Recently our city newspaper ran an article anouncing that some fundamentalist churches around here are praying the gay out of teenagers and running some apparatly controversial program to cure teenagers of gayness. The government is apparantly so concerned that they are considering a law to stop such behaviour.
Now personally, although the idea of a society where men are forced to be submissive to legions of dominant females does titilate me, I have to say that personally I think the government should stay out of it. Yes some families may engage in training their kids in ways we do not agree with. But I figure it takes all sorts.
over in http://femdom101.blogspot.com.au/ we have a mother discussing with her adult daughter about being dominant of her new husband. It does make me wonder what it was like in that house when the kid was 10.
I recall as a kid instances that titilated me although at times I was too young to understand why but those were in a way ways where parents were trying to instill their values and to socialise their kids the way they felt was right. Imagine if that were to promote female dominance and male submission.
Of course the examples from my past typically were the other way round as has been the custom for centuries. But quite overt in some cases. For example I have seen mothers teach their young female children to not fight even when another child takes a toy. Just to accept it and go play with something else. When I was at university, I boarded with a family who had kids at a local primary (elementary) school. Their mother would talk about the characteristics of some of the other mothers much to my interest of course. One of the other mothers apparantly made her daughter wear white underwear and kept her school dresses short so that she would not run around. She wanted the girl to stand and watch. The girl was not allowed to play any kind of compeditive games. She was allowed to play school sport and on those days only she was allowed to wear sports briefs for modesty.
Shock horror we think and I am sure there are many other examples of socialisation.
Kind of interesting to consider if that were reversed and boys were constrained and overtly taught to do girls bidding.
I think Governments should set the limits (so I know i cant rob the bank or murder my neighbour and go unpunished) But then they should step well back.
ReplyDeleteAs for societal norms , I remember Paul Eddington (the Minister in "Yes Minister" ) who was a Quaker; he said he wanted his epitaph to be "He did very little harm" And thats how I feel about people - what they do maybe be regarded as strange,eccentric,not normal etc but as long as they dont harm other people then I can shrug my shoulders.
I understand that being Gay is a genetic legacy,but so is male aggression and for the sake of harmony in the community we learn to control it.
So I dont want you waving your gay rights ,or your black/white/latino/irish etc prejudices or your anti war or your fundamentalist religious views ,in my face - I acknowledge that you are a product of your genes , your parents, your environment and your intelligence. Pay me the same respect