other-centered and other-serving. Life is too short to hate and judge those different than we are. The apostle Paul was once "Saul", a murderer of Christians. God forgave him and loved him. His writings state that "Love covers the multitude of sin". It's not that we don't have to repent of our sins, it is that, once we repent, our sins are covered and remembered no more.
Love.

[YoungMoose]

Out of the mouths of babes....

That's a compliment from before your time, kid.

lol

[Lone Wolf]

oy vay!

[YoungMoose]

oy vay!

[Dogwood]

WOW I knew this thread was going to get heated. I think I'm going to turn the TV on to hear the Democrats and Republicans argue over the "stimulus" package and who's at fault for the current state of the economy.

[YoungMoose]

WOW I knew this thread was going to get heated. I think I'm going to turn the TV on to hear the Democrats and Republicans argue over the "stimulus" package and who's at fault for the current state of the economy.

I agree. too bad im tired of hearing it 24/7

[Lilred]

I think our resident ham was trying to speak tongue in cheek. Hope he didn't bite himself. Some folks are just determined to stamp out thread creep.

I need a smiley or sumptin to let me know these things.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

should not be an issue as long as they are not flamers and into PDA's in shelters and around others which is just as inappropriate behavior for MF couples as well .. tell them to go hiking and have a great time

Hillbilly

[hootyhoo]

Are we not all humans? Do we not all deserve the right to peace? Why does it matter what sexually preference, color, age, gender?
And why are some people mean to animals?

[Sly]

Not talking amorous sex here but, we see PDA with hetrosexual couples all the time, people hugging, kissing each other. Is the trail off limits, or just PDA with gays?