BGLT Pride Parade - Does the over the top sexual imagery serve a purpose or just cause harm?

On Hot Talk we like to talk about Hot Issues, and one hot button issue that people get passionate about is the issue of homosexuality and society. This last weekend was the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade in Minneapolis.

In this parade, you had streets blocked off, police force on call at the parade, all for a public display of sexual orientation. Now this parade had a wide variety of people in it, some of which included men and women in under garments or nearly nude with parts of their bodies hanging out. You had some displaying obscene gestures and showing off very in your face sexual imagery including signs with messages that many, myself included, would consider vulgar and offensive. One sign read “Firm Members Wanted” and it was held by a man almost completely nude. Frankly a lot of it was “in your face” offensive stuff.

This morning we invited Michael John Smith, host of the Saturday Morning Eye Opener and a member of the BLGT community to talk about issues surrounding the parade and other relevant issues.

We discussed the stuff at the parade, and he sort of agreed with me that there doesn’t need to be all this in your face sexual material. My big beef is that it’s in a public place and it’s done where families and kids can witness it. If someone else was doing this sort of stuff on a normal afternoon they’d probably be arrested or at least ticketed for lewd behavior.

Kids are already exposed to sex in more ways than any other generation ever. We have a serious problem with over exposure to sexual imagery in our culture with pornographic images and thoughts hitting us from all sides. Whether it be television, or the Internet, or billboards or the movies it clearly exists. I address this because I think it’s simply got to stop and someone has to speak up about it.

Beyond the parade, we turned toward the issue of special interest groups. Why does the gay community want to be recognized as a special group? You don’t see pride parades for those who are celibate or those who commit adultery or those who are polygamists or those who sleep around or those who have sex only on Tuesdays or choose any other type of sexual behavior!

That’s when the issue turned toward whether or not homosexuality is a lifestyle choice or due to genetics. The old nature or nurture argument. Mike believes it’s something you’re born with. I believe it’s a lifestyle choice. I come to that conclusion because there is no scientific evidence to back up the fact that homosexuality is hereditary.

I’ve also talked with several friends including one with a doctorate in marriage and family therapy who have discussed the effects of a child being sexually abused or having an absent father during the early years of life. There are many factors that contribute to struggles with homosexuality in my opinion.

While we clearly had our differences of opinion, and still do, it was nice to have a civil discussion about the issues and to see where both sides are coming from when it comes to how homosexuals relate to heterosexuals and the rest of society. We agreed to disagree about the origin of homosexuality but I believe we came to a consensus which is this: In your face sexual imagery in the public arena needs to stop and it doesn’t do any good to families, children, or anyone else.